Ranch baked baby red potatoes...

Hi all. Wow this week sure has flown by. We found out recently my mom is ill and so I have been trying to spend as much time with her as possible. She will be having radiation and chemo in the future weeks to come, and family comes first as you all know. Between work, chores, baking, and all the other stressful things  that life throws at you when you least expect it, I thought I would take a much needed break and share a quick, simple recipe with you all...Well actually three!!!

Being a cashier at a local grocery store I have been seeing a lot of baby red potatoes come through my lane as of late. I remembered a recipe that I have made in the past and it is so simple and delicious that I wanted to share.

Lately I have been making soups and recipes that are easy for my mom to heat up in the microwave, but this will be a nice change. Since I like to make most everything from scratch I will include first the recipe for the ranch dressing mix that this recipe calls for. Although you only use about 1 T ( 1 oz ) of the mix for this recipe you will get about 3/4 cup of mix total, which you can use for salad dressings and also dips...

Homemade Ranch dressing mix:

1/3 cup (Saco brand)  GF Buttermilk blend powder
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
2 T dried minced onion
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Store in a air tight container or jar in a cool dry place for up to 12 months. Recipe makes about 3/4 cup total.

For the Ranched baked baby reds recipe:

2 pounds baby red potatoes, washed (do not peel)
3T olive oil
1 oz homemade ranch dressing mix (recipe above)
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Wash the potatoes and cut in half. (do NOT peel)
In a small bowl combine the ranch mix, fresh ground pepper, and olive oil. Toss gently with the potatoes to coat.
Place coated potatoes onto a parchment lined pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.


To use the homemade ranch dressing mix as a salad  salad dressing:
Mix together...
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup plus 6 tablespoons milk
1 T vinegar
3 T homemade ranch dressing mix. Whisk all together and let set approx 1 hour in refrigerator before using.


To use as a dip:

To 2 cups sour cream add 3 T of the homemade ranch dressing mix. Mix until smooth and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with fresh veggies or crackers for a great snack...

I hope you enjoy...
Sharon

Angel Food Cake made Gluten free...

Hey everyone. I hope you are all enjoying your summer and taking advantage of all those delicious fresh fruits hitting all the farmers markets in your area. I myself love fresh peaches, strawberries and blueberries, and nothing goes as well with these fresh fruits as a light, fluffy Angle Food cake fresh from the oven!!!

Although this cake is made entirely from scratch and takes only a few minutes extra to make than a box mix, it is well worth the effort. You will definitely not be disappointed. My family didn't even know it was gluten free until I told them.

For starters you will need a old fashioned angel food cake pan. The first few times I made mine I used a dark Teflon coated pan and the cake browned a little too much for my liking, but when I used my old time pan it was light , moist and lightly browned. Most stores carry them, but if you can't find one check out your local thrift stores...

Give it a try and be sure to post a comment, or send me a pic of your results....


Gluten Free Angel Food Cake recipe:

1  1/2 cup egg whites at room temp..( I set mine out for about 1/2 hour ahead of time)
1  1/2 teaspoons cream of tarter
3/4 cup granulated sugar (will be added to flour mixture)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (used when beating egg whites)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup potato STARCH
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Assorted fresh fruit


Directions:

Place the egg whites in a large bowl and let sit at room temperature for about 1/2 hour. Sift the 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, all flours and potato starch and sift together twice. Set aside. Be sure not to add the cream of tarter to this mixture as it will make the cake dry....Been there, done it!!!

Now add the cream of tarter, the salt, and vanilla to the egg whites. Beat on MEDIUM speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the 1/2 cup of granulated sugar to the beaten egg whites a little at a time, beating on HIGH until stiff peaks form.

Now add in the flour mixture about 1/2 cup at a time FOLDING it in with a whisk. This gives the best results as it helps keep the air in the beaten egg whites and insures a perfect rise to the cake.

Gently spoon the mixture into a UN-GREASED Angel Food cake pan. Cut through the batter with a knife to remove any large air bubbles. Bake the cake on the lowest rack level at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and appears dry.

I would not invert the cake to cool as most Angel Food cake recipes say to do, as both times I did the cake just plopped out of the pan onto my counter...It was just fine leaving it top side up until it cooled and then I removed it from the  pan and put inside my cake saver for storage. Make sure it is completely cool before covering.

This cake stays moist and fresh for about a week when covered. It is a monthly must have in my house! I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we do, and will post and tell me how the recipe worked for you.

Until next time....Have a great Gluten free week!!!

Sharon

Bob's Red Mill Cinnamon Raisin Bread mix...

 

 

Hi all...I thought when I moved back to be by family I would have all the free time in the world to visit and reunite with everyone. What I didn't know was that taking a part time job would eat up a lot of the time I had planned on doing so, not to mention taking away time from my baking and trying new recipes for the blog.

 

Even though I still get to experiment with recipes and different flour mixtures on occasion, I find that occasionally I have to "cheat', as it were, and use a mix when time is of the essence.

 

Over the 4th my husband came home from the supermarket with a loaf of Pettridge Farms Cinnamon  raisin bread...  Oh did the memories come flooding back! Being gluten free for over 2 years now its still one of the faint memories I can vividly recall...The remembrances of the taste, texture, and smell as he toasted it really made my mouth salivate. Did I mention that I did not partake, even though it was a great temptation???  

 

I have to say I resisted the urge to eat the whole loaf, but ever since then I have had a taste for a slice of cinnamon raisin toast. Going through my stock pile of gluten free goodies in my cupboards I happen to come across a bag of gluten free mix of Cinnamon raisin bread from Bob's Red Mill. Oh happy day!!!

 

I usually stay away from their mixes because most have bean flours in them, and bean flour and I do not get along. This mix however does not contain any bean flour, and includes Sorghum flour which I happen to use quite a bit in my baking.  I must have picked up this mix on one of my  shopping sprees and forgotten about it. I found it located in the back of the cupboard and it was a blessing in disguise.

 

It was really so simple to make. Water, oil and eggs. I let it raise about 45 minutes, popped it in the over for 60 minutes, and it was done.

 

As you can see from the picture above it rose to perfection, and browned nicely. After it cooled and was  able to be sliced it was everything I had hoped for. Moist, doughy, and delicious. I smothered it with butter after I popped a slice in the toaster, and I thought I had died and gone to heaven! 

 

I have to say I was really impressed with this mix and with the ease of preparation it took to make, as well as the taste. I highly recommend this to anyone who doesn't have time to bake from scratch, and even to those who do. I can't wait to make some French toast with it...Oh happy days.   

 

Until next post....Enjoy your gluten free week...

Sharon