These have been tried with a few different flour combinations over the last few years. They don't sound especially good to many so don't go out of your way to describe the contents until after your "subjects" take a bite or two! The prunes help the sweetness along so you don't need to add more brown sugar. They are wonderfully moist and tend to stay that way. Not that they'll last all that long so there's no need to worry!
LIGHTER MORNING GLORY MUFFINS - modified from food.com #271283
- makes 1 dozen - spray the tin(s)
1 large egg Oven to 400 degrees F.
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup "milk" (I use unsweetened almond milk) Combine egg through oil.
1/4 cup PACKED brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 T oil (I've used canola but plan to try melted coconut oil)
3 medium carrots, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups) Add carrots and prunes to
1/2 cup prunes, chopped above mixture.
1/2 cup sweet white sorghum flour Combine all dry ingredients except
1/4 cup teff flour oats.
1/4 cup rice flour (brown or white, superfine only!) Add oats.
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup rolled oats, regular (I'm sure quick would work)
Muffin cups will be pretty full so distribute the batter as evenly as possible. Bake about 23 minutes, til the pick comes out clean. Remove from pan(s) immediately.
When completely cool, I sometimes wrap individual muffins and then freeze four to a quart freezer bag. They keep well for a month. I wouldn't know about anything after that amount of time!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Cheesy Brown Rice "Patties"
This is more of a concept than a recipe but, for the sake of explanation, I'm writing it up like a recipe... With a change of spice profile and cheese, you can take these in any direction you want. When this idea occurred to me, I looked up what others had done with it and took bits and pieces of what little I found, twisted it up with what I had in the frig, and was pretty content with the results! I plan to do this every time I have extra brown rice around! And I plan to intentionally have it around!!
CHEESY BROWN RICE PATTIES - makes 5 or so "burger-sized" patties
Prep the veggies first - I used:
1/2 orange bell pepper
the better part of a small red onion, minced
1/2 a large carrot, shredded
1 large clove of garlic, minced - add after a few minutes
Heat 1 T olive oil in non-stick skillet. Add prepped veggies and cook, stirring occasionally, til they begin to soften. Add garlic. Cook til nearly done. Mix in:
spices - I used about 1/2 tsp crushed oregano, 1/4 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp parsley
a good handful of baby spinach, chopped - cook til wilted
Remove and cool the contents of the pan while you prep the rice and cheese. Leave skillet on cook top as you will use it to "fry" the patties.
Beat one large egg in medium bowl.
Add about 2 cups of cooked chilled brown rice - mix thoroughly.
Next comes the tricky part. Take half of the rice mixture and make 5 patty bases in the skillet. Make an even layer of shredded cheese to nearly cover each base. (I used finely chopped Provolone because it needed eaten and I was going for an Italian direction anyway.) Carefully place the rest of the rice mixture on top of the cheese to form patties. You'll have to force them into submission as they are prone to falling apart a bit. They WILL, however, bend to your will so stay determined!
Turn the burner to just above low and wait til the patties crisp up on the first side before you try to turn them. IF you try to flip before they're set, you will make a mess.....so DON'T DO IT! Some of the cheese may slide down and start to fry, too, but it will serve to help them stick together better anyway!
Flip when ready and cook the second side to a crispy finish. Cool a few minutes and EAT IMMEDIATELY!! Leftovers can be reheated/warmed in the microwave easily enough but they do dry out a tad.
Mexican version: BETTER than the original attempt!!
I kept the original veggies (with the exception of the spinach) and added a drained (small) can of chopped green chilies. The spice combo was the oregano with (and I'm guessing here because I am notorious for not measuring...) 1/2 tsp cumin, a scant 1/2 tsp chili powder, and a few cranks of freshly cracked black pepper. I had some Chipotle pepper white Cheddar cheese for the "middles" and that made them absolutely fantastic!! I'm thinking I'll try to use some of my jarred roasted red peppers, drained really well of course, in the initial veggie mix...and maybe some fresh jalapeno!! And cilantro, because I LIKE it! (I know, you do what you have to do with that!)
Another thought: Cooking the rice in chicken broth and using some chopped chicken in the patties... Of course, this leads me to more thinking.....someone should try minced ham with Swiss cheese!! Who needs bread!?! See, endless possibilities!
CHEESY BROWN RICE PATTIES - makes 5 or so "burger-sized" patties
Prep the veggies first - I used:
1/2 orange bell pepper
the better part of a small red onion, minced
1/2 a large carrot, shredded
1 large clove of garlic, minced - add after a few minutes
Heat 1 T olive oil in non-stick skillet. Add prepped veggies and cook, stirring occasionally, til they begin to soften. Add garlic. Cook til nearly done. Mix in:
spices - I used about 1/2 tsp crushed oregano, 1/4 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp parsley
a good handful of baby spinach, chopped - cook til wilted
Remove and cool the contents of the pan while you prep the rice and cheese. Leave skillet on cook top as you will use it to "fry" the patties.
Beat one large egg in medium bowl.
Add about 2 cups of cooked chilled brown rice - mix thoroughly.
Next comes the tricky part. Take half of the rice mixture and make 5 patty bases in the skillet. Make an even layer of shredded cheese to nearly cover each base. (I used finely chopped Provolone because it needed eaten and I was going for an Italian direction anyway.) Carefully place the rest of the rice mixture on top of the cheese to form patties. You'll have to force them into submission as they are prone to falling apart a bit. They WILL, however, bend to your will so stay determined!
Turn the burner to just above low and wait til the patties crisp up on the first side before you try to turn them. IF you try to flip before they're set, you will make a mess.....so DON'T DO IT! Some of the cheese may slide down and start to fry, too, but it will serve to help them stick together better anyway!
Flip when ready and cook the second side to a crispy finish. Cool a few minutes and EAT IMMEDIATELY!! Leftovers can be reheated/warmed in the microwave easily enough but they do dry out a tad.
Mexican version: BETTER than the original attempt!!
I kept the original veggies (with the exception of the spinach) and added a drained (small) can of chopped green chilies. The spice combo was the oregano with (and I'm guessing here because I am notorious for not measuring...) 1/2 tsp cumin, a scant 1/2 tsp chili powder, and a few cranks of freshly cracked black pepper. I had some Chipotle pepper white Cheddar cheese for the "middles" and that made them absolutely fantastic!! I'm thinking I'll try to use some of my jarred roasted red peppers, drained really well of course, in the initial veggie mix...and maybe some fresh jalapeno!! And cilantro, because I LIKE it! (I know, you do what you have to do with that!)
Another thought: Cooking the rice in chicken broth and using some chopped chicken in the patties... Of course, this leads me to more thinking.....someone should try minced ham with Swiss cheese!! Who needs bread!?! See, endless possibilities!
Sunday, August 31, 2014
G-Free Pumpkin Breads
I thought I'd lost this. It was getting ugly! Paper piles and pack-rat self.....humph. Based on food.com recipe #393600. I always make three mini loaves. Great to freeze. Without further ado.....
MINI PUMPKIN BREADS - makes 3 or the usual one larger loaf Oven: 350 F.
3/4 cup sugar Whisk together sugar, oil, applesauce. Then add eggs.
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin Add vanilla and spices to pumpkin.
1 tsp vanilla extract (I use powdered orange zest, ~1/2 tsp)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg OR 1-2 tsp orange zest Add to sugar mixture.
1/3 cup apple juice (or water or more applesauce)
Flour blend --- 1/2 cup + 1 T EACH of the following: Combine all dry ingredients.
sweet white sorghum flour Add alternately to pumpkin
rice flour (either) mixture with apple juice.
tapioca starch
1/2 tsp xanthan gum (seems to add shelf life in these)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
I spray my pans, regardless of non-stick status. Minis take close to 30 minutes. Give a larger loaf 45-55 minutes. They'll spring back when completely baked and you should get a "clean pick" when you poke one.
MINI PUMPKIN BREADS - makes 3 or the usual one larger loaf Oven: 350 F.
3/4 cup sugar Whisk together sugar, oil, applesauce. Then add eggs.
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin Add vanilla and spices to pumpkin.
1 tsp vanilla extract (I use powdered orange zest, ~1/2 tsp)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg OR 1-2 tsp orange zest Add to sugar mixture.
1/3 cup apple juice (or water or more applesauce)
Flour blend --- 1/2 cup + 1 T EACH of the following: Combine all dry ingredients.
sweet white sorghum flour Add alternately to pumpkin
rice flour (either) mixture with apple juice.
tapioca starch
1/2 tsp xanthan gum (seems to add shelf life in these)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
I spray my pans, regardless of non-stick status. Minis take close to 30 minutes. Give a larger loaf 45-55 minutes. They'll spring back when completely baked and you should get a "clean pick" when you poke one.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
GF Peanut Butter Pancakes
Grabbed this idea from food.com (again) and have made it twice in as many days! With a light peanut butter flavor, they have way more staying power than regular pancakes. No complaints with these from any age range!!
PEANUT BUTTER PANCAKES
1/3 C sweet white sorghum flour Mix all dry ingredients together; set aside.
1/3 C superfine brown rice flour
2 T teff flour - place in 1/3 cup measure and fill the rest of the way with
tapioca starch
2 T sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/8 tsp (kosher) salt
1 egg, whisk lightly, then add
1/3 C crunchy peanut butter (I used Skippy Natural) then whisk in
1 T melted butter, then whisk in
1 C buttermilk Heat non-stick skillet on low.
Thoroughly whisk dry ingredients with wet. When skillet passes the "dancing water" test, add small amounts of batter (silver dollar size or so) at a time; I get 6-7 or so in at a time. If you make them larger, it takes forever to "bake" them through. Doughy pancakes are just gross.....
I'm guessing at how many this makes - 15 to 20; we started eating them before they were finished and no one kept count!
PEANUT BUTTER PANCAKES
1/3 C sweet white sorghum flour Mix all dry ingredients together; set aside.
1/3 C superfine brown rice flour
2 T teff flour - place in 1/3 cup measure and fill the rest of the way with
tapioca starch
2 T sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/8 tsp (kosher) salt
1 egg, whisk lightly, then add
1/3 C crunchy peanut butter (I used Skippy Natural) then whisk in
1 T melted butter, then whisk in
1 C buttermilk Heat non-stick skillet on low.
Thoroughly whisk dry ingredients with wet. When skillet passes the "dancing water" test, add small amounts of batter (silver dollar size or so) at a time; I get 6-7 or so in at a time. If you make them larger, it takes forever to "bake" them through. Doughy pancakes are just gross.....
I'm guessing at how many this makes - 15 to 20; we started eating them before they were finished and no one kept count!
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Almond Joy Cookies!!
I decided to get on the almond flour bandwagon and did a search for these. I started with a recipe on carrotsncake.com and changed it to suit what I wanted, what I had, what sounded like a good flavor balance. I must say, these are a treat! The recipe makes only 12-14 cookies so you can easily get them all on one sheet. It's also handy to pop them in after you've had the oven on for something else since they require some chilling-in-the-frig time. (Their recipe states to chill for at least one hour; I mixed them in the morning, baked them in the evening, and think at least four hours in the frig is a better minimum chill time.)
Almond Joy Cookies - I used my stainless steel jelly roll pan; all fit nicely.
1 1/2 cups almond flour (NOT almond meal)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp kosher salt Mix first six ingredients together fairly well; then fold in all
2 T melted coconut oil the "bits" til thoroughly combined. Wrap in plastic wrap
1 egg and place in frig to chill (4 hours is good but 8 won't
1/4 cup pure maple syrup hurt!)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips Set oven to 350F. Divide dough
1/4 cup dried unsweetened coconut, small shred evenly, 12-14 balls (depends on
1/4 cup raw almonds, small chop how much dough you snitch.)
Evenly space cookies on sheet (I didn't grease the sheet as I was pretty sure the fat content of the dough would allow them to release without difficulty but you can grease/spray if you want.) Press dough balls into cookie shapes. If you forget to do this, you WILL have baked balls instead of cookies..... Bake 10-14 minutes, depending on how small you made them. I had 13 on the sheet making them a generous T each and it took 14 minutes to bake. There would have been 14 but I tasted too much dough... I cooled them completely ON the sheet before removing.
OK, you MUST taste them when slightly warm and again when cool.....so you'll know leaving them alone for a night makes them really chewy and so much better the next day! But you're going to taste one so...just do it! But don't say I didn't tell you that they improve drastically with a little time in an airtight container!! Because I just did!!
I was going to try freezing a few to let you know how they hold up....but that's just not going to happen! You're on your own!!
Almond Joy Cookies - I used my stainless steel jelly roll pan; all fit nicely.
1 1/2 cups almond flour (NOT almond meal)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp kosher salt Mix first six ingredients together fairly well; then fold in all
2 T melted coconut oil the "bits" til thoroughly combined. Wrap in plastic wrap
1 egg and place in frig to chill (4 hours is good but 8 won't
1/4 cup pure maple syrup hurt!)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips Set oven to 350F. Divide dough
1/4 cup dried unsweetened coconut, small shred evenly, 12-14 balls (depends on
1/4 cup raw almonds, small chop how much dough you snitch.)
Evenly space cookies on sheet (I didn't grease the sheet as I was pretty sure the fat content of the dough would allow them to release without difficulty but you can grease/spray if you want.) Press dough balls into cookie shapes. If you forget to do this, you WILL have baked balls instead of cookies..... Bake 10-14 minutes, depending on how small you made them. I had 13 on the sheet making them a generous T each and it took 14 minutes to bake. There would have been 14 but I tasted too much dough... I cooled them completely ON the sheet before removing.
OK, you MUST taste them when slightly warm and again when cool.....so you'll know leaving them alone for a night makes them really chewy and so much better the next day! But you're going to taste one so...just do it! But don't say I didn't tell you that they improve drastically with a little time in an airtight container!! Because I just did!!
I was going to try freezing a few to let you know how they hold up....but that's just not going to happen! You're on your own!!
Sunday, March 30, 2014
A Crispy Chewy Granola Bar?
When you have items in the pantry that need to be eaten, you find ways to make that happen. Tasty ways!! This is my first shot so I'll definitely be back to update this post after I try more combinations!
For now, I'll just call this.....
A QUICKIE GRANOLA BAR - 9x9 pan, as non-stick as you have or you'll need to
line it with parchment paper. Oven: 350 degrees F.
4 T coconut oil
2/3 cup honey, maple syrup, golden syrup, etc. (I used honey)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Melt coconut oil and honey together; then add the vanilla. Allow to cool to room temp before combining with the following:
2 cups g-free rolled oats
1/2 cup crispy brown rice cereal
dash salt
1/4 cup diced dried fruit (I used papaya)
1/4 cup chopped white chocolate
(My option for these: 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut)
Combine all the "dry" ingredients. Mix thoroughly with "wet" ingredients. (Go ahead and grease the pan with coconut oil, for good measure...) Press mixture firmly into the pan.
Baking took just under 25 minutes so start watching at 20 minutes. If the edges get too dark, you'll have a major headache getting these babies out of the pan!!
Let them cool for 10 minutes or so THEN gently cut bars/squares. Allow to cool further in the pan. Re-cut and remove.
There are endless flavor profiles to be explored here. Next time, I'm back on the dried cherries/dark chocolate idea! Maybe some almond extract and a few chopped almonds, too! I'll not use honey though... I also want to try a toasted pecan/cinnamon with maple syrup version! Once again, I'm in trouble!!
For now, I'll just call this.....
A QUICKIE GRANOLA BAR - 9x9 pan, as non-stick as you have or you'll need to
line it with parchment paper. Oven: 350 degrees F.
4 T coconut oil
2/3 cup honey, maple syrup, golden syrup, etc. (I used honey)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Melt coconut oil and honey together; then add the vanilla. Allow to cool to room temp before combining with the following:
2 cups g-free rolled oats
1/2 cup crispy brown rice cereal
dash salt
1/4 cup diced dried fruit (I used papaya)
1/4 cup chopped white chocolate
(My option for these: 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut)
Combine all the "dry" ingredients. Mix thoroughly with "wet" ingredients. (Go ahead and grease the pan with coconut oil, for good measure...) Press mixture firmly into the pan.
Baking took just under 25 minutes so start watching at 20 minutes. If the edges get too dark, you'll have a major headache getting these babies out of the pan!!
Let them cool for 10 minutes or so THEN gently cut bars/squares. Allow to cool further in the pan. Re-cut and remove.
There are endless flavor profiles to be explored here. Next time, I'm back on the dried cherries/dark chocolate idea! Maybe some almond extract and a few chopped almonds, too! I'll not use honey though... I also want to try a toasted pecan/cinnamon with maple syrup version! Once again, I'm in trouble!!
Friday, March 7, 2014
Double Chocolate Brownies
I pulled a recipe from food.com again (179831) and did the usual modify-and-test routine. I cut it in half, mostly because I don't need a 9x13 pan of brownies in my life to haunt me for days on end...and because I didn't want to squander all that lovely chocolate if it didn't work out on the first run. I also played with pan size and you'll find notes on that at the end of the recipe. I used a bar of Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet and then just regular semi-sweet chocolate chips that I had left from something else. I love dark chocolate but if you don't you can stick with all semi-sweet, like the original recipe.
I brought the butter and eggs to room temp; I think it makes the mixing go a little more smoothly. I didn't want to risk a gritty finished product...
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES - Preheat oven - 350 degrees F.
1 1/4 cups sugar Whisk together sugar and eggs until pale and very smooth.
2 large eggs Let set while you melt the chocolate and butter.
4 ounces 60% Bittersweet chocolate Melt chocolate and butter. I used the
4 ounces salted butter defrost setting and microwaved the chopped
chocolate until it started to get soft. Then I
added the butter and continued to microwave and mix until they were completely smooth.
3/4 tsp vanilla Add to sugar mixture along with chocolate mixture.
1/2 cup superfine brown rice flour Combine flours and fold into
1/4 cup sweet white sorghum flour chocolate mixture.
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Fold in chocolate chips.
Pan size and bake time: I buttered a ceramic 8.5 in x 6.5 in baking dish (because I've been wanting to use this pan and I like thick brownies!) Traditionally, use an 8x8 pan. Spread the batter evenly. Bake til the center is set, a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs, but not runny goo! It should take about 30 minutes (it was exactly 30 minutes when I used my metal 8x8)...unless you use the pan I did and then expect more like 40 minutes.
The sides of my chosen dish were a little too slanted, which meant the tops of the edges were thinner and, therefore, ended up more than a little crunchy. I don't have a problem with crunchy edges as that is the first thing I cut out and eat anyway! But if you're all about "fudge" with your brownies, make sure your pan has vertical sides. Or try an individual-squares brownie pan.
I also think these could do with a little less sugar and think I'll remove 1/4 cup for my just-for-me recipe. But brownies should be what brownies should be so what's a little extra sugar!! I had to give a lot of these away.....or else eat them for breakfast!!!
I brought the butter and eggs to room temp; I think it makes the mixing go a little more smoothly. I didn't want to risk a gritty finished product...
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES - Preheat oven - 350 degrees F.
1 1/4 cups sugar Whisk together sugar and eggs until pale and very smooth.
2 large eggs Let set while you melt the chocolate and butter.
4 ounces 60% Bittersweet chocolate Melt chocolate and butter. I used the
4 ounces salted butter defrost setting and microwaved the chopped
chocolate until it started to get soft. Then I
added the butter and continued to microwave and mix until they were completely smooth.
3/4 tsp vanilla Add to sugar mixture along with chocolate mixture.
1/2 cup superfine brown rice flour Combine flours and fold into
1/4 cup sweet white sorghum flour chocolate mixture.
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Fold in chocolate chips.
Pan size and bake time: I buttered a ceramic 8.5 in x 6.5 in baking dish (because I've been wanting to use this pan and I like thick brownies!) Traditionally, use an 8x8 pan. Spread the batter evenly. Bake til the center is set, a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs, but not runny goo! It should take about 30 minutes (it was exactly 30 minutes when I used my metal 8x8)...unless you use the pan I did and then expect more like 40 minutes.
The sides of my chosen dish were a little too slanted, which meant the tops of the edges were thinner and, therefore, ended up more than a little crunchy. I don't have a problem with crunchy edges as that is the first thing I cut out and eat anyway! But if you're all about "fudge" with your brownies, make sure your pan has vertical sides. Or try an individual-squares brownie pan.
I also think these could do with a little less sugar and think I'll remove 1/4 cup for my just-for-me recipe. But brownies should be what brownies should be so what's a little extra sugar!! I had to give a lot of these away.....or else eat them for breakfast!!!
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