Fun, Fresh Ideas to Manage Work, Home, and a Gluten Free Diet!

Category: Gluten free Page 1 of 8

Gluten Free Shortbread

Beautiful & Delicious

I just came back from the most amazing trip to Nürnberg Germany and the Christmas markets. I had never been to a Christmas market and considered this a once in a lifetime experience. My mom, husband and daughters and I packed up and went for a long weekend. I’m back, refreshed and inspired.❤️

It was amazing. Cold outside (remember we are in Miami, so cold is a nice change), beautiful Christmas lights and decorations, and the markets. The air filled with the smell of mulled wine, chocolate and gingerbread, the excited crowds, the tiny shops filled to the brim with local crafts or treats- it was so much fun!

The market runs from the last Friday of November until 24th of December.

Nürnberg Christmas Market 2024

While walking through, I found a booth with shortbread cutters and pins. I have never made shortbread- the regular version nor gluten free, but the simple ingredient list, coupled with the beautifully embossed rollers and stamps, was just irresistible.

We arrived home late Christmas Eve and first thing Christmas morning, I got up to prepare a Christmas breakfast of quiche, sour cream coffee cake (GF), and potatoes. I decided to give the shortbread a try and I’m so glad I did!

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 350 ‘

& lightly grease cookie sheets.

3 cups GF King Arthur bread flour

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup cold butter cut into small squares

Dash salt

1 egg, beaten

Ice water – about 1/4 cup

Mix flour, sugar, salt and butter. Add beaten egg and mix well. While the recipe normally has no other liquid, the gluten free bread flour needs some hydration, thus, add one teaspoon at a time of ice water until the dough binds and becomes like play dough. I needed just about 1/4 cup.

Place dough on floured surface and roll out with regular rolling pin, lightly dusting with flour to prevent sticking. Roll to about 1/2” and then roll with embossed pin or stamps.

Absolute stress relief! Roll out dough & make a pretty pattern!

Using a knife or scrolled cutter, cut the cookies into small squares and place on cookie sheet. They can be close together.

Bake for 7 mins, allow to cool and then plate. makes about 75 small, beautiful cookies

Love on a plate.

Enjoy❤️

Facebooktwitterpinterestmailby feather

Gluten free Sourdough Bread

Sticky post

Over the past 13 years, since I was diagnosed with celiac, I have tried to make bread, find bread, defrost bread… you get it… it’s not yummy. Except Pão de queijo. That’s irresistibly good and always gluten free.

There’s a pizza place in my neighborhood (@Gioiaitaly_) that makes gluten free pizza crust and it’s so delicious that I became inspired to try to make bread again.

I found a recipe on @kingarthurbaking and decided to give it a try. I’m on my 3rd incredible sourdough loaf with all the smell, taste and feels of a traditional sourdough loaf and IT’S BEAUTIFUL!

Step 1- Make sourdough starter

1 cup warm water and 1 cup cup for cup gluten free flour – mix in glass jar and cover with towel and leave on your counter. Everyday, spoon out about half and discard and add another cup of flour and cup of warm water and mix. When it becomes bubbly and rises to the top, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge. Once you have in always save a tsp and mix in new flour and water. You will have supply back in 4-5 hours.

Preparing for gluten free magic

Step 2- Make the dough!

3 heaping cups @kingarthurbaking bread flour

1T salt

2T sugar

1 1/2 sourdough starter (doesn’t need to be exact)

1 3/4 warm water

Mix well in mixer for 3 minutes

Scrape down and beat again for 2 min

Leave in bowl for 30 min

Scrape out onto floured surface, press down and fold, repeating several times.

Place in lightly oiled bowl, cover with towel and let rise 5-6 hours.

Turn out on to slightly floured surface and gently press down.

Move to lightly floured bread bowl. Wrap in plastic wrap and put in fridge for a day.

Take out mid day and unwrap, cover with towel and let rise.

Put on piece of parchment paper and dust with gluten free flour.

Slash!

Slash the dough – I like a crisscross or a leaf design

Crisscross

Preheat the oven and a Dutch oven to 500.

Once ready, add dough on parchment paper to Dutch over, add an ice cube to the side and place lid.

Bake at 500 degrees 10 minutes, 450 x 20 mins, then remove lid and cook an additional 20 minutes at 450.

Let cool- or not- and Enjoy!!! This is real bread- all the taste, all the smells, all the feels. Takes some time. but just like most things, you get what you put in. 100% worth it. ❤️

Thank you @kingarthurbaking for gluten free flours that make bread that can be enjoyed!

Look at that slice
Facebooktwitterpinterestmailby feather

Gluten Free Ginger Pear Tarts

Sticky post

Got my Misfits Market http://www.misfitsmarket.com haul this week and it had a fair number of pretty ripe pears and a bit of ginger root. Forward to Saturday morning and the pears are on the verge of heading to the compost bin, it’s a windy, rainy, fall day in Miami and I would love a pear pastry for breakfast. The problem? Gluten free pie crust. It can range from tolerable to terrible, and on more than one occasion, has made prior pies inedible. But not today! Today, I used a flour blend and recipe for crust by Bob’s Red Mill http://www.bobsredmills.Com and it is buttery perfection (and at 20 Tbsp of butter, buttery is not an overstatement).

So, here’s how it goes:

Step 1– Make the crust. There were some instructions that were just written too small and called for different types of shortening. Everyone knows that everything is better with butter, so that’s all I used. Also, I didn’t feel like getting out the food processor, so I just used the mixer. 1 bag of flour mix, 20 T of butter chopped into quartered slices, and 6 T of ice water later, the dough was wrapped in plastic wrap and chilling in the fridge.

Step 2– Make another cappuccino. Personally, I like mine with almond milk.

Coffee prevents Alzheimer’s

Step 3 – Make the filling

5 Pears – peeled, chopped into cubes

1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup gluten free flour

1 tsp of finely grated ginger root

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp lemon peel finely grated

1/4 cup orange juice

Mix together. Roll dough out between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. I used a large coffee mug to cut out circles and then placed those into a greased muffin pan. Fill with a 1/4 cup of filling each

Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 min and then 375 for 30 mins

Step 4 – Enjoy & have a Sweet Saturday❤️

I voted! For pear tarts (and love)

PS my gluten eating children just exclaimed “this crust is amazing!!!Butter and love make everything better.

Facebooktwitterpinterestmailby feather

It’s Taco Day!

And I’m celebrating with roasted cauliflower tacos with chipotle ciltantro mayo and a side of rushed rice and beans!


Rushed, you ask? Every darn thing in my house is rushed. It’s like that, right? Hurry here, hurry there, run, run, run. So I love an easy dinner. Oh, and I love tacos!!!!

Cauliflower? Not as much. As a kid, I hated it. But I have come to realize that cauliflower is a chameleon. It absorbs flavors and mixes and meshes in an incredible way. 

What you need

Corn tortillas, warmed

Brown rice

Black beans

Onion

Sweet red peppers

Garlic

Carrot

Cilantro

Salt, pepper, italien seasoning

Olive oil

2 heads of cauliflower

Chili powder

Start rice! It’s the slow poke! 

Break cauliflower into small florets, place on baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, chili powder and salt and bake at 475 for 25 mins.

Heat oil in pot. Add chopped onion, garlic (1T), 1 carrot chopped, 1 red pepper chopped, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Sauté until tender. 

Add 2 cans of black beans. 

Simmer until everything else done.. they are rushed because they will be more flavorful and mushy and hour from now. 

Sauce

1/2 cup olive oil mayo

1T chipotle

1T lime juice

1T chopped cilantro

Mix well

Serve and enjoy!!!

So surprisingly fresh, light and delicious!

My kids ATE CAULIFLOWER and lots of it!!!

❤️Facebooktwitterpinterestmailby feather

Protein Packed Easy Quinoa Salad

Some like it hot, some like it cold, but this quinoa salad won’t make it days old. 

I’m always trying to find nutritious, easy to make (read… fast) dishes to feed my athletic, vegetarian kids. Gluten free is a plus so I don’t have to double the food to accommodate those who can’t eat gluten (me). 

How many different ways can you prep beans? Like a thousand… but still, it gets old. 

This dish hits the spot. Yummy, protein packed, easy to store leftovers so I make enough to last a couple days for snacks and lunches.

What you need

Lentils 1 cup dry- boil in 3 cups salted water, simmer 4 mins, soak 2 and then drain and put in bowl

Black beans – 1 can 

Corn – 1 can

Garbanzo beans – 1 can 

2 cups dry quinoa in 2 cups boiling water with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 T olive oil, summer for 20 mins.

All the above I use organic, but totally optional.

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

4T agave

1/4 cup olive oil

1t garlic

Ready??

Of course you are!

You saw the agave and broke out the tequila, which actually may be yummy in the dressing… someone should definitely try this. 

Ok.. well while you’re sipping that margarita, let’s get dinner on the table.

Mix all the beans and corn while the quinoa simmers


Mix oil, vinegar,  Agave (hopefully there is some left…),crushed garlic

Add the quinoa and the dressing and THAT’S IT!! Well, I actually mix in a little cilantro…


Enjoy❤️

I served this up with spinach artichoke hand pies… but you will have to wait for that secret recipe ?Facebooktwitterpinterestmailby feather

Gluten Free Ravioli! Spinach Parmesan with Sage Butter Sauce! Meatless Monday is Magnificent!!!

Mmmmmmmm… it tastes so good!

Sooooooo… you may know I bought myself a post Christmas present….. a Philips smart pasta maker… and I LOVE IT ? 

For you celiacs out there, you know… ravioli is a thing of the past… or so you thought!!!! Check out this deliciousness!!!

Step 1

add flour to equal 2 “cups”. I use Pamela’s artisanal 

Add 1 1/2 tsp guar gum


Step 2

Wait for it! The machine tells me to add 190ml… I ignore it and add 250… 

2 eggs beaten plus water to equal 250ml

Pour it in, pour it in…


Step 3.

The machine shoots out the pasta and I cut it into squares and then fold each in half into rectangles.


Step 4

Make filling

Steam lightly and drain well 2 cups chopped spinach

1/2 cup ricotta

1 egg and 1 egg yolk (save white, you’ll need it later)

1/2 cup mozzarella

1 t nutmeg

1/2 t red pepper flakes

Pepper to taste

Mix well


Step 5

Brush rectangles with egg white 

Place filling in middle

Crimp edges with fork



Step 6

Boil in salted water 7 mins


Step 7

Make the sauce

1/4 cup butter, melt over med heat

Add 1 T dried sage

Whisk in 2 T cream

1 clove chopped garlic

1/4 cup Parmesan


Step 8

SERVE AND EAT!!!

8 steps is a lot for me for a meal… but in this case, it’s worth it. 

#NoBanNoWall

#GoodFoodForEveryoneFacebooktwitterpinterestmailby feather

“One Bowl” Gluten Free Brownies

Rich, chocolately brownies, served piping hot with vanilla ice cream. One of my very favorite things. Baker’s, the brand that makes chocolate squares for baking, has always had a “one bowl brownie”recipe inside the package and I’ve made that same recipe since around 1980! The only difference is now I make it gluten free. 

This is as easy as it gets, and as delicious as it gets too! My kids cannot believe this is gluten free. The taste and texture are the same! Oh and yes… you can make it in one bowl with just a whisk and 9×11 baking pan.

Ready? This is 5 mins of prep time…. 

Preheat oven to 350


In microwave melt 

4oz bakers unsweetened chocolate and 

3/4 cup butter

To do this, put in large glass bowl and heat on high one min. Whisk like crazy. Heat another 30 sec, whisk some more.. finito!!

Add


2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 c nuts- I use walnuts

1 cup gluten free flour mix ( I use Pamela’s)

1 cup chocolate chips (optional, too much chocolate for me.. I don’t include, but for you chocoholics, go for it!)


Whisk!

Your almost there!

Pour into greased glass pan and cook for 35-40 mins until knife comes out clean.

Don’t overcook!

Serve up hot with ice cream or cold for breakfast!! Delish!


Facebooktwitterpinterestmailby feather

Gluten Free Gnocchi! 

Recently, a Facebook contact posted about making a rapid fire meal of gnocchi with sage butter… it sounded so good!! I have to admit, I’m not sure I’ve ever had gnocchi and I’m positive I never prepared it, but it sounded so good that I started researching how to make it! A million variations.. egg, no egg.. potatoes baked or boiled, potatoes flakes, sweet rice flour… honestly some of the recipes sounded more like a chemistry lab! I decided to go with EASY! Potatoes and gluten free flour and that’s it baby!


Gluten Free Gnocchi

6 organic medium organic potatoes

2 cups  gluten free flour

Pinch of granulated garlic

Pinch of dried sage


Boil potatoes for 35 mins

Place in ice bath and peel

Place in mixer and mix

Add all other ingredients and mix until smooth dough formed

Turn out into floured surface 


And slice into portions

Roll each into an 1″ tube and slice into 1″ segments, press lightly with a fork and get ready.. because you’re almost done!!


Remember.. I’m cooking for 6… and they are good eaters. You may be able to half or even quarter the recipe!

Salt water and bring to a boil 

Add the gnocchi to the water and boil until it floats up and you scoop them out with a slotted spoon!

Serve immediately, or add to sauce, toss lightly  and serve!

I followed the suggestion of the butter Sage sauce.. it was so good!

1/2 cup butter melted

1 clove garlic minced

Salt and pepper

4 sage leaves finely snipped

Simmer and then toss with Gnocchi and top with Parmesan cheese


Enjoy! ❤️Facebooktwitterpinterestmailby feather

You’re going to fall for this Pumpkin Penne Pasta! Gluten free & Vegetarian &Delicious

It’s October … officially pumpkin can be put in as many dishes as possible month!

I saw as I walked through the living room on my way to gather more laundry (never ends..) a pumpkin lasagna on the Today Show. Sounded so good! So I decided to try to dish this up gluten free and vegetarian!

The end result was a perfectly blended fusion of fall flavors.. vitamin packed  goodness.

Step 1- boil up some al dente gluten free penne pasta

Step2-the sauce


Sauté 1T of chopped garlic &

             1 yellow onion in

              2T olive oil

              Add the chopped stems of 4 large       kale leaves &

              1t thyme

Once simmered down, add one can pumpkin purée and 1/2 can water

             Salt and pepper

             1 t Bombay curry

Simmer until smooth and thickened


Step 3- the filling 

Mix 1 8oz container of ricotta

2 eggs

4 kale leaves chopped

1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Nutmeg


Step 4- layer it up!

Layer penne then ricotta mix, a handful of mozzarella, then the sauce

Repeat!


Bake at 325 for 45 mins covered


Enjoy!

❤️Facebooktwitterpinterestmailby feather

The Gluten Free Power Ball

Energy bites are “all the rage”, so for the past weeks I’ve been experimenting with different recipes… adding and subtracting elements to get to my kid’s favorite concoction. And now….. HERE IT IS! 

These are not low calorie!!


The rationale of these is a quick and easy snack to power yourself or your kiddies through a long day and solid workout. I did not calculate the calories, but don’t eat a dozen in one setting! 

These are so easy and require no oven or other heavy machinery… I’m a little lazy so I use a mixer… but you can do it by hand.

Here we go!!

2 1/2 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes

2T chia

1 cup flax seeds – quickly spin in the food processor/blender prior to adding

1/2 cup pepita (pumpkin seeds)

1/2 cup sunflower seeds 

8 oz all natural peanut butter (I warmed it in microwave to mix it more easily)

1/2 cup honey – may need more to get right consistency 

1 t vanilla

Mix it up baby now… mix it up baby…

You do sing while you cook.. right??


Then roll into 1 inch balls and refrigerate!

They last all week! This recipe makes around 35


Enjoy!❤️Facebooktwitterpinterestmailby feather

Page 1 of 8

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén

Be Gluten Free & Follow Me!

Gluten Free & Happy