Sourdough Pancakes

We love breakfast foods at our house and this is one of our favorites.  It does require planning ahead, but it is well worth it.  Growing up, and now,  these are the only pancakes I would eat because they are so light.   I can't stand the Bisquick type pancake because they are so heavy.  So if these sound like your style, give them a try.  They also travel well.  Whenever we go out of town, I make up a mix before hand and take it with us.  The morning of, I add a few ingredients and they are ready to go.  A large griddle is also a staple at our house and it goes with us when we travel.

The night before

5 c. water

2 pkg. yeast ( 4 ½ t.)

1 1/2 c. sorghum

¾ c. tapioca

¾ c. millet

1 ½ t. xanthan

In the morning

4 eggs

1 ½ t. salt

1 ½ t. baking soda

¼ c. oil

¼ c. sugar

Place warm water in large bowl, sprinkle with yeast and let sit.  In another bowl, whisk together flours and xanthan gum.  Whisk in flours to yeast mixture.  Cover and let sit overnight, on the counter.  Add the remaining ingredients in the morning.  Pour on hot griddle.

Eclair Cake

As  you can tell, we like desserts at this house.  No matter where we go, I always bring dessert for everyone.  This is one of our favorites!  This tastes like a regular eclair without all the work!

½ c. butter

¼ c. millet flour

¼ c. sorghum flour

6 T. tapioca flour

2 T. potato starch

¼ t. salt

1 c. water

4 eggs

Sift together dry ingredients.  In a small saucepan melt butter and water.  When it begins to boil, stir in dry ingredients and mix until thick.  Remove from heat and add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg.  Spread batter into greased cookie sheet(large jelly roll pan).  Bake at 400 for 25-30 min.  Cool.

 

2 sm.pkg. instant French vanilla pudding

2 ½ c. milk

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

Beat together pudding and milk and let thicken slightly.  Beat in cream cheese.  Spread mixture over cooled crust and refrigerate.

12 oz coolwhip

 Spread over pudding mixture.

 

1 c. powdered sugar

2 T. butter

½ c. chocolate chips

3-4 T. milk

Melt in small saucepan.  Add enough milk to reach a pourable consistency.  Drizzle over the coolwhip.  Keep refrigerated.

Wild Rice with Cranberries & Caramelized Onions

This is my new favorite rice!  We eat a lot of rice and so it is nice to have a variety.  This makes a perfect side dish to any meal, especially for the holiday season.  I am not a photographer (nor do I own a nice camera), so this rice is much prettier in person.  Let me know what you think!

2 c. chicken broth ( I use Organic Better than Bouillon from Costco & I always add a little extra)

1 c. wild rice blend

3 T. butter ( I used  nondairy EarthBalance)

1 large onion, sliced in thin wedges

1 T. brown sugar

1 c. Craisins

½ t. finely grated orange zest

1/3 c. pine nuts (or almonds, or nothing if you don't like nuts!)

Combine broth and rice blend in rice cooker and follow rice cooker directions (amounts may need to be modified because of rice cooker).  Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat.  Add onions and brown sugar.  Cook 6 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and onions are soft and translucent.  Reduce heat to low.  Slowly cook onions, stirring often for 10-15 min or until they are caramel color.  Stir in dried cranberries and pine nuts.  Cover and cook over low 5 min. until cranberries swell.  Gently fold cranberry mixture and orange zest into cooked rice. 

*If you don't have a rice cooker, go buy one because they are worth it! OR combine broth and rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce to low, cover and simmer 45-60 min. or until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Chocolate Mint Brownies

 These are my family's favorite!  Treat yourself this holiday season to these yummy brownies.  Three rich layers make these addictive.  You will finish the box yourself!

I will be making them next week and they will be available for pick up on Tuesday, Dec. 21st.  
6 brownies in a festive box will make any gluten-free person's holiday.  Either for yourself, a neighbor, friend, co-worker, or whoever, you will be loved for this gift!  Email me if you are interested and I will give you pickup information.  Price is $8 a box.

Candy Cane Cookies

This Holiday Season our family is starting some new traditions, based on the book, "A Christ-Centered Christmas," by Emily Freeman(a fellow Celiac).  The book guides you through 7 traditions inspired by the nativity.  This week we focused on the shepherds.  As part of the evening we made these candy cane cookies, that were the shepherd's staffs.  The kids had so much fun rolling and twisting their dough to form these delicious cookies.  They came out perfect.  The original recipe comes from the book and I just altered it to fit our diet.
Here is the gluten free version so you can enjoy them with your family.

1/2 c. butter(I used Earthbalance's Dairy Free butter)
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk( I used 1 T. lite coconut milk + water to = 1/2 c.)
1 egg
 1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 t. xanthan gum
1 t. unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 c. sorghum flour
1 c. millet flour
1 c. tapioca flour
1 t. peppermint extract
red food coloring
Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add in milk, egg, vanilla and mix well.  In a separate mixing bowl sift togehter the dry ingredients and then add to the butter mixture.  Mix well.  Divide dough in half.  Stir red food coloring and peppermint flavoring into half of the dough.  Refrigerate doughs for 4-6 hours.
For each candy cane, roll 1 Tablespoon from each of the red and white dough into a 4 in. rope( if your hands get sticky, spray them lightly with cooking spray).  Place one red rope and one white rope side by side, press together gently and twist.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet (or Silpat). Curve top down to form a candy cane.  Bake at 425 for 9-11 min.  Let cool.

One of my favorite blogs is the Gluten Free Homemaker.  She hosts a cooking challenge each month and for December it is Christmas cookies.  I thought these would be perfect.  Check out her blog for other great recipes. www.glutenfreehomemaker.blogspot.com. 
This is also linked to http://www.thesensitivepantry.com/the-sensitive-pantry/2010/11/30/calling-all-cookies.html, this is a new blog I found and I can't wait to check it out even more.  They have some great cookie recipes posted.  Check them out!

Cabbage Salad

I'm sure most of you have had the glutenous version of this salad.  It is called many names:  Oriental Salad, Cabbage Salad, etc.  This was the one salad my husband really liked to eat and now he couldn't eat it.  After going gluten free I figured it wouldn't be any good without those crunchy ramen noodles, and how could I make the dressing without the flavoring packet?  So, years later, I finally got around to changing the recipe.  Maybe it is because we haven't had the original salad for so long but it turned out quite good, and a whole lot healthier than the fattening, MSG laden ramen noodles(which I do love).  If you like chicken, or almonds, or onions, add more or less of whatever you like - this salad can't be ruined.  It is best if it can sit before consumption so the dressing can really soak in.

1 small cabbage, sliced

6 gr. Onions, chopped

2 T. sesame seeds

1-2 Chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

Almonds(optional)

½ c. oil

1/3 c. white vinegar

3 T. sugar

2 T. chicken bouillon(the Organic Better than Bouillon Paste from Costco works great!  If you use something else, just make sure it is well dissolved)

Mix together cabbage, onions, seeds, chicken and almonds.  In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients, mix or shake until dissolved.  Pour dressing over salad and let sit before eating.