Gluten Free Baked Oatmeal

I don't know why I have never had baked oatmeal because I grew up eating oatmeal almost every morning.  I have seen various recipes for this all over the internet, and I needed something new & easy to add to our breakfast menu, thus, it was time for "baked oatmeal."  So for those of you, like me, who have never had baked oatmeal, it is like eating a crumbly, less sweet, oatmeal cookie.  This is great with or without milk and of course can be made dairy/soy/nut free.  

Baked Oatmeal

adapted from Our Best Bites

3 c. oats(gluten free & not quick-cooking)

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 c. Craisins, raisins, dried cherries, or other dried fruit(optional, we did it without)

1 c. milk(I used rice milk)

1/4 c. butter, melted 

1/4 c.applesauce

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and dried fruit. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, vanilla, and eggs. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and stir to combine. Pour into a deep 9″ pie plate or an 8×8″ or 9×9″ baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve immediately with a splash of warmed milk. Serves 8.

Gluten Free Lemon Bars

The other day as I sat thinking about food, it hit me that I needed to make lemon bars.  I haven't made these for years, but when I thought of the recipe I knew it would be an easy gluten free makeover.  I subbed out the flour, cut out some fat and that is about it!  I wanted them to taste like shortbread so I kept my flours pretty neutral, however, this recipe should be flexible to use whatever flours you like.

Lemon Bars

1/3 c. softened butter

¼ c. tapioca starch

¼ c. millet flour

¼ c. sorghum flour

¼ c. potato starch

½ t. xanthan gum

¼ c. powdered sugar

2 eggs

1 c. sugar

½ t. baking powder

¼ t. salt

2 T. lemon juice

Mix butter, flours & starches, xanthan gum & powdered sugar.  Press into greased 9x9 pan.  Bake at 350 for 20 min.  Meanwhile, in mixer, beat together remaining ingredients until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Pour over crust and return to oven and bake for 25 min.  Let cool and sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.  Best if refrigerated.

*Easily adaptable to dairy & soy free, just sub out the butter!

Chicken & Vegetable Summer Medley

This is a light, healthy and delicious dinner.  Sometimes we serve this over rice, or with our indian bread, but tonight we just had it alone.  It is a great way to use up your summer vegetables.  You don't need to measure, just add as many as you want of the vegetables and chicken.  I usually always cook in portions - that way if I eat half the pan I don't feel guilty!

Chicken & Vegetable Summer Medley

1 t. chili powder

1 t. cumin

1 t. garlic salt

2 T. lime juice

2 chicken breast, chunked, or cut into strips

2 T. olive oil

1-2 zucchini, thinly sliced

1-2 yellow squash, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

1 red onion, chopped

½ c. salsa

¼ c. fresh cilantro

Combine chili powder, cumin, garlic salt and lime juice in medium bowl.  Add chicken and stir.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add chicken and marinade to pan and stir-fry 5-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside.  Leave juices in pan and add vegetables.  Stir–fry about 4 min. or until veggies are crisp tender.  Add back in chicken, salsa and cilantro and cook 1 more minute. 

*This is linked to Linda's Gluten Free Wednesdays.  Check out all the amazing recipes! 

Gluten Free Graham Crackers

 I usually buy the Kinnickinnick Smoreables at the store because they are convenient and edible.  I have made homemade graham crackers before but they took a lot of  time.  My friend needed some graham cracker that needed to be gluten, dairy and soy free, so I offered to make some.  I pulled out my recipe, made a few adjustments, and we are now hooked. Now that we have been spoiled by these yummy ones, it will be hard to use the ones from the store.  I have figured out some tricks that make them much easier.  #1- you need a Silpat liner when rolling out gluten free doughs.  The doughs are so fragile that it is  hard to transfer them. When using a Silpat liner-  just roll it out on the liner, then slide it onto the pan.  They work great for these, as well as sugar cookies, or any dough that needs to be rolled.

#2- refrigerate the dough, and #3- use a cut Ziploc bag on top, this keeps the dough from sticking to the rolling pin.  This might sound intense, but doing these 3 things you will have your homemade graham crackers in no time.  I usually throw together the dough the night before and then it is ready for me the next day whenever I have time.  Now, with all that said, here is the recipe!

Graham Crackers

½ c. brown sugar

½ c. millet flour

¾ c. sorghum flour

1/3 c. tapioca flour

1/3 c. potato starch

1/3 c. oat flour(if you can't do oats, just use one of your favorite flours instead)

1 t. baking powder

½ t. xanthan gum

½ t. baking soda

½ t. salt

6 T. butter(Earthbalance dairy/soy free works great)

1 T. molasses

2 T. honey/agave(honey makes it tastes the most authentic, but agave is great too)

1 t. vanilla

3 T. cold water

Mix together dry ingredients.  Work in butter until crumbly.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.  Place ½ of dough on a Silpat liner(this makes it so easy because you don’t have to transfer the dough).  Take a gallon Ziploc bag and cut the sides and place on top of the dough and then roll until about 1/8-1/4” thick.  Use pizza cutter to cut into desired size, prick with fork and bake at 325 for 12-15 min.  As soon as you take them out of the oven, use the pizza cutter to go back over the lines and cut again.  Repeat with remaining dough. 

*This is linked to Linda's gluten free wednesdays, check it out!

Homemade Freezer Jam

I am a jam snob; I cannot eat store bought jam!  I was raised on homemade wheat bread with homemade jam and I continued this tradition with my own family(until I realized the pain I was causing with the bread!)  Once you have homemade jam you can't go back.  For those of you who already make your own jam, this can be your reminder.  For everyone else, I want you to know how easy freezer jam is to make.  I can make a batch of raspberry jam in 5 minutes, no joke.  There are a lot of pectin's out there and basically the box will give you the recipe.  I have tried several brands and now only use Ball, instant pectin.  The main reason is for the sugar content, Ball uses much less sugar than any other brand.  I know there are low sugar pectins out there but when I tried them my jam didn't always set up.  Use whatever you can find, or the brand you prefer and get to work.  There are only 3 steps and here they are(amounts based on Ball Instant Pectin):

Homemade Freezer Jam

1- wash and mash fruit(3 1/3 c.mashed fruit)

2- mix sugar and pectin in a bowl(1 1/3 c. sugar + 1/4 c. pectin)

3-add fruit to sugar mixture and stir for 3 minutes

Pour into containers, let sit out for 30 minutes, then freeze or refrigerate.

Gluten Free Apple Streusel Muffins

These are a favortie at my house.  We eat a lot of quick breads & muffins for snacks.  These are both healthy & yummy.  They are also easily made dairy & soy free as well.  Don't let the long list of ingredients scare you, they are just a lot of whole grains which you will love.  The coconut flour is what makes them so moist, if you don't have any, I would recommend substituting it with 1/2 c. tapioca flour, yes, you have to use twice as much and starch isn't healthy - so go out and buy some coconut flour today! (I hate the flavor of coconut but I cook with it daily as flour and milk, who knew?)  

Gluten Free Apple Streusel Muffins

Dry                                         
¼ c. coconut flour

½ c. tapioca flour

1 c. sorghum flour

½ c. millet four

½ c. teff flour

1 ½ tsp. xanthan gum                

1 T. baking powder         
1 ½ tsp. baking soda                 
1/2 tsp. salt                             

1 c. sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon               
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Wet

3 eggs

¾ c. applesauce

6 T. olive oil

2 ¼ c. grated apples

Streusel Topping

½ c. sugar

1 t. cinnamon

¼ t. nutmeg

1 T. butter

               

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Mix dry and wet ingredients together. Fill muffin tins ½ to ¾ full. Combine streusel topping ingredients, and sprinkle on top of muffins. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.  I like to make mini muffins.  However my mini muffin pans are from a Grandma and the pans are very old, and the size is a little bigger than the mini muffin pans now.  So, I don't really know how many muffins this makes, but it makes a bunch.  Pick your size muffin pan and just stick a toothpick in to test if they are done.

*Check out some other great recipes at Linda's Gluten-Free Wednesdays!
**Whatever you won't eat the first day, throw in a freezer bag.  They freeze great! 

Frog Eye Salad - the only gluten free version I have ever seen!

I don't know the real name of this salad, but at our house it is known as Frog Eye Salad.  The original recipe uses a type of pasta that looks like frog eyes(aceite de pepe).  My oldest daughter loves this salad and I still remember the first party we attended after she went gluten free and they were serving this salad.  I took one look at her and there were huge tears in her eyes, she was heart broken.  She thought she would never again eat her favorite dish.  I was determined to figure it out.  I racked my brain with a replacement for the pasta and remembered my neighbor making a food storage dish, similar to this, out of wheat.  The wheels began turning and I started experimenting.  First, millet.  Decent, but I knew I couldn't stop there.  I needed something a little bigger with a little less flavor - sorghum.  Second, sorghum, Jackpot!  My solution might sound strange, but it works for us and my daughter looks forward to it every time we have it, plus it is healthier. I know sorghum might be hard for some of you to find.  I buy it in bulk and grind it myself.  If you don't have sorghum, give millet a shot, or experiment with with another grain.  Let me know what works, or doesn't work, for you!  The key is to cook it until it is soft.  I usually only make half this recipe, it makes a lot!

Frog Eye Salad

Presoak 2 c. sorghum(overnight) and then boil it like pasta, for about an hour(until it is soft). 

¾ c. sugar

2 T. corn starch

½ t. salt

1 can pineapple tidbits

1 can crushed pineapple

2 eggs, beaten

4 t. lemon juice

2 cans mandarin oranges

4 c. coolwhip

1 c. pineapple juice (reserved from can)

In a small bowl combine sugar, starch and salt, then whisk in pineapple juice.  Transfer to a pot and add in eggs, stirring constantly over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Stir in lemon juice and let cool.  When cool, combine with grain(or pasta).  Best if you let it sit over night, or for a few hours, in the fridge.  This gives the grain time to really soak up some sauce.  Before serving, add drained fruit and stir in coolwhip.  Keep refrigerated.