Gluten Free Yeast Free Oat Bread

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Vandy Roadifer

Finding a great tasting gluten free yeast free commercially made bread that fits all my other sensitivities has been impossible. It took me a week and three loaves of test bread but I finally perfected my yeast free oat bread recipe. Its mild flavor makes it the perfect sandwich bread. You can decrease the sweetness of the bread by decreasing the amount of agave or honey. In my test loaves, I liked the sweeter bread better than the more savory. This bread is easy to make, versatile to use, and very addictive. 🙂

1 1/2 cups oat flour
1 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
2 Tbs chia seeds (or flax seeds)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 eggs
1 cup water
2 Tbs agave nectar (or honey)
1 Tbs white vinegar
1/4 cup oats for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350* F. In a medium bowl, combine chia (or flax) seeds and water. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of water and seeds, add eggs, agave (or honey), and vinegar. Whisk together and slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients, stirring as you go with a large spoon or an electric mixer on low. It will be more the consistency of a batter than a dough. Grease a large loaf pan and pour the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the top of the bread with the whole oats if desired. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.

Posted in Breads, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Sugar Free | 38 Comments

Thai Meatloaf

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Vandy Roadifer

When I was on vacation in October I was introduced to to the Thai dish Laarb (also called Larb, Laab, and Laap). It’s sweet, sour, spicy and addictive. It can also be labor intensive. I made it once using the traditional recipe given to me by my friend’s brother. I have been craving the flavors of Laarb but due to health issues, I needed to find a way to simplify it plus make it in advance to freeze for later. Meatloaf cooked in muffin tins seemed like the perfect way to accomplish these goals.

I used some refrigerated prepackaged condiments I try to keep on hand instead of mincing fresh ginger, lemongrass, and Thai chilis. Fresh is fantastic if you can get it. I also toasted brown rice flour in a pan on the stove instead of toasting the brown rice first and then pulverizing it in a spice blender. These shortcuts make cooking a little easier for me on the bad days.

I baked the meatloaf in muffin tins but it can certainly be baked in a bread pan or even sautéed on the stovetop (minus the eggs & oatmeal, both of which are bindings for the meatloaf).

3 lbs lean ground beef or turkey
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks green onions, chopped
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped
1/4 cup toasted brown rice flour
1/4 cup lime juice
3 Tbs fish sauce
3 Tbs Thai garlic chili sauce
3 Tbs agave nectar
1 Tbs lemongrass puree
1 tsp ginger puree or powder

Preheat oven to 350*F. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, garlic chili sauce, agave, lemongrass, ginger and toasted brown rice flour. In a large bowl, break up the ground meat and pour the egg and spice mixture over it. Add the fresh herbs, green onions and oatmeal. Gently stir it all together until well combined. Brush muffin tins with a light cooking oil. Form the meat mixture into fairly loose packed balls and place in the muffin cups. You should end up with 12 quarter-pound meatloaf muffins. Bake for 20-30 minutes until cooked through. Allow to rest at least 5 minutes before removing from the muffin pan.

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GF Roasted Garlic Honey Scones

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Vandy Roadifer

I roasted a lot of garlic last week and in order to keep what I didn’t immediately use, I put the cloves in pint jars, covered them in olive oil and stored them in the fridge. Eating roasted garlic reminded me of one of my favorite cheese plates/appetizers: baked brie and roasted garlic drizzled with honey and served with slices of toasted baguette, apples and pears.

I love how the sweetness of the honey brings out the sweetness in the roasted garlic. With that in mind I decided to make a sweet and savory scone. I adjusted my GF Almond Honey Cakes recipe to make scones. They turned out beautifully and the sweet garlicky scent they released during baking was enough to make me salivate!

3 cups almond meal
2  eggs, at room temperature, separated
1 head of roasted garlic, mashed
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
course sea salt for garnish

Preheat oven to 350* F. Beat egg yolks, garlic honey, olive oil, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Add the almond meal and stir with a large wooden spoon mixed. Beat egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until very foamy, white and doubled in volume, but not stiff enough to hold peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the nut mixture until just combined.  Prepare a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper. Scoop the dough out with an ice cream scoop or a quarter cup measuring cup. Space the scones about 2 inches apart. Wet hands and smooth out the tops of the scones for uniform baking. Bake until the scones are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and moving to the rack. Allow to finish cooling before serving or storing. Before serving, sprinkle course ground sea salt over the tops.

Posted in Breads, Dairy Free, Dessert, Gluten Free, Sugar Free | 1 Comment

Gluten Free Date Nut Fruitcake

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Vandy Roadifer

I have fond memories of my grandmother’s fruitcakes so this year I decided to make my own dairy free, gluten free, cane sugar free version. Several people mentioned to me recently that they come here for recipes fitting within their paleo diet so keeping that in mind I used almond meal instead of sweet sorghum flour in this recipe. If nothing else it increases the nutrient factor in this fruitcake.

I used fruits that were dried without added sugar, going so far as drying my own pineapple and cherries. Other varieties of dried fruit can be substituted. I used the ones I like. Many fruitcake recipes call for rum and one cup of the almond milk can be replaced with rum if you want an alcohol filled fruitcake. I also think replacing the almond flour & almond milk with hazelnut would be delicious.

2 cups almond milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup dried diced pineapple
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup zante currants
1/2 cup light cooking oil (I use grapeseed oil)
2 tsp vanilla extract
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup date sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Preheat oven to 325*F. Mix the dried fruit, lemon zest, almond milk, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl combine the dry ingredients except for the hazelnuts. Mix well and slowly add to the wet ingredients, stirring to fully combine. Add chopped nuts once everything is in one bowl. Pour into a well-greased bread pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Coo1 completely before removing the cake from pan.

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Dairy Free Spicy Sweet Potato Gratin

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Vandy Roadifer

The problem with not driving and not having a grocery store within walking distance is that I run out of staples. The good thing about running out of staples is that I become an even more creative cook. LOL!

This afternoon I decided to use a good portion of the sweet potatoes I had in the fridge. I had a can of coconut milk in the cupboard and a huge array of spices at my disposal. I thought about using curry powder but went with smoked paprika and cayenne instead.

I sliced the sweet potatoes on my mandolin slicer. A food processor would work as well. I don’t recommend slicing them by hand unless you have great knife skills and a very sharp knife. Sweet potatoes are HARD! Watch your fingers!

The gratin is silky smooth and has a really nice heat to it. I may make a sweet potato puree from it in a few days since this made a lot of food for one person to eat alone. 🙂

3 med. sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
14 oz can of coconut milk
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 350*F. In a small bowl whisk together coconut milk, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. In a glass baking dish or a gratin dish, evenly layer the sweet potatoes. Pour the seasoned coconut milk evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes. Bake for 45-60 minutes until the top is brown and the sweet potatoes are soft.

Posted in Dairy Free, Side Dish, Sugar Free, Vegan | 3 Comments

Dairy Free Hazelnut Hot Chocolate

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Vandy Roadifer

My months on Prednisone had the remarkable side-effect of decreasing my sensitivity to chocolate. Yay! I’m not pushing my luck and keeping my chocolate fixes small but one of my new vices is hazelnut hot chocolate sweetened with agave nectar. I call it “comfort in a cup.” Any dairy free milk can be used, almond hot chocolate is delicious, but hazelnut is my favorite. I always check ingredients and make sure I buy dairy free milks without added cane sugar since I’m so sensitive to it. The hazelnut milk I buy is lightly sweetened with brown rice syrup.

4 cups hazelnut milk
6 Tbs agave nectar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

In a small bowl, whisk together agave and cocoa powder until it forms a paste. In a medium pot warm the hazelnut milk. Add agave and cocoa powder. Stir until agave has melted and ingredients are well combined. Heat until steaming but not boiling, stirring often. Ladle into cups and enjoy!

Posted in Dairy Free, Drinks, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Vegan | 1 Comment

Steelhead Trout & Caramelized Onion Tart

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Vandy Roadifer

I had almost half a batch of gluten free pie crust left over from the cherry pie I made for Thanksgiving. I thought about making an apple tart but, after I pulled a fillet of trout out of my freezer for dinner, I decided to make a trout tart instead. There aren’t a lot of things in my fridge at the moment but I had some nice red onions and my pots of herbs are still looking good outside. The only thing that would have made this tart better is a thin layer of dill cream cheese underneath the onions but unfortunately I can’t eat dairy. Salmon would also be a great fish to use on this tart rather than steelhead trout.

Tip: To more easily thin slice the trout, cut it while the fish is still partially frozen.

2 oz steelhead trout fillet, thinly sliced
2 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced
Juice of one lemon
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp light vegetable oil (I used grapeseed oil)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp fresh tarragon, minced
Salt & pepper
1 pastry crust, unbaked

In a medium saucepan combine onions, vegetable oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook on medium, stirring often, until browned (about a half hour). In a large, shallow dish, marinate the slices of trout with lemon, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Allow to marinate for 15-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425* F a few minutes before removing the onions from the stove. At that time, add balsamic vinegar to the onions. Stir well to combine. Roll out the pie crust and place in the bottom of a springform pan. Evenly spoon the caramelized onions onto the crust. Carefully lay the trout on top of the onions in one layer. Sprinkle the fresh tarragon on top of the fish. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust is cooked through and the fish is done.

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Gluten Free Vegan Pie Crust

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Vandy Roadifer

I really like the pie crust I created last year but I’ve learned a lot about gluten free baking since then. My favorite dessert quality gluten free flour is sweet sorghum so I halved the amount of rice flour and added sorghum. I didn’t drop the rice flour completely because it gives the crust a wonderful flaky texture. I used my favorite gluten replacement, chia seeds, rather than eggs and xanthan gum. This time I ground the seeds in a spice grinder (my re-purposed coffee grinder) so they’d blend into the pastry crust better than the whole seeds. I also substituted coconut oil for vegan shortening. The texture of the crust was soft and silky and once baked it was flaky and buttery. My mom and a family friend couldn’t believe the crust of the cherry pie I made for Thanksgiving didn’t contain wheat, which is always my goal. 🙂

1/2 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
3/4 cup corn starch
3/4 cup tapioca flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup coconut oil (or shortening), at room temp.
1/2 cup vegan margarine, at room temp.
1/4 cup cold water
1 Tbs ground chia seeds
1 Tbs white vinegar

In a small bowl, combine ground chia seeds and cold water. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes until it becomes a gel. Combine dry ingredients and whisk together. Add coconut oil and margarine and mix with a pastry blender until dry ingredients are incorporated and dough resembles small pebbles. Mix vinegar into the chia seed and water gel. Slowly add the mixture to the flour and butter mixture. Knead until it forms a consistent dough. Form dough into two balls. Cover in plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Roll balls out between lightly rice floured sheets of waxed paper until about an 1/8 of an inch thick. Bake according to the pie recipe of your choice.

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Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Vandy Roadifer

My mom planted pie pumpkins this year and had a fairly good sized crop. I made dairy free custard using coconut milk out of the first one of the season and decided to make pumpkin bread with the second one.

I cut the pumpkin in half, scooped out the seeds (saving them to toast), set the halves cut side down in a baking dish filled with half an inch of water and baked it in a 350* oven for 30-45 minutes until cooked through. I allowed the pumpkin to cool, peeled it and mashed the flesh with a potato masher. For a smoother puree, blend it in a food processor or blender. I liked having the chunks of pumpkin throughout the bread, though. If using canned pumpkin, liquid might need to be added to the bread dough.

I took the bread to an event at my realtor’s office and no one could tell it was gluten and cane sugar free. I call that a success! 🙂

2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 cup date sugar
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup light olive oil
1 Tbs vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 /4 tsp ground cardamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350*F and grease a large bread pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, date sugar, olive oil and lemon juice. Mix on medium speed until well combined. In a medium bowl, combine sweet sorghum flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamon. Mix well with a fork and slowly add flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, stirring continuously until combined. Pour into prepared bread pan and bake for 55-65 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack before attempting to remove the bread from the pan. Run knife around the edges to help it release cleanly.

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Oven Dried Beef Jerky

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Vandy Roadifer

Until I stopped eating cane sugar I had no idea it was in quite so many foods, including beef jerky! It’s not hard to make jerky only time-consuming and I have plenty of time. Most recipes I found contained soy sauce but, since I’m also sensitive to soy, I marinated the beef in Worcestershire sauce, garlic and black pepper. It turned out really well and I expect I’ll be making more before too long. I also want to experiment with turkey jerky. 🙂

Drying times vary based on the thickness of the meat slices and the racks used. I laid the slices out on two cooling racks and stacked them on top of each other using a ball of tin foil at each corner of the bottom rack to hold the top rack above it. An hour through the baking process I switched the racks and turned the meat over. What I expected to be a four hour drying time ended up being only 2 1/2 hours.

2 lbs lean beef, sliced as thin as possible (I used sirloin)
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or sealable gallon sized bag and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Preheat oven to 250*F. Cover a large baking pan with tin foil and layer strips of meat on oven safe wire racks set in the baking pan. Stack racks if you had more than one. Place baking pan in the oven and bake for at least two hours and up to four hours until it is dry. Switch racks and turn the meat over every hour. Once dry, remove from oven and allow to cool at least 8 hours before sealing in an airtight container or bag.

Posted in Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Snack food, Sugar Free | 2 Comments