I’ve joked about the overwhelming number of zucchinis one might have to process in the summer. And I’ve blogged about Zucchini and Egg Casserole, Squash Latkes (pancakes), and Veggie Kabobs. But somehow—and I don’t know how—I haven’t yet shared my recipe for Zucchini Bread. So, I’m rectifying that situation now.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
2 cups raw, unpeeled zucchini, grated
2 cups sorghum flour
1 cup arrowroot starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans (break with your fingers to retain oil)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pans. I prefer to make 24 cupcakes in muffin tins, which are easier to freeze individually. Or you can make 2 large loaves that are 9 x 5 x 3-inches.

Beat eggs. Add oil, sugar, and zucchini; mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, xanthan gum, salt, and baking soda; incorporate into zucchini mixture. Fold in vanilla and nuts. Pour into prepared pans. Bake in 350 degree oven. Bake muffin tins for 20-25 minutes; bake large loaf pans approximately one hour (convection oven: 325 degrees, and reduce time accordingly). Remove from pans after resting 10 minutes. Yield: 24 cupcakes or 2 loaves. Freezes well.

                                                                                          ***

In its former wheat-filled form, this recipe goes back a long way (30 years or more), cut from the back of a box of brown sugar. Of course, there is no longer any wheat flour in the recipe, but that doesn’t seem to affect the taste in any way but to improve it. This is one of the recipes that my daughter says “doesn’t taste gluten-free” (which is supposed to be a compliment). It is also the best-loved recipe of my sister, who cannot have dairy—and many of my desserts have butter or cream...or both. You’ll love that this recipe is made without dirtying a mixer and uses only two bowls. You’ll also love the taste and the fact that you get 24 cupcakes full of zucchini delight.

But don’t skimp on the sugar—it’s needed to make this quick bread taste like a real cake. And I think it tastes gluten-free—because I think that gluten-free baking, when done properly, tastes great!

If you read my blog about tostadas a few weeks ago, you’ll know what I mean by a “mix-and-match” meal. It’s one in which there is a basic foundation, with a number of possible ingredients that can be added based on inclination and food sensitivities. I’ve made pasta salad this way, when there are guests. But this week, I made it the way I like it, with the ingredients I can eat, of course.

Pasta Salad

1 8-oz. package gluten-free shell pasta (I like Ancient Harvest® quinoa pasta)
1 bunch broccoli, flowerets only
3 carrots, sliced
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 can pitted black olives, sliced
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed small (about 1/4")
gluten-free turkey pepperoni (I like Hormel®)
Italian dressing
Parmesan cheese

(Other possible ingredients: bell pepper, chopped; cauliflower flowerets, steamed. Or, boil a chicken and then cook the pasta in the remaining broth; add chopped chicken to pasta salad.)

Cook pasta in water or broth. Drain, running cool water over pasta; drain again. Set aside in a very large bowl, needed for proper mixing. Steam broccoli; drain and cool. Steam carrots; drain and cool. Add cool ingredients to the pasta, tossing with dressing and Parmesan cheese. Do NOT salt and pepper. Chill before serving. Best when flavors have time to blend for several hours or over night. Yield: 5-6 large servings or 10-12 side salads.

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When making this for my family, we put the cheeses in a separate bowl (as my sister is allergic), as we did the olives (some don’t like olives), the pepperoni (for my vegetarian son), and the peppers (as I can’t eat them).

To make this into a vegetarian meal, omit all meat and meat broth; for a vegan salad, also omit both types of cheese and be sure to check all ingredients in the salad dressing.

I enjoyed this salad for dinner, with nothing to accompany it. I also gave away servings to friends—both those who have to eat gluten-free and those who don’t. Everyone was happy.

Breakfast is the hardest meal for me to eat when I’m not at home. And I’m sorry, but gluten-free cereal with almond milk and fruit works every so often, but it’s not my favorite way to start the day. Also, I can only tolerate a minimal number of eggs per week, so that leaves pastries, pancakes, and waffles. And we know that at most restaurants, these are filled with gluten.

My solution is to bring a variety of muffins with me when I travel. I even re-freeze them (but don’t tell the food police). That works well for short-term travel. But recently, I enjoyed an extended visit my mother, and my muffin supply dwindled precariously. I did make some delicious buckwheat pancakes with blueberries. And then, I created another variation on my standard muffin.

I’m back at home now. And my mom, who does not have to eat gluten-free, was raving about how happy she was to have eaten one of those muffins from her freezer. I ate one this morning, marveling again about the difference that just a few ingredients makes.

Apple Raisin Muffins with Walnuts
1 1/3 c. sorghum flour
2/3 cup arrowroot starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup canola/vegetable oil
1 cup orange juice
1 small apple, grated (peel can be grated or discarded if it will not grate)
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, in pieces (break by hand to keep the oil)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a large bowl, whisk together sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add brown sugar, oil, and orange juice, mixing with a fork just to moisten. Fold in grated apple, raisins, and walnuts.

Spoon batter into muffin tins; batter will not rise enough to overflow tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (convection oven: 325 degrees for 15-16 minutes). Freezes well. Yield: 12 muffins.

                                                                                   ***

So prepare that pot of coffee—because as soon as these muffins come out of the oven, you are going to want to taste them. They might not even make it to your freezer.

If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I can’t eat nightshade vegetables, which include tomatoes and peppers. We could stop right there because those are the most ubiquitous nightshades and the hardest to eliminate without sacrificing flavor. Potatoes and eggplant are also nightshades, but they are easier to omit when making soups…or anything. If you eat nightshades, you might have to think a while to come up with a dinner in which they don’t appear in some form: ketchup, salsa, chili sauce, chili powder, paprika, French fries. What this means for me is that other vegetables and spices have to take on the roles that nightshades formerly did. Onions and garlic figure prominently in just about everything savory, with help from celery and carrots, in many soups.

Normally, I wouldn’t be yearning for hot soup in late May. But yesterday, it was cool enough in Missouri that I needed to close the windows. This recipe is extremely easy and can be prepared and cooked within about 45 minutes. Good thing, as I had started late! As an added bonus, this soup is also vegan (minus the optional Parmesan cheese topping) and ready to serve to your friends who eat dairy-free, soy-free, and/or egg-free.

Italian Bean Soup

1/4 cup olive oil (or enough to sauté vegetables)
1 medium to large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, diced small
3 carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 cups cold water
1 cube vegetarian bouillon (check to be sure it is gluten-free; I like The Organic Gourmet™ Vegetable Bouillon—Low Sodium)
1 can (15 oz.) dark red kidney beans
1 can (15 oz.) great northern beans
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried basil, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese, at table (optional)

In a 4-5 quart pot, heat olive oil on low-medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Sauté about 10 minutes, stirring often. Vegetables will soften but not brown. Add water, bouillon, both cans of beans (including the liquid), oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 15-20 minutes, until carrots and celery are fork-tender. Serve immediately, topped with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 4 servings. Freezes well.

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I enjoyed my bowl of Italian Bean Soup with onion rice crackers and edam cheese. Feel free to jazz up this soup with a cup of red wine substituted for one cup of water, or you can add more vegetables or adjust the spices. You’ll find that this easy, tasty, and nutritious soup will become a favorite.

This was going to be a blog about shortbread cookies (click for recipe), which are a close relative to these European Butter Wafers. But I added one too many sticks of butter—something that happens when you think you know what you’re doing and forget the cardinal rule of baking: read through and check all ingredients. It was too late at night to consider adding all of the rest of the ingredients needed to double the batch, plus it would have been technically difficult as the mixture was in my stand mixer bowl, so I thought: How bad could it be to have an extra stick of butter in cookies? The answer is: Not bad at all!




European Butter Wafers

3 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons almond milk (or milk)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 and 3/4 cups sorghum flour
1 cup arrowroot starch
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar for several minutes. Combine egg yolks, almond milk, and vanilla, beating this into the creamed mixture. In a small bowl, mix sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Gradually incorporate the flour mixture.

Cover dough and chill one hour before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease nonstick cookie sheets. Drop cookies the size of a walnut with spoon or fingers. Leave about 2” for spreading.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes (convection oven: 325 degrees for about 10 minutes) or until lightly browned. Wait to remove from cookie sheets for several minutes. Yield: 4-5 dozen cookies. Freeze or eat within 24 hours for maximal freshness.
                                                                                      ***

These tender cookies look plain. But looks truly can be deceiving. Between the butter and the vanilla, these cookies are rich without being too much to eat. They taste just as good right from the oven as they do when they cool.

The butter wafers are flatter and obviously softer than the shortbread cookies, but both are yummy. The wafers have the advantage of not having to be shaped, but they are a bit more delicate. When I had baked the shortbread cookies for a friend who can eat wheat, she loved them so much that she asked for the recipe, along with tips on where to buy ingredients.

So, if you make a “mistake” while cooking (or in life in general), maybe you’ll make a discovery. I’m glad I did.

 

If you ask me my favorite color, I’ll tell you that I don’t have one. I love the entire spectrum. It’s almost the same with food. But before I ate gluten-free, my favorite food was definitely homemade bread with butter—it didn’t matter whether it was a healthy whole wheat or a loaf of cinnamon raisin, a French bread or a challah. In fact, whenever I’d bake bread (maybe once a month), our family ritual was to cut off a piece as soon as it wouldn’t burn my hand, slather it with butter, and share portions of that slice with everyone in the house.

After eating gluten-free for over four years, I believe that the bread of my past is the hardest food to replicate gluten-free. You can’t knead bread dough that has no gluten. Instead, it is the consistency of cake batter. Therefore, it requires a bread machine. And oh, I swore I would never use one of those. Why would anyone want to put ingredients into a machine and miss out on the wonderful kneading and shaping that is (or was) an integral part of the bread-making experience?

But after trying the gluten-free store-bought varieties of bread that tasted like cardboard and had warnings about how I must stand near my toaster as they might incinerate, I had to do something. The first thing I did was to omit bread from my diet—not muffins or scones, but bread. It became easier to do over time. No longer was a slice of bread or a bagel needed to accompany my salad. And if I really wanted something like bread, there was always cornbread or biscuits. Sandwiches became a thing of the past. Who really needed them anyway? My corned beef could be spread with hot mustard and wrapped around Swiss cheese. I could eat pancakes instead of French toast.

I tried baking “breads” that were sorry substitutes for wheat bread; they barely rose, and their texture was wrong, not the soft, springy bread that I craved. And then I bought a book that literally changed my bread-baking life: 125 Best Gluten-free Bread Machine Recipes, by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt. And that meant I needed a bread machine that could tackle the somewhat more tricky business of baking a gluten-free product. After much research, I decided on a Zojirushi, and I have been thrilled with the way this product performs.

Best Gluten-free Sandwich Bread
(Note: This recipe requires a bread machine; to avoid contamination, use a new and dedicated gluten-free machine.)

1 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup amaranth flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon bread machine yeast
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 and 1/4 cups water, warm (about 110 degrees)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 eggs, lightly beaten  
2 egg whites, lightly beaten    

Whisk together sorghum flour, cornmeal, amaranth flour, quinoa flour, arrowroot starch, brown sugar, xanthan gum, yeast, and salt. Set aside.

Pour warm (not hot) water, oil, cider vinegar, egg whites, and whole eggs into bread machine, and turn on for “wheat dough” or “dough” cycle. (This is a one-hour and 50-minute cycle on my machine.) In about 22 minutes, when machine starts mixing, add dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to ensure all parts get wet; work quickly and then lower lid. 

When cycle finishes (approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes later), turn on bake cycle for 1 hour. (For my machine, I had to create a one-hour custom bake cycle.) After baking, check with an instant read thermometer to be sure that bread center has reached 200 degrees. If not, continue baking or close lid to continue cooking. Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan; run rubber spatula along sides, and turn out to continue cooling. Yield: 1 standard-sized loaf.

Bread freezes well if cut when cool into slices, frozen in an airtight container. It works well for everything from a sandwich to French toast or regular toast and jam.
                                                                                  ***
When this loaf finished baking, I quickly sliced the heel and spread it liberally with butter. The texture was perfect. I enjoyed my gluten-free bread perhaps even more than I did my wheat bread. After all, I’d waited years for a good loaf of bread, so I appreciated every morsel.

I first ate and loved posole in Santa Fe, where it was made with dried hominy, pork, and hot peppers. Though I can longer eat pork and peppers, and there is no dried hominy available where I live, this recipe is one of my favorites. The flavor is rich with cumin, and the cilantro gives it an extra zing. Plus, it's so easy to prepare!







Soup Base

3-4 tablespoons olive oil (enough to coat pan)
1 large OR 2 medium onions, chopped
3-4 large cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 large (28 oz.) can white hominy OR two small (15 oz.) cans—do not drain
2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Meat Mixture

1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
12 ounces to 1 pound ground turkey (be sure it is "natural," "organic," or "gluten-free")

At Table

Fresh cilantro

In a large (at least 4.5 quart) pot, sauté onion, garlic, and celery in olive oil for about 10 minutes, until translucent. Add hominy along with the liquid from the can, plus 2 cups water. Add cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook covered while browning ground turkey in a non-stick skillet with onion and garlic. Add cooked meat mixture to soup and simmer for at least 90 minutes total. Serve garnished liberally with fresh cilantro. Yield: 4-6 servings. Freezes well.

                                                                             ***

Today’s blustery winter weather inspired me to cook posole. It warmed and nourished me. It is truly a one-dish meal. But if also tastes great with Light Cornbread.

Variations on a theme—that’s how I see my gluten-free muffins. And when I think I’ve exhausted the possibilities (which would be mathematically impossible), I find new combinations that are not only delicious, but taste nothing like the previous incarnations.

Yesterday, a frigid day in the Midwest, I needed to catch up on breakfast baking, so I chose to make two batches of muffins that were both similar and different. I used two bowls, simultaneously measuring the major ingredients (flour, starch, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt) into each bowl. For one, I made Banana Macadamia Muffins (though I omitted the chocolate), using the very ripe bananas that I’d been meaning to bake with all week.

But for the second batch, I let my imagination guide me. I pulled semi-sweet chocolate chips, raisins, and walnuts from the cabinet, deciding to use the only juice I had on hand (cran-raspberry), rather than the typical orange juice. With a variation also in the type of sugar, the two batches of muffins bore little resemblance to one another.

Chocolate Chip Raisin Muffins

1 and 1/3 cups sorghum flour
2/3 cup arrowroot starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil 
1 cup cran-raspberry juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (use hands to break apart to retain the oil)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like “Enjoy Life®, which are milk-free)
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin. 

In a large bowl, whisk together sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Then, using a fork, mix in oil, juice, and vanilla, just to moisten. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into muffin tins; batter will not rise enough to worry about the tin being full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes (convection oven: bake at 325 degrees for 16-18 minutes), until a toothpick comes out clean (other than the melted chocolate). Yield: 12 muffins. Freezes well.

                                                                               ***

When the muffins came out of the oven, there was no doubt that I would try the new recipe with my afternoon coffee. You can decide if you want (or need) chocolate to start your day or if you’d rather savor this delicious muffin as dessert. Either way, I’m sure you’ll add this recipe to your list of favorites.

I love to cook…except when I don’t love to cook. Perhaps you feel the same.  And yes, in winter, I would prefer to eat a hearty soup than a salad. But that means preparing a soup, something that takes a lot more time than creating a healthy salad. I always have enough fresh ingredients on hand to literally throw together a meal that tastes great. Here’s a salad that I created and have made repeatedly because it’s quick, delicious, and full of antioxidants. 




Sweet and Savory Avocado Walnut Salad 

Lettuce, spinach, or a mixture
1 carrot, grated
2 green onions, chopped
Handful of walnuts
Handful of dried cranberries
1 avocado, diced (the easiest way to do this is to cut in half; remove pit; then slice lengthwise and crosswise while still in the peel; pop from peel onto plate)
Briannas® Dijon honey mustard dressing (all natural, gluten-free, nut-free, trans fat-free, HFCS-free, vegetarian, lactose-free, egg-free)

Prepare lettuce, spinach, or a mixture. Add remaining ingredients. Toss gently. Yield: one serving.

                                                                                ***

The dried cranberries provide just enough of a hint of sweet chewiness, while the onions deliver a savory bite, and the walnuts supply a satisfying crunch. It might be psychological, but I feel better after I eat this salad. 

You’ll be happy when you make this healthy lunch or dinner or salad for yourself. Even better, double or triple, and serve to friends and family. No matter whether you eat this alone or with company, you’ll be glad to have it as part of your salad repertoire.

When the temperature plunges, a warm cobbler and a cup of coffee will literally make my day. The other weekend, after a long walk in the cold, I felt the urge to bake this “Poor Man’s Cobbler,” from a recipe I’d been given at a farmers’ market and later translated into gluten-free ingredients. It’s just as good as its wheat counterpart.

The first time I experimented with blueberries, the cobbler came out too sweet. Coincidentally, I had baked this dessert for a friend, not knowing that blueberry cobbler was his favorite. He was happy, but I now know the correct proportion of sugar to use when baking with blueberries.

Poor Man’s Blueberry Cobbler

2 cups white sugar for base plus 1/2 cup white sugar mixed with fruit*
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 and 1/3 cups sorghum flour
2/3 cups arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup cream + 1 cup water (or 2 cups whole milk)
1 quart fresh fruit (peaches, blackberries, etc.)*
2 tsp. vinegar (apple cider or white)
boiling water, approximately 1/2-1 cup 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream two cups of sugar with butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, xanthan gum, and baking powder. To butter and sugar mixture, add flour mixture, cream and water (or milk), and vinegar. Pour into an ungreased 9" x 13” pan. Combine fruit with 1/2 cup* sugar and enough hot water to dissolve sugar. Pour fruit mixture over batter (fruit will sink during cooking), and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown and mainly set; mixture will be slightly gooey when hot. (If you add a lot of water or fruit is juicy, it may take longer to bake.) Great with ice cream!

*Note: For fruit that is not as sweet, such as blackberries, double ONLY the amount of white sugar added to the fruit (1 cup, instead of 1/2 cup). Yield: 15 portions. This recipe needs no refrigeration and freezes well.

                                                                                ***

In the summer, my favorite cobbler is blackberry. I’ll purchase the berries fresh as the farmers’ market. If I haven’t eaten them with yogurt or pancakes, sometimes there are enough left to bake into a cobbler.

So buy enough fruit that you have plenty to bake this luscious cobbler. The dough is crisp on top but flaky inside. Coupled with the syrupy blueberry flavor, you have the perfect way to warm up on a cold winter’s day. Enjoy!