Day 4: Mushroom and onion egg bake, pg 38

Oh vacation :)
It's been wonderful, and since it's pouring cats and dogs right now I decided to post day 4.

Mushroom and onion egg bake Pg 38 (serves 6)

1 tbsp veggie oil
4 oz sliced mushrooms
4 green onions, chopped
1 cup of cottage cheese
6 eggs
 1 cup sour cream




2 tbsp gluten free All purpose flour blend ( if you'd rather not bother making this blend, I bet you could probably use cornstarch, but I haven't made it that way, so you tell me how it turns out)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
dash of hot pepper sauce (if you'd like, I didn't use it.)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease a shallow 1-quart baking dish.
2. In a medium sized skillet, heat oil over a medium heat. Cook the mushrooms and onions for about 5 minutes until they are nice and tender.

3. Place the cottage cheese in a food processor ( I used a blender ). Pulse the cottage cheese until smooth. Add eggs, sour cream, flour blend, salt, black pepper and hot sauce ( if desired); pulse until combined.

Pour into the prepared baking dish, stir in the mushrooms and onions. Bake about 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

The finished product

This recipe is a bit deceptive in the name. You think that it's gonna be an eggy tasting dish, but in reality it tastes more like ricotta cheese, although it doesn't have any ricotta cheese. It's kind of a light dish, a bit brunchy. I personally am not a huge fan of super ricotta tasting things, so  I thought it was alright. A friend tried it though and she really liked it. So if you like a strong cheese taste in a meal, maybe you'd really enjoy this recipe. Personally I give this 5 yummy stars out of ten. My friend probably gave it 8. So it's your choice. :)

All-purpose gluten free flour blend

1 cup white rice flour

1 cup sorghum flour

1 cup tapioca flour

1 cup cornstarch

1 cup almond flour or coconut flour ( I sometimes substitute this with 1 c of brown rice flour or cornstarch, depending if I have these flours available)

Combine all your flours in a really big bowl. You need to make sure all the flours are evenly blended, so whisk it well. You can double or triple the recipe. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

This is a blend for all baked goods not made with yeast.

The mystery of the gluten free flours solved

Admit it.

The first time you heard about gluten-free flours you were scared. Very.

You thought: complicated, expensive, confusing and it probably made you want to curl up into a ball, stick your fingers in your ears and sing "Jesus loves the little children" as you rock back and forth in a corner.

Don't worry, me too.

Though, after the nightmares stopped I decided that I probably needed to learn about them. And guess what? I'm not scared anymore. I even make gluten free flour mixes. Go figure.

There was hope for me, and there is hope for you too. Don't worry. Hold my hand, bring your security blanket, and we will walk through this together.


Gluten free flours

Before we can say what is a gluten free flour, let's make sure that everyone knows what gluten free is.  To some the fact that something can be gluten free and a flour is totally confusing so here we go.
Gluten is a protein in wheat, rye and barley that gives baked good their structure. It is a binding molecule that gives bread and bakes good their spongy texture. It is kind of like your bread's glue. Without gluten, all your baked goods would be more akin to puddles of sand than a glorious muffin.

In gluten free baking we (obviously) avoid all kinds of wheat, rye and barley flours which naturally contain gluten. Instead we use rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch,  soy flour, chickpea flour and many other starches and flours which we will discuss in detail in a bit. All of these flours do not have gluten in them and if you remember what gluten is (a binding agent), you are probably wondering right now "Hhmm, if gluten is a binding agent, and these flours do not have gluten in them, thus no binding agent, wouldn't anything made with these flours be more akin to puddles of sand than glorious muffins?" And my friend, because of that thought I praise the Lord that the education system in our country has not failed us.  Yes, it's true, even gluten free flours need a binding agent which is why we use things like Xanthan gum, but before we get more into that, back to the flours themselves.

Here are a few different types of common gluten free flours:


Rice flour: You can have white or brown rice flour, just like there are white and brown rices. These flours are made from milling the rice. These flours are used very frequently in gluten free baking and cooking since they are inexpensive and easy to find. These flours are good to use on a one-to-one ration with wheat flour when it comes to small amounts, like a tablespoon or two, for recipes you want to turn gluten free that use small amounts of wheat flour. Brown rice is going to be more nutritious than white rice, but it is heavier. I personally mill my own rice flour. You can just buy a big bag of rice and put it through a mill and tada. It's cheaper than buying it milled. If you plan on doing a lot of baking, you can invest in a mill or just find a friend who has one and see if you can mill some rice flour :-)
Cornmeal: This comes in a variety of grinds, from coarse to fine. It works well  for corn muffins, polenta and breading things. Nutritious and nutty. Kinda sweet.

Corn flour: This is a finely ground form of cornmeal. Masa harina  is a special kind of corn flour used to make tortillas . You can use precooked masa harina (labeled as masarepa or cooked cornmeal) to make things like arepas ( which we will be making later on)

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is cornstarch. You know, the stuff you used to make playdough or something as a little kid, you might have even used it before in your gluten-filled baking. It's fine, white and made out of corn. Inexpensive and available everywhere. It's highly refined and not very nutritious but it is good for lightening your gluten free flour blends. It also works well as a thickener in sauces and gravies.

Potato starch: Potato starch is another inexpensive starch. It is sometimes used in kosher baking and cooking. It is found in health food stores or sometimes in the kosher section of your local supermarket. It is also very refined and has little nutritional value, but is also light.

Sorghum flour: Sometimes called milo or jowar flour this flour is a newer addition to the gluten free pantry.  it is high in nutrition and is high in protein. It works well in flour blends or in baked good like breads. I've recently found that Indian markets sell sorghum flour for very inexpensive compared to Whole foods. I got a 2 lb bag for 3 dollars compared to a 1 lb bag for four dollars at whole foods. Look for ethnic shops around your city for they may have a lot of gluten free flours and foods for very reasonable prices.

Soy flour: it is ground from roasted soy beans. Regular soy flour is very perishable goes bad very quickly , so if you can choose to buy defatted soy flour. Soy flour has a lot of protein, but it has a distinctive bean flavor and many people don't like it.

Tapioca flour: Also known as Tapioca starch. It comes from the root of the Cassava plant. It's made from the same plant that the pearls that tapioca pudding is made from, but processed differently. This flour gives chewiness to your baked goods and works well as a thickener.

Millet flour: whole millet is used as bird food. Ground up, it has a mild flavor and it is easy to digest. It'd high in fiber and protein. Great for breads.

Almond flour: Let me give you a little person to person tip, gluten-free homie to gluten-free homie. A free  tidbit of wisdom. When you put chopped almonds in your mill, you DO NOT get almond flour. you get almond butter. DO NOT put it in your

Chickpea Flour: Made out of chickpeas or garbanzo beans. Sometimes this flour is called besan flour. You can sometimes find this flour in the flour selection of most supermarkets or it can be purchased in indian or italian markets.

Coconut flour: this flour is low in carbs and high in fiber. It absorbs a lot of liquid so it can become dense quickly. Recipes that call for coconut flour call for small amounts and more eggs than usual recipes.


And these are just a few. There are so so so many more kinds of flours that are gluten free. Look at this as an opportunity to explore your culinary horizons with flours and maybe you will make a new favorite :-) Remember to store all your gluten free flours in the fridge, for they will last you a lot longer.


Now, the trick with gluten free flours and baking is that you  usually don't just use one flour at a time. In small amounts it is more acceptable, but you tend to get better results when they are mixed for baked goods. Over time you will run into many, many, many different mixes that call for all different measurements of flours, but don't worry too much about that right now. We will start with one basic mix and expand (just a tad) from there. More on that later.

Now back to the xanthan gum. Some recipes will call for xanthan gum which is your gluten free replacement for gluten. It will be the glue to your baked goods and this stuff is pure gold. Listen, xanthan gum is not cheap, but a little bag goes a long way. You can probably pay up to 12 dollars for a small bag of the stuff, but you use it one tablespoon at a time, so it last you a good bit. You might be able to find it cheaper online. Don't skip this very important ingredient in your recipes, you will be glad you didn't!


OK! I've explained to you as much as I know about all of these flours and I guess we shall continue to learn together. Feel free to post any questions or comments.

Day 3: gluten free Breakfast pizza, pg 32

Hope your family is enjoying your memorial day festivities :)


I'm in the keys for a couple of days enjoying the company of some good friends and the sun, something I've missed dearly from being in college up north. I think we might go skiing tomorrow, and I hope I don't break something :o

Well anyway, all that to explain why day 3 is a day late. Sorry! but here it is. Pizza, of the breakfast persuasion.

Breakfast Pizza, pg 32, serves 2

2 c refrigerated or frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed ( I used organic, it wasn't any more expensive than the other kind, and less junk in it.)
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1/4 c tomato paste
2 tbsp water
1/2 tspn dried oregano
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c (2 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp bacon bits ( I used turkey bacon)


1. First off, combine your potatoes and onion in a medium bowl.
2. Then slightly spray a medium sized nonstick (yes, make it nonstick, hash browns and non nonstick pans are NOT FUN) skillet with cooking spray.  Add potato mixture, flatten it with a wide spatula. cook 7 to 9 minutes per side until both sides are lightly browned. ( I discovered from making this that I am not the greatest at making hash browns :( I just can't flip them without making them all fall apart. I need some more hash brown lessons...)

3. Mix tomato paster and water in a small bowl, spread it evenly over the potatoes in the skillet. sprinkle oregano over it.

4. Pour eggs over potatoes. I would maybe not pour all of the eggs on there. I felt like it was too much. like probably 2/3 of the eggs. Just make a good judgment when pouring them. you need to COVER it and cook for 4 minutes. Make sure that your flame is not too high, because of else the bottom of the hash browns will burn.  Sprinkle the cheese and bacon bits over the egg ( I also added a bit of leftover meatloaf from the day before, crumbled). Cover and cook for one minute. Remove promptly.
5. Slice your pieces into pizza wedges. Enjoy!

Besides my poor hash brown making skills, this was pretty good. don't put too much sauce on the hash browns because it tastes too tomato-ee. I would probably count this like a brunch-ee kind of meal. I'm going to work on my hash brown making skills and make this again sometime.

I give this 7 yummy stars out of 10.


Anyone have any hash brown making tips? :-)

Day 2: Southwestern meat loaf pg 174

So on non-food related news, my mom fractured her arm on Tuesday night. :-(

I've been super busy helping her blow-dry her hair and stuff. It's amazing the kind of stuff you can't do without your right arm. The good news is that they gave her some very powerful drugs. The bad news is that she hasn't done anything cooky yet, which I was greatly looking forward to. But alas, she still has a week or so left of drugs, so my fingers are crossed.

So on to cooking now.

I made some meat loaf!

Southwestern meat loaf pg 174

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup of finely chopped onion (I learned the hard way that this is important. chop it finely. very finely unless you'll end up with chunks of onions in your meat loaf. You might think that it's not a big deal, but believe me it is.)
1/2 cup pf cornmeal
1/2 cup of fresh chopped cilantro leaves
1 can (4 oz) chopped mild green chiles, drained ( ... I might have not used these at all, it might have been like 10 pm when I went to the store and I couldn't find them and gave up...)
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce, divided


1. preheat your ovens, people. 350 F is your magic number. Spray a 13x9 pan with something nonstick.

2. combine your beef, onion, cornmeal, cilantro, Chiles (if you used them....), egg, cumin, salt, pepper and half the tomato sauce in a large bowl. Mix it. Go at it. I just did it with my hands. It was a good stress reliever. Take the rest of the tomato sauce and combine it with ketchup in a little bowl.
3. shape your meat into a 6x9 inch oval (or like half a football, but a little less football-ee...) put it in the the greased pan.  Pour the small bowl of tomato-ee goodness over it. Stick this meat bun in the oven.  The directions said 55 mins, I did about 65 mins.

4. let your meat loaf stand for about 5 mins before slicing it. I might wait ten. it kinda solidifies as it cools.


So what was the verdict, you ask?

Let me start of by saying I am a meat loaf lover. I never understood people's dislike towards them. what did meat loaf ever do to you, people of America??? All it did was sit there and offer its meaty goodness to fill your empty bellies. It's ok though, meat loaf is a forgiving type of meat. Seek reconciliation friends. Meatloaf is waiting there, with it's metaphorical arms wide open.

 Anyways.

This meatloaf was pretty good. It wasn't the best meat loaf I've ever had. Maybe it's because I didn't add the chiles. The price I pay for going to Publix tired. It could have used a tad bit more flavor, but it was pretty decent. I give it 6.75 yummy stars about of 10.  It didn't stay together very good when I first sliced it, but later it stayed together better, I just think it needed more time to cool.



I made delicious corn and mashed potatoes to accompany my meat loaf. They were pretty good.

Day 1: Cajun Chicken and rice, Pg 180

Confession:

I actually had already started cooking for this like 3 days ago. I just haven't blogged about it. So I cooked this on Wednesday. I know my b. I've just been slightly overwhelmed over the fact that I have to cook and blog about 115 different things this summer. But anyway. here we go. Day 1.

Cajun Chicken and Rice (serves 6)

4 chicken drumsticks, skin removed ( I had six, so I used them all)
4 chicken thighs, skin removed
2 tsp Cajun Seasoning (make sure that you check the ingredients before you buy, a lot of mixes have wheat as a listed ingredient)
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil ( I used olive...)
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 cup uncooked rice (I suggest maybe 1 1/4 cups of rice)
1 med green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 med red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 /4 tsp ground turmeric


pre 1. You should probably remove the skin of your chicken before you do anything else, if you haven't already done so or bought them pre-skinned.
1. preheat the oven to 350. lightly coat a 13x9 inch pan with oil or spray.
2. in a big plate or bowl, sprinkle the chicken with the Cajun seasoning and salt. cover them evenly. Heat oil in a large skillet over a med-high heat while you do this (make sure it doesn't start to smoke!). Add the chicken, cook about 10 mins ( give or take). make sure that the chicken gets browned on all the sides. take the chicken out of the skillet.

(quick note: As I reread the recipe right now writing this, I realize that I did this part a little different, woops. it's OK though, I guess it's not that big of a deal. you can do my version or what I should have done. it's up to you. Oh and what I did different was that I didn't take the chicken out of the skillet. I did the next part with the chicken in it)

3.Add broth to skillet, bring to a boil. scrape any brown bits from the bottom of skillet. add in the rice, bell peppers, green onions, garlic, thyme and turmeric. now pour these things in your 13x9 pan you oiled like forever ago.  (if you took the chicken out of the skillet, you can put it back in now, or if you did like me and didn't pour those babies right in there too. Also, make sure that the rice is evenly distributed in the pan, this would have been way easier if I hadn't put the chicken in at the same time). Cover the pan with foil tightly. Bake one hour or until the chicken is cooked through (165 F)

So I gotta say, this recipe is rockin'. It was AMAZING. I ate way too much of it. I'm pretty sure that this is my favorite meal from now on. It was definitely a great way to start this off. My only complain is that the rice was a bit soggy. delicious. But kinda soggy. I would add a bit more rice next time.

I give this recipe 9.5 yummy stars out of 10. If the rice wasn't soggy, I would have given it an 11.

my asifIdon'talreadyhaveenoughthingstodothissummer summer project

Summer is here, my friends. 

With it, the summer brings us endless sunshine, crickets, beach days, humidity and summer projects (am I the only person who still does these?). I figured that while being home all summer on my college break I wanted to learn something. I mean really learn something. something that they won't teach me in music school. I decided to (drum roll please) COOK! And blog about it.

Yes, quite the revolutionary I am. Don't worry though. this isn't all of it.

it's going to be a gluten-free blog! (I can already see the excitement welling up inside you). Most people have no clue what it means that I am gluten free. When I tell people that, I am met with one of two looks.

Look one: monetary pause, tilt of the head, nod, followed by a very uncertain "....ok". which clearly tells me that this person has no clue what I just said.

Look two: eyes widen, eyebrows contort into a furry line of pity, followed by enthusiastic choruses of " I'm sorry's" and a list of all the things that I can't eat.

This blog is for everyone. For the people, by the people (by the people meaning me).It's for those of you who have no idea what gluten even is and are probably thinking right now I'm allergic to gluttony. It's for those who think that I probably only eat lettuce and cheese. And last, but certainly not least, it's  for those few, the proud, the gluten-free. Whether you are curious about all of the strange things I eat or are tired yourself of only eating lettuce and cheese, I welcome you.

So back to my summer project. I decided that I am going to cook through a whole gluten-free cookbook this summer, in true Julie and Julia style. I marched myself over to Barnes and Nobles and bought the book with the most pictures and bam. That's how the seed for this project was planted. And really, I am not kidding on the fact that I just chose the one with the most pictures. Gluten free cookbooks never have lots of pictures and it drives me nuts. 

So friends, family, countrymen, over the next two months I will attempt to cook through 115 recipes in The Gluten Free Bible ( 10 bucks at B&N!). I invite you to walk through this journey with me. Walk with me through the victories and the defeats, through the glorious scones and the crumbly breads. I promise lots of pictures and in true Laura style, humor. Learn to look at the sunny side of being gluten free with me. Because I am quite sure there is one. And for now I leave you with this bad picture I drew of an egg in paint. You're welcome.