PUMPKIN WAFFLES

PUMPKIN WAFFLES

Makes 7 servings, 4 small waffles each

Cooking spray

6 eggs

6 egg whites

½ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar

5 ¼ cups warm water

1 ½ cups canned pumpkin

6 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup sorghum flour

1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup millet flour

6 tsp. grain free/aluminum free baking powder

3 tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. sea salt

4 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cloves

OPTIONAL: add 1 cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, Enjoy Life mini chips, or Sunmaid dried cranberries

Pre-heat waffle maker according to directions.  Spray grates of waffle maker with nonstick cooking spray.   Combine egg and egg whites.  Add sugar, water, pumpkin, and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add dry ingredients to wet and whisk until smooth.  Add optional ingredients if desired.  Pour batter in waffle maker according to directions, being careful not to overfill.  Cook for about 4-6 minutes, or until waffle is cooked through and outside is crisp.  Repeat with remaining batter, making sure to coat grates with cooking spray before each batch.  Keep warm in a warm oven, or serve immediately.  Very good with Breakfast Sausage Patties and pure maple syrup.

 We have been looking for an amazing waffle recipe, and came up with this one after some trial and error.  With chocolate chips added, it is almost exactly like my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.  Needless to say this was a HUGE hit with my family!  I don't mix any optional add ins with the batter so that I can add Sunmaid Cape Cod Dried Cranberries or pecans to hers, and Enjoy Life Mini Chips and pecans to ours.   Steve wants me to make caramel sauce and turn these into Belgian style waffles using my Dairy Free Whipped Topping.  

Linked to  Weelend Whatever #77

Strawberry Pie

 Steve has been really craving Strawberry Pie lately, so last night I looked up the recipe (after he was wonderful enough to buy me 6 quarts of fresh berries!) and a pie crust recipe - and tonight I swallowed my fear of gluten free pie crust - and made the pie.  Of course I made it Mandie-safe - aside from the whipped topping.   It was a huge hit!  Everyone is eagerly awaiting the second slice tomorrow night!   The only thing I'd do differently next time is to cook the glaze a bit longer so it gets thicker.  As you can see, it was still a bit thin.   

STRAWBERRY PIE

2 quarts of strawberries, sliced

1 baked gluten-free pie crust*

1 cup water

¾ cup Pure Cane Sugar

1 Tbsp. tapioca or potato starch

Fill the baked pie crust with sliced berries until no more will fit.  Chill the full crust in the fridge for at least an hour.  Save the remaining strawberries.   At the end of the hour, put the berries in a medium saucepan with a cup of water.  Cook 4-6 minutes, til the berries are soft.  Put the water and berries in a mixer or food processor, and blend until smooth.  Pour back into saucepan, and whisk in ¾ cup of sugar and 1 Tbsp. of tapioca starch.  Cook on low until sugar and starch dissolve and mixture thickens.  Pour hot glaze over the cooled berries in the pie crust.  Chill for another hour, and serve plain or with Coconut Whipped Topping**.

*SUPER EASY GLUTEN FREE PIE CRUST

½ cup lard (may use shortening)

1 ½ cups brown rice flour

4 Tbsp. cold water

Preheat oven to 400* F.  Cut shortening into flour until crumbly using pastry cutter or a fork. Add water.  Work dough with hands until it’s soft and you can form into a ball.  Place dough into an 8” or 9” pie pan, and press it up the sides.  This works best using your fingers.  Using a fork, prick the bottom of the crust about 2 dozen or so times, to let air escape.   Place crust in oven and bake 12-16 minutes, or until edges start to turn golden brown.  Set on a wire rack and fill with strawberries.

** DAIRY FREE WHIPPED TOPPING

1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled in fridge 24 hours

2-3 Tbsp. pure cane sugar or pure maple syrup

1-2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

Chill milk in fridge for 24 hours.  Chill metal bowl and wire whisk of mixer in freezer for 2-3 hours.  Combine milk with sugar & extracts and whip until creamy. Use in place of whipped topping.    

Stores well in fridge.

Crockpot Millet Hot Cereal with Apples and Pecans

 I made this to go with our biscuits this morning as a Mandie-safe alternative to oatmeal.  Steve and I thought that the flavors and texture are incredible - though we boosted the nutrition a bit further in ours by adding a Tbsp. each of coconut oil an chia seeds before adding some milk.  The kids added some brown sugar, but were not as crazy about it as I'd hoped they'd be.  In all fairness, Mandie is off of her Periactin in preparation for her allergist visit on 1/11, so her appetite has taken an EXTREME nosedive.  I will try this again after our visit, when she's feeling hungry again.

MILLET CEREAL WITH APPLES AND PECANS

(Modified from The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook)

2 cups allergen safe apple cider

2 cups hemp milk

1 cup dried millet

1 apple, diced

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup chopped pecans

½ tsp. salt

Grease a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.  Put all ingredients in crockpot and stir to combine.  Cook on high for 2 ½ - 3 hours or on low for 5 – 6 hours or until all liquid has been absorbed.  Try not to overcook as it can become mushy.

Serve with milk of choice.

Linked to Healthy Vegan Fridays    

 

White Bean & Bacon Soup

I was looking through my soup recipes the other night, for something that used ingredients I had on hand (hadn't been grocery shopping in a few weeks), and would be warm, comforting, and yummy on that cold rainy day.  I also needed something that could go in the crockpot, so it would be ready when we got home from work, before we ran out the door again to church.  I ended up finding a very basic recipe and adding a few things til I was satisfied.    My family LOVED this soup!  We ate it with a couple of slices of toast from my bread.  Luckily, Steve and I had enough left for our lunch the next day!

White Bean & Bacon Soup

1 lb bacon, fried until crisp, and crumbled
3 cans white beans
1 vidalia onion, diced
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 potatoes, diced
freshly ground salt, pepper, and fennel
 water

Chop and fry bacon.  While bacon is frying, pour beans into crockpot.  Add minced garlic and spices to taste.   When bacon is done, use a slotted spoon and remove to pot with beans.  Saute carrots, onions, and potatoes in bacon grease until crisp tender.  Add to pot.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  
This is a very yummy, comforting soup.  For a vegetarian option, fry a pound of baby bella mushrooms in a bit of grapeseed oil in place of the bacon.    This is a soup we will be making often! 

Linked to: Weekend Whatever Link-Up #43 

Linked to: Gluten Free Fridays #10 

 

Craving Tamer Chocolate Pudding

If you live with food allergies, especially dairy, soy, and corn, you know how difficult it is to find a delightful chocolate treat that satisfies you in the way chocolate pudding does.  It is comfort food.  It is what I missed most with the dairy and soy allergy.      Not any more!  I have a recipe that is quick and easy and tastes so rich and decadent that you will have no idea that it is dairy, soy, gluten, and corn free - and is even healthy!  Give it a try, even people who say they do not like avocados LOVE this pudding!

CRAVING TAMER CHOCOLATE (or carob) PUDDING

2 ripe, medium avocados
1/3 cup cocoa powder (or carob powder)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (1/4 cup if using carob)
1/4 cup hazelnut or hemp milk (any safe milk works)
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

Combine all ingredients in food processor, blending until smooth.  May need to add more milk to reach desired consistency.  May store in fridge, or eat immediately.  Chilling adds to the amazing mouth feel of this, and reduces any avocado taste.

             Carob pudding on the left, chocolate on the right.





 

Gluten Free Fridays #8 

Whole Intentions Weekend Whatever Link-Up #41 

 

Apple Butter Pancakes and Breakfast Sausage Patties

Yesterday was National Pancake Day, so what better to serve my family for dinner than their favorite meal - pancakes and sausage!  Since it was feeling and looking a whole lot like fall outside, I decided to switch up my pancake recipe a bit and use my mom's wonderful homemade apple butter.  OH YUM!!!  They were a HUGE hit!   I use the same basic pancake recipe, but change it up depending on what the kids or Steve (or I am) are hungry for.  Sometimes I use plain applesauce in place of the apple butter, and use cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg; often I use pumpkin, allspice, cinnamon, and ginger. The kids love mashed banana with a bit of ginger, and a handful of toasted pecans tossed in. Another favorite is plain applesauce with blueberries and a pinch of ginger and nutmeg (You can't taste the plain applesauce, and I prefer it to using over 1/2 cup of oil).  Before discovering Mandie's chocolate allergy, we'd make pumpkin pancakes and toss in a cup of Enjoy Life chocolate chips.  And no, the kids can't decide which kind are their favorites!  They always beg for leftovers in their lunch the next day, complete with pure maple syrup (or Grandma's peach syrup) to dip them in, which is why I make a large batch.  These freeze very well, and reheat nicely in the microwave or toaster.

Apple Butter Pancakes
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup BRM All Purpose GF flour
1 tsp. guar gum
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. Hain Featherweight Grain Free Baking Powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup flax meal
1/4 cup chia seeds

Whisk dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. Grapeseed oil
 1/2 cup apple butter (we used some my mom made)
 2 tsp. pure vanilla (I use our own, made from vanilla beans and potato vodka) 
4 beaten eggs*
 5 cups water

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until smooth.  I cook mine on a large electric griddle, getting 8 pancakes per batch.

*Can also use 4 Tbsp. flax meal dissolved in 3/4 cup hot water

 Sage Breakfast Sausage Patties

 1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
5 Tbsp minced fresh sage or 2 Tbsp dried sage
5 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley or 2 Tbsp. dried parsley
6 cloves of minced garlic
 4 tsp. ground fennel seed
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper


Combine all ingredients - I use my hands and squish them together.  Using about a 1 Tbsp. measure, form sausage into balls and flatten slightly.  We cook ours on our George Foreman grill, for 3-4 minutes.  You can also cook them 3-5 minutes per side, in a skillet coated with about 1 Tbsp. of grapeseed oil.  

Linked to: Whole Intentions Weekend Whatever Linkup #40
Vegetarian Mama Gluten Free Fridays #7

Harvest Day Cake and Maple Frosting

This cake is my hands down fall favorite, and I often choose it for my October birthday - even over chocolate!!   Steve's birthday was Monday, and we got to celebrate with the kids Tuesday night.  I am not surprised that this is what he chose for his cake.   This cake is very moist and dense and is a fanatastic spice type of cake.  I love pumpkin in absolutely anything, and this is no exception. The frosting recipe is amazingly simple - even after making Powdered Sugar in my Magic Bullet!   The maple is an amazing compliment for the pumpkin in the cake.  I'm sure it will become as requested in your house as it is in mine!

Harvest Day Cake

1 cup sorghum flour

1 cup all purpose gluten free flour blend***

½ cup tapioca starch

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. Hain Featherweight Baking Powder

1 ½ tsp. guar gum

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. sea  salt

1 ¼ cups grapeseed or canola oil

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbsp. flax meal combined with 9 Tbsp. hot water (let stand 5 minutes) **

1 can (15 oz) pumkin

¾ cup Craisins brand dried cranberries

¾ cup toasted chopped pecans

1.        Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom and sides of “9x13” pan, or two 9” round pans.  Set aside.   Combine flours, baking powder and soda, spices, and xanthan gum in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

2.         Add oil and flax goo, and  mix for one minute.  Add sugars and beat another couple of minutes.  Add in pumpkin and flour mixture.   Stir in cranberries and pecans.  Pour into greased pans.

3.       Bake rectangular pan for 47-55 minutes, and rounds 38-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and center feels firm.   Cool on a wire rack.  When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost with Maple Frosting.

** May use 3 whole eggs instead of flax, or the equivalent of egg replacer

***Whole wheat or all purpose flours may be substituted for gluten free flours.

Maple Frosting

3 Tbsp. lard*

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/8 cup maple syrup**

Combine all ingredients in your mixer (I use my Kitchenaid) and whip until it reaches spreading consistency.  Sometimes I have to add 1/8 cup of additional maple syrup.

    * Instead of lard you may also use butter or shortening of choice

     **  Instead of maple syrup, you can use milk of choice

Linked to: Third Thursday Blog Hop , Gluten Free Fridays, Whole Intentions Weekend Whatever Linkup,            
LauraGluten Free Pantry Allergy Free Wednesdays