Saturday, August 22, 2009

Ghee - A GFCF Alternative to Butter & Margarine?


I purchased a jar of this last week but I haven't tried it yet. I asked about Ghee at one of my favorite Yahoo groups - GFCFKids. Some moms have posted that their children had casein reactions to it. Some moms have posted that their children did not react to it. After reading several posts, I think I will try it 50/50 with GFCF margarine and see if there are any changes, as was suggested by one of the GFCFKids' moms. I really miss the buttery flavor of butter. The GFCF unsalted Fleischman's margarine just doesn't have it, even when I add salt...


(For an update on this subject, click Here.)

Friday, August 21, 2009

Favorite Thing ~ Grandma's Dishes

These are two pieces from my beloved Grandmother's dishes. They are not fancy. Her "fancy" dishes were stored in cupboards in the dining room and I never saw her use them. She had no china, no crystal, and no silver that I ever saw. She used these plates every day, and lovingly washed them by hand every day with her Ivory Liquid dish detergent. I never saw her use the sugar bowl, but I think maybe she and Grandaddy did before he passed away, during their very early morning moments with their coffee. I have no idea who manufactured these. There are no marks on them anywhere. To me they are so beautiful. They remind me of my Grandmother and her kitchen and all the profoundly delicious food she made for us. If I concentrate really hard, I can still smell the way her dining room smelled on Sunday afternoons... And, when not in use, no matter the time of day ~ the aroma in her dining room was that of her pound cake. When I get the GFCF version of that recipe perfected, I'll post it.



Fabulous Find ~ Single-Serving Bakeware

I came across these pretty little dishes while searching for covered casserole dishes to use in the oven, instead of aluminum foil packets, and in the microwave, instead of plastic. I just love that they have an "old-fashioned" look and they are small enough for single servings. The dishes and lids are oven, microwave, and dishwasher-safe. From Anchor Hocking:



You can view the entire Bake "N" Store collection here on page 5.

Potato Salad

2 eggs, boiled and chopped
4 med. potatoes, diced and cooked
2 tablespoons GFCF mayonaise
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
2-3 tablespoons dill pickle cubes/relish
Salt

Spoon mixture of mayonaise, mustard, and dill relish into cooled potatoes and eggs to gently coat. Salt to taste. Serves 4-6.

{This is my absolute favorite potato salad recipe.}

Pecan Pie

3 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
3/4 stick GFCF margarine, melted
1 cup pecan halves or coarsely chopped pecans
1 prepared recipe GFCF pie crust, unbaked

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Blend first 4 ingredients well with a mixer. Fold in pecans. Pour into pie plate lined with prepared GFCF pie shell. Bake for 50 minutes.

{Nothing says "holidays" quite like a delicious pecan pie.}

Chilled Broccoli 'n' Cauliflower Salad

1/2 purple onion, chopped
1/2 cup shredded GFCF cheddar cheese
1/2 cup GFCF mayonaise
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 pound GFCF bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup sunflower kernals
1 head broccoli, separated and cut into small pieces
1 head cauliflower, separated and cut into small pieces

Carefully place cauliflower and broccoli pieces in unsalted boiling water. Boil for 1 minute. Drain. Rinse with cold water until completely cooled.

Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Mix well. Toss in broccoli and cauliflower and coat well. Cover bowl and chill for a few minutes before serving. Serves 8-10, depending on the size of the broccoli and cauliflower.

{I don't care for raw onions but this recipe is the exception ~ from our dear friend, Melinda F. in Ohio.}

Brunswick Stew

1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons GFCF margarine
2 cans GFCF chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
2 med./lg. potatoes, diced
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups cooked or canned corn, drained
2 cups cooked or canned english peas, drained
1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
20 oz. GFCF ketchup
4 oz. GFCF spaghetti, broken into small pieces, cooked


In a large soup pot, saute onions in margarine. Add broth, water, potatoes, and salt. Bring to boil and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. Serves 8-10.

{This is the best Brunswick stew recipe I have ever seen written down. I worked on it for 3 years until I got it right ~ just like Granny Grace's.}

Grilled Chicken (minus the grill)

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 cup GFCF Italian dressing
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
3 teaspoons honey

Place all ingredients in a large ziploc bag. Zip the bag, mix well and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Pour entire contents into a large non-stick skillet and cook over medium to medium-low heat until marinade becomes thick and caramelized - about 45 minutes, turning chicken strips every 10 minutes for the first 20 minutes, then every 5 minutes thereafter. Serves 4-6.

{I have seen this recipe referred to as a "Cracker Barrel" recipe.}

Vegetable Beef Soup

1/2 pound ground chuck
1 med. onion, chopped
1 small smoked ham hock (or a large piece of smoked turkey)
2 packets GFCF beef bouillion
2 tablespoons GFCF ketchup
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (use 2 cans for more soup)
1/2 cup frozen English peas
1/2 cup frozen tiny lima beans
1/2 cup frozen field peas with snaps
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 small potato, diced
3 cups chicken broth (use 6 cups for more soup) *
Salt
Pepper

In a large soup pot (or dutch oven), brown ground beef. Add onions during last few minutes of browning. Drain. Place ham (or turkey) in the center of pot with beef and onions. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat for one hour, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8-10.

* Use the broth from the Southern and GFCF Snap Beans & New Potatoes Recipe in addition to chicken broth for a more delicious soup.

Delicious with Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread. (I find this cornbread is slightly sweet, so I add 1 teaspoon salt prior to baking.)

{This is just our standard go-to vegetable beef soup. Stew beef is just as delicious in it, though the initial cooking time would be longer than for the ground chuck, and I would use more than 1/2 pound. I usually cook stew meat in a pressure cooker for about 15 minutes before I put it in the soup pot. You can use any combination of vegetables that you would ordinarily like for your soup - just make sure that you have enough broth in the pot to cook them in. You will want more than just enough to cover the ingredients. You can also add 3/4 cup uncooked GFCF pasta or 1/2 cup uncooked rice during the last 30 minutes of cooking. If you don't have these frozen and fresh vegetables on hand, just use 2 large cans of GFCF mixed vegetables.}

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Caramel Bars

3/4 cup GFCF margarine, melted
16 oz. light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups GFCF flour mix *
1 teaspoon xantham gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. GFCF vanilla flavoring

* About GFCF Flour Mixes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream margarine, brown sugar, and eggs. Add flour mix, xantham gum, salt, nuts, and flavoring. Mix well. Pour into 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool thoroughly and cut into squares. Serves 8-10.

{These are so good! There isn't a word to describe how good they are. Maybe "scrumptious" comes close ~ from our precious friend, Mary H. in North Georgia.}