Apple Cinnamon Syrup

This is great on pancakes! Less sugar than straight syrup.

2 cups apple juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

In saucepan, mix together cinnamon, sugar, and cornstarch. Whisk in apple and lemon juice. On medium high heat, stir until thickened and bubbly, then cook 2 minutes more. Pour into glass liquid measuring cup, and serve while warm.

Can be stored in fridge for leftovers, just reheat. Add a bit of juice if too thick.

Try other juice and flavoring combinations. Cherry with almond extract is good. Orange juice is good for pumpkin pancakes. So is the apple syrup!

Ginger Carrot Salad Dressing

My favorite sushi restaurant serves salad with ginger carrot dressing. It is so good! Since first trying it, I have wanted to make it myself. I finally looked online and tried it out, adapting the recipe I selected. I really enjoy it. It's been really good on kale salad- chopped fresh kale, red cabbage, and carrots. (And sunflower seeds too!) This is what I did:

1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup vinegar*
2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped(prepare for blender)
2 tablespoons peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Smooth in blender. (You may alternatively use a food processor to finely chop)

*Next time I want to try 1/4 cup vinegar. Personal preference; my husband didn't think it was too strong.
I want to try having some of the carrot finely shredded, and set aside to stir into the rest of the blended dressing.
Original recipe calls for honey; I just thought I would prefer the taste of agave, and I have it on hand.
Recipe calls for rice wine vinegar; I don't know the difference in flavor; I used what I have. Also calls for extra-virgin olive oil. Recipe also calls for toasted sesame oil in addition. So there are a lot of small differences you could play around with.

My recipe is adapted from "Carrot Ginger Dressing" from cookieandkate.com. I recommend going directly to this website; she has beautiful pictures, and you can see her original recipe and try it out or vary your own!

Rice Oat Garbanzo bread

Basic Rice-Oat-Bean Bread

2 cups oat flour, 2 cups rice flour(brown or white), 2/3 cup cornstarch, 1 1/3 cup lentil or garbanzo*
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

3 1/2 cups coconut/almond milk, rice milk, or water**
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup applesauce + 1 T. ground chia seed or
      2 T. ground flaxseed(flaxseed meal)

Combine dry ingredients, including yeast and sugar, in mixing bowl.

microwave milk or water until 120-130 degrees, about 3 1/2 min. if milk from fridge, 2 1/2 min. if room temperature milk or maybe 2 min for water from tap.
Meanwhile, mix with a fork chia/flaxseed and applesauce.

When liquid tests to temperature, add to dry mixture. Mix in oil and egg substitute(chia/flaxseed and applesauce). Mix on high 3 1/2 min.

Turn into small loaf pans, filling about 2/3 full.  Fills 2 medium small and 4 small pans all together. Rise 45-60 min. Then bake 375 degrees for 35 min.

I am guessing 50 min. if using regular sized loaf pans, but I don't use this size for wheat free baking.

*This mix of flour is my mix that I use most for baking, other than just the 50/50 combo of rice and oat. I usually mix large batches with these ratios of flour, and store in freezer. I grind the rice flour, white or brown or usually both, in my grain mill. I grind lentils and oats in my Vitamix. These should work in a regular blender as well, with batches of 1-2 cups perhaps. Garbanzo flour can be milled in my grain mill, but it is slow, so often I prefer to use lentils or sometimes I buy garbanzo bean flour.
**can also use vegetable water from cooking potatoes, beets, or bean juice from cooking dry beans. Or leftover fruit juice.

Other things to try:

Can experiment with adding some sweet rice flour, maybe 1/4 cup in addition to the other flour or in place, 1 tsp. vinegar, and 1 tsp. gelatin. Each of these things I have heard can help texture. Vinegar is  used instead of dough enhancer. Gelatin is to add protein for structure. Right now I prefer to use very basic and few ingredients.


ratios to try:

1 1/3 rice, 2/3 oat; 2/3 garbanzo, 1/3 cornstarch total: 3 cups
2 2/3 rice, 1 1/3 oat; 1 1/3 garbanzo, 2/3 cornstarch total; 6 cups

OR 1 1/2 rice, 1/2 c. oat, 2/3 garb, 1/3 cornstarch: 3 cups
3 cups rice,  1 cup oat, 1 1/3 c. garb, 2/3 cornstarch : 6 cups

 OR 3 cups rice, 1 cup oat, 1 c. garb, 1 c cornstarch

OR 3 cups rice, 1 1/2 cups oat, 1 c. garb, 1/2 c. cornstarch


April 27, 2016

variation:

Wanted to use 2 cups sweetened plum puree from freezer for part of liquid, so then just mixed 1/4 cup of that with ground chia seed and set aside, instead of applesauce, then mixed remaining 1 3/4 c. plum puree with 1 3/4 cups rice milk and heated up. Left out vinegar and sugar. (plum puree already has plenty). Added another 1/2 cup rice milk afterward, heated again, batter needed thinned.

note:
-Used new yeast. This is rapid rise. I heated liquid to 120 degrees. I just noticed the yeast I used before, Active Dry yeast, according to its package instructions, was supposed to be mixed with and soaked in lukewarm water, 90-110 degrees. The Rapid Rise yeast instructions on packet say can be added straight to dry ingredients, which I did, and heat liquid 120-130 degrees. Good to know!
-The plum puree was making use of some yummy ripe plums that got mashed in my groceries! I was sad they were mashed, but decided I could de-pit them right away and freeze them for later use. I cooked them I think, and put in glass pint jar in freezer. A couple days ago I pulled them out to thaw, for use today in recipe.

Johnny Cake

Eva's Johnny Cake (like cornbread, but not as dry)

1/2 c. margarine[3 T. coconut oil + 1/4 c. + 1 T. canola oil ]
1/3 c. sugar
2 eggs[1 T. gelatin mixed with 2 T. water- mix just before using; and 1/4 c. coconut yogurt-no sugar]
1 3/4 c. buttermilk[rice milk + 1 T. lemon juice]

1 c. cornmeal[together substituted 1 3/4 c. flour mix with millet in it- 4 Rice, 4 Oat, 3 Millet, 1   Cornstarch; and then added 1/4 cup millet more coarse ground- used VitaMix] more like 1/3 c. millet
1 c. flour[see above under cornmeal]
1 tsp. xanthan gum
2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. baking soda[used 1/2 t]
3/4 t. salt

Cream margarine and sugar; add eggs and milk. Add dry ingredients. Pour into greased and floured    8 X 8 inch pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

[My adaptation- in liquid measuring glass, combine rice milk and lemon juice, then oil. Let sit 5-10 min. Cream coconut oil and sugar. Mix gelatin and water from tap. Add to oil and sugar. Add coconut yogurt and combine. Stir together dry ingredients, then add to creamed mixture. Coat glass pan with oil, and pour batter. Mine was thicker than cake batter but more thin than quick bread.]

notes: used combo of coconut and rice because it makes taste creamy, buttery. Friend shared how half and half rice milk coconut milk tastes like dairy. In cooking pancakes and muffins, I have found it tastes buttery. Yum!

using coconut oil allowed me to cream sugar a bit- added canola oil to the liquids and creamed only sugar and coconut oil. Could do same thing with shortening instead of coconut oil- would cream even more.


11/19/15  excellent!  check ++

1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 c. sugar
1 T. ground flaxseed meal
1/2 c. coconut milk(Thai Kitchen) + coconut dream beverage to equal 1 1/3 cups with flaxseed
 [total about 1 1/4 cup liquid, but coconut milk is thick]  + lemon juice 1 T.

1 c. cornmeal(used 1/3 cup Bob's mill corn flour and 2/3 cup fine white cornmeal instead)
1 c. flour(white/brown rice, garbanzo bean, cornstarch)
1 1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt

batter seemed too thick(expected more like cake batter) but turned out light and tender!


Note:
We like using Fine White Corn Meal instead of regular cornmeal. I know cornbread is gritty, and people like that, but we prefer this fine meal instead! No need to get the Bob's mill corn flour in addition, I just had some to use. Really could use either one instead of course ground corn meal, if you like your cornbread to be more smooth.

sunflower seed butter

3 cups roasted sunflower seeds, unsalted
1/3 cup canola oil

In Vitamix, start on variable, speed 1 and quickly increase speed to 10, then turn to high. Use tamper. In one minute you should hear a high pitched sound. Then watch for butter to flow. At this point you should hear a low laboring sound. Stop.

Caution from Vitamix recipe book: Over processing will cause serious overheating to your machine! Do not process for more than 1 minute after mixture starts circulating freely.

Notes:

-may roast seeds in pan or in oven. 3 cups seeds and 1 T. canola oil.
-use immediately and freeze whatever you won't use immediately. The sunflower seed butter gets "nippy" as it sits, even in a half hour or so. May store in fridge for a couple days if you don't mind some "nippy-ness." But it gets more nippy the longer it's there. It doesn't seem to get this way in the freezer. Interesting I also had frozen sunbutter that has thawed a couple days in fridge and it hasn't had the nippy-ness either.
-yummy to mix equal ratios unflower seed butter and frosting, with optional chocolate chips or raisins, crushed cereal (plain cheerios or chex) and form into balls. Freeze immediately(in ball form, so easier to eat partially thawed) what you won't eat in one sitting.

Variation: Almond butter- roasted almonds and 1/2 cup canola oil. Pour off excess oil next day.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Original recipe(not allergen free), from Rhonda Hair, pumpkin recipes

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2 1/4 c. flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. each ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg

1/2 c. margarine

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. pumpkin

3/4 c milk

3/4 c. each nuts and raisins

Adapting without wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts:

April 27, 2016
Sweet potato cupcakes, double batch

1 cup oil- 1/2 cup coconut and 1/2 cup canola

3 cups brown sugar

1/3 cup applesauce + 1 T. ground chia seed

1 1/2 cups Coconut Dream drink

4 c. flour of choice

1 1/2 t. xanthan gum

1 t. soda

4 tsp. baking powder

1 t. salt

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. ginger

Cream oil and sugar, then add applesauce and chia seed and mix. Add coconut milk and flour, slowly mix until flour won't fly then mix on medium high for a couple minutes. Turn into muffin tins. I made 18 muffins plus one 7X11 glass pan, to fit it all on one rack. Bake 375 degrees 23-25 min.

notes:

-light and fluffy! moist, flavorful. 

-Great with coconut-vanilla frosting I make.

-sweet, try reducing sugar to 2 1/2 cups. 

-find Coconut Dream on shelf in grocery store,    Tetrapak shelf stable

-Try reducing sugar to 2 1/2 cups, if using sweet potato puree.

-for flour this time I used a mixture of rice, oat, garbanzo, very fine cornflour, and cornstarch. 10 cups rice, 5 cups each oat and garbanzo, 2 cups cornflour, 2 cornstarch. Stored in gallon bags in freezer. 

Pumpkin Bread

April 27, 2016 sweet potato bread

1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup sweet potato puree and 1/4 cup Coconut Dream Drink, unsweetened
     (when I used homemade pumpkin puree I used 1 1/2 cups and no milk)
1/3 cup applesauce and 2 t. ground chia seed

2 cups flour of choice
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Blend dry ingredients. Blend wet ingredients and stir into dry until incorporated.
Turn batter into 4 small loaf pans, 350 degrees, 35-40 min.

Flavorful, moist, tender but not crumbly. A bit heavy- settled a bit, but great texture.

Great with orange glaze(pictured above), or regular glaze on top. Or with coconut-vanilla frosting between two slices. Good for school lunches this way.


notes:
find Coconut Dream Drink on shelf in grocery store, Tetrapak shelf stable
-today flour was from mix I made:
10 cups rice, 5 cups garbanzo, 5 cups oat, 2 cups cornflour, 2 cups cornstarch
-batter seemed thicker than should be, so I added 1/4 cup milk to some, but that wasn't as flavorful. Consistency after baking was pretty much the same. So I would keep batter slightly thick as is.
-last time I made with homemade pumpkin puree. That was really yummy, with the coconut-vanilla frosting I make. I prefer pumpkin puree, but have sweet potato puree on hand to use. : )