Wheatless Foodie

Happy Thanksgiving!

The King Arthur Flour Company , founded in 1790, has a reputation for producing high quality baking supplies. So when I heard that they were making gluten free flours and mixes, I had high hopes that they would be good. I wasn’t disappointed. Their Gluten Free Multi-purpose Flour is a good all purpose flour blend for gluten free baking. It does not contain xanthan gum or other gums, which is a benefit for those people who are sensitive to gums. I’ve used it successfully in cookies, cakes and quick breads with the addition of a little xanthan gum (the KA website recommends ½ tsp. gum/cup of flour). King Arthur flour also works well in making a roux for thickening gravy and sauces. King Arthur also makes gluten free baking mix. I enjoyed a delicious chocolate cake for my birthday this year (thanks Mom and Laura!) made from  King Arthur gluten free chocolate cake mix . My daughter recently found a variety of  King Arthur gluten free mixes at a local grocery st...

Brussels sprouts are one of those vegetables that you either love or hate. I really like them. My husband loathes them. I found fresh brussels sprouts on the stem at the grocery store this week, and I had to get a stem. I just couldn’t help myself. This recipe adds delicious, salty-sweet richness to the brussels sprouts. With the amount of cashews I used, this dish makes a filling lunch. If you’re serving this as a side dish, I would recommend either reducing or omitting the cashews. Starting with sprouts still on the stem is a little more work, but they taste better when they’re fresh. Sprouts that have been sitting around for a long time after harvest have a stronger, sharper flavor. If you can’t find really fresh sprouts, frozen brussels sprouts are good, too. To begin preparing the brussels sprouts, cut the sprouts away from the stem and give them a quick rinse. Cut each in half and set aside. Lightly toast the cashews in a pan for just a few minutes, and set aside. ...

I grew sweet pumpkins in the garden this year. I’ve grown pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns before but have never grown pumpkins to eat. I planned to use them in pies and muffins so they needed to be cooked, pureed and frozen for later use. To bake the pumpkins, I cut them each in half and scooped out the seeds and stringy middles. I placed them cut-side down on parchment lined baking sheets. They were baked for about 1 ¼ hours. After the pumpkins were cool, the pumpkin was scooped from the skins and pureed in a food processor until smooth. I then measured out recipe-size portions into zip-top bags and stored them in the freezer.  Each small pumpkin, about 8 inch diameter, made about enough pumpkin puree for one pumpkin pie. That’s it! Easy peasy. Cindy

Pumpkin Pie Muffins (gluten free) 2 ½ cups Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix* ½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ½ cup water 2 eggs 1 teaspoons vanilla 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 cup white chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350 °F. Stir together all ingredients and spoon into greased muffin pan 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Makes 15 to 18 muffins. *If you don't have any Pamela's Baking Mix, you can substitute the following: 2 1/3 cups gluten free flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon xanthan gum 1/2 teaspoon salt Printable Version The muffin recipe on the bag of Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix was the basis for these Pumpkin Pie Muffins.  I just used pumpkin puree instead of fruit, added some spices, and threw in some white chocolate chips.  The muffins are amazing!  They actually taste very similar to pumpkin pie with the white chocolate chips standing in for the whipped cream....

Chia seeds have been made famous for growing “hair” on Chia Pets, as in  "♪Ch-ch-ch-chia♫".  Until recently, I didn’t know there was any other use for them. If fact, chia seeds are a highly nutritious food. Chia flour is also great for improving the texture of gluten free baked goods. Chia seeds are a good source of protein, fiber, omaga-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Unlike flax seeds, which are also highly nutritious, chia seeds don’t have to be ground to be utilized by the body. Chia flour can be used as a thickener in sauces, as an egg replacer, and as a replacement for xanthan gum and guar gum in gluten free baking. Apparently there are a number of people who don’t tolerate the gums in their diets, and some of the gluten free recipes need them to achieve the proper texture. So I’m working with chia and will soon have some recipe recommendations using this high nutrient ingredient. If they aren’t available to you locally, you can purchase whole chia seeds and mille...