Gluten Free Carrot Cake Pancakes

Take your pancake breakfast to the next level with Gluten Free Carrot Cake Pancakes!  These pancakes have all the flavors of a carrot cake cleverly disguised as breakfast.  The recipe is not difficult and would be a wonderful treat for a special occasion or brunch.  Wouldn’t this be fun for Easter morning?

Yield: 9 pancakes

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Ingredients:

  • 240 g. gluten free pancake mix (2 cups)
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp. cloves
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk (I used 2%)
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • butter, for the griddle

Topping:

  • maple syrup
  • Cream cheese
  • Vanilla Greek yogurt
  • ground walnuts
  • grated carrots

Preparation:

I used a box grater to shred my carrots on the medium setting.  My grater has a little measuring cup that fits into the bottom, so you can measure as you go.  Be sure to reserve a tablespoon of the carrots for the topping.

To get started, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and whisk well.  Then, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.  Stir the wet and dry ingredients together and fold in the carrots.

Let the batter rest for 10 minutes while you heat your griddle or skillet.  Spoon the batter by heaping tablespoons, about 2 tablespoons per pancake.

I used my waffle maker to cook the pancakes.  It has a pancake plate with 4 wells.  I heated it to 350º and brushed the wells with butter.

The pancakes are ready to turn when you can easily slide a spatula underneath.  Mine took some time, almost 10 minutes on the first side, and less than 5 minutes for the second side.  Remember, gluten free pancakes and waffles always take longer to cook than regular.

You can poke the pancakes with a toothpick to be sure they’re done, then serve or place them on a rack to cool.

Toppings are optional, but I wanted to echo the carrot cake theme.  So, I mashed together a little cream cheese with vanilla Greek yogurt, then finished with a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of walnuts and carrots.

Wow that was good!  You probably won’t have any leftover, but if you do, remember they can be frozen and reheated in the toaster or microwave.  I wrapped my leftovers individually in plastic wrap and placed them in a freezer safe bag labelled with the date.  They will keep for a couple of months, but I’m sure they will disappear long before then!

Notes ♪♫ You know I love Better Batter and always tell you how wonderful their flour is.  But did you know they also have mixes?  I used their Gluten Free Pancake Mix in this recipe, and it did not disappoint.  The pancakes are delicious and sure to be enjoyed by your family or your special someone.

Adapted from Taste of Home

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Veal Stew with Caramelized Onions

You won’t believe how a few simple ingredients can produce the most tender, flavorful stew.  With today’s prices, you may think that veal is not in the budget, but stew veal is made from those tough but economical cuts that benefit from slow braising, easy on the pocketbook and perfect for Sunday afternoons!

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The basic stew is quite versatile and pairs well with so many things.  The onions cook down to make a delicious gravy.  You can serve it with risotto, pasta or polenta.  For a New England style dish, you could add potatoes and carrots.  So many possibilities!  And those caramelized onions- oh my!

I used a stainless-steel universal pan to cook this meal, excellent for both caramelizing the onions and browning the meat.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. veal stew meat
  • 1 large, sweet onion
  • gluten free Italian seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 2 tbsp. butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup white wine

Preparation:

Slice the onion into thin rings.  In a stainless-steel pan with cover, add 1 tbsp. each olive oil and butter.  Begin cooking the onions on low heat.

When the onions are soft and just beginning to brown, remove them from the pan and set aside.  They will finish caramelizing in the oven.

In the same pan, heat the remaining olive oil and butter and begin browning the meat on all sides.  Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.

Add the onions back to the pan along with 1/2 cup of white wine.

That’s it friends.  Cover the pan and place in a 300º oven for 2 hours.

Look at that!  No knife needed to cut this meat- it is melt-in-your-mouth tender.

This was an easy meal that turned out great.  I love comfort food during the winter months and this one is on repeat!   

Notes ♪♫ Be sure to use real white wine (that you would drink) in this recipe.  Do not use cooking wine, it’s full of salt and who knows what!  I do not drink white wine, but I always keep a 4-pack of single serve bottles in the pantry for cooking.  Opening one small bottle at a time for a recipe means there is less waste.  Once opened, the remainder can go in the refrigerator.  If you enjoy the white wine, then pour a glass for the cook (red 🍷for me, please)!  Cheers!

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Gluten Free Teriyaki Chicken with Grilled Pineapple

Summer has arrived, and I’m welcoming the season with this beautiful platter of Gluten Free Teriyaki Chicken and Pineapple, served with rice and seasonal veggies!  This was the easiest meal to pull together, and SO delicious!  Shop ahead and you can absolutely make it on a weeknight, because I deliberately kept the prep to a minimum.

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I don’t usually take shortcuts with sauces and marinades, but I couldn’t resist trying this Gluten Free Teriyaki Marinade from Primal Kitchen.  It’s made with coconut aminos, which I often substitute for soy sauce in my recipes.  It was really good, the perfect choice for this meal!  Pick up a pack of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced fresh pineapple, and pre-sliced zucchini and summer squash and we are ready to cook.

4 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup gluten free teriyaki marinade, divided use
  • olive oil
  • 4 slices of fresh pineapple
  • 1/4 cup fresh chives, for garnish (optional)
  • rice and veggies for serving

Preparation:

Combine the chicken and 1/4 cup marinade in a bowl.  Turn the chicken to coat all sides, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Start your rice and veggies first and cook according to package directions.  I made 1 cup of long grain brown rice, along with the zucchini and summer squash.

Add a little olive oil to a grill pan on medium heat.  Add the chicken, cover and cook 4 minutes.

Turn the chicken over and cook 4 minutes longer with the cover off.  Check with a thermometer that the internal temperature has reached 165º, then remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm.

To the same pan, add the pineapple slices.  Cook 2 minutes per side to warm through and get those nice grill lines.  Warm the remaining 1/4 cup of teriyaki marinade in a small saucepan or use the microwave.

To plate, first spread the rice on a serving platter.  Arrange the veggies along one side.  Layer the chicken over the rice, and top with the pineapple slices.  Drizzle with the warmed teriyaki sauce and garnish with fresh chives.

Thanks for stopping by today friends!  I love hearing from you, so please leave a comment if you enjoyed this recipe!

Notes ♪♫ This meal would be fabulous, cooked outdoors on the grill.  If like me you don’t have a grill though, do what I did.  Cook the chicken and pineapple in a grill pan to get those distinctive lines.

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Basic Gluten Free Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

Are you thinking about trying to bake gluten free sourdough bread?

There is nothing like good, homemade bread.  Especially when you are gluten free, and store-bought bread leaves so much to be desired.  No wonder so many of us have turned to baking our own bread at home.

This post is for all of you who have wanted to try making gluten free sourdough bread or are just looking for a solid recipe.  It’s a basic loaf, with no fancy shaping or scoring.  The bread is perfect for sandwiches and does not require toasting (but it’s delicious toasted as well).

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I used my Gluten Free Sourdough Starter and Better Batter Artisan Flour Blend in this recipe.  I baked my loaf in a small pullman loaf pan because the higher sides help the loaf to rise high and straight.  You can use a standard 1-lb. loaf pan if you prefer.  For best results, use a metal pan, not glass.

Ingredients:

Notes

♪ Although I have provided ingredient measurements by both weight and volume, I strongly recommend that you weigh your ingredients for best results!

♫ I used and highly recommend Better Batter Artisan Flour Blend for this recipe.  It is a sorghum-based blend that is incredible for yeasted breads.  If you use a different blend, the flour to liquid ratio may need to be adjusted and the flavor will be different. 

*Get 30% off any non-sale purchase at Better Batter when you use my Promo Code MGFC30 at checkout* 

Preparation:

For bread to rise properly without commercial yeast, your sourdough starter needs to be fully activated before mixing your dough (otherwise you will end up with a brick).  I find that my gluten free starter doesn’t jump out of the jar like a wheat sourdough, but when fully active it does increase in size and has hundreds of tiny bubbles, especially when I give it a stir.

When I am planning to bake, I take my starter out of the refrigerator 2 days before, feed twice daily and keep it in a proofing box at 78º.

(Read more about how I made my Gluten Free Sourdough Starter here.)

The day before baking, combine all of the dough ingredients in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.  Increase the speed and mix for 5 minutes.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover and place it in a proofing box (or warm, draft free area) for 4 hours.  I try to time this step for late afternoon, so that it’s ready to go into the refrigerator overnight by around 8pm.

Here’s the dough after 4 hours, going into the refrigerator.

By the next morning, the dough should be puffed up and full of air bubbles.  Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter to warm up a bit before you shape it.

Rub a cutting board with a bit of olive oil and turn the dough out.

Gently pat the dough into a rectangle, don’t press hard and do not use a rolling pin – you want to keep the air bubbles intact as much as possible.

Next use a bench knife to do a letter fold, like this.

Finally, use oiled hands to gently roll and shape the dough into a loaf.  Place it in the loaf pan seam side down, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 450º.

Just before baking, brush the top of the loaf with 1 tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.  Use a lame or sharp knife to score 3 diagonal slashes across the top about 1/2″ deep.

Place the loaf in the oven and immediately throw a few ice cubes onto the bottom of the oven to create steam.

Bake for 55 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 210º (use a thermometer!).

Remove the loaf from the pan and let it cool for 8 hours on a rack before slicing.  The longer you wait, the better the texture will be.  After 8 hours you can place the loaf in a bread bag and store it at room temperature to slice in the morning.

Look at that wide open crumb!  Remember when I mentioned that you do not want to deflate the air bubbles when shaping the loaf?  Now you know why!

Sometimes it’s really hard not to slice into a loaf of bread as soon as it comes out of the oven, but your patience will be rewarded. I let this loaf cool on a rack for eight hours before cutting a few slices for dinner.  I put the rest in a bread bag overnight.  I have perfect slices with no gummy texture! Sorry you can’t taste it but take my word it was delicious!

Notes ♪♫ Troubleshooting gluten free bread can be tricky and sourdough even more so.  So here are a few hints.  If the loaf didn’t rise, it could be that your starter wasn’t fully active.  Try feeding more frequently for several days before making the dough.  If the bottom or center of the loaf looks gummy, it wasn’t baked long enough (did you check with a thermometer?) or your measurements weren’t accurate (did you weigh your ingredients?).  Also, be sure to wait for your bread to cool down and set completely before slicing, it takes at least 8 hours!  Feel free to reach out with any questions and I’ll try my best to help!

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Marinated Grilled Pork Chops

Don’t you love a good pork chop?  There are so many ways to cook them, but sometimes simple is best.  A delicious marinade followed by a quick sear on the grill or skillet are all it needs to be the star of your summer plate.  This marinade is fabulous with pork chops or chicken.  Perfect for grilling or can be cooked stovetop.  The pork chops will be tender and juicy every time.

Serves 2, but you can double for a large family, or just make one for yourself.

Ingredients:

  • 2 bone-in pork chops
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp. gluten free tamari (or sub coconut aminos)
  • 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • few grinds of fresh ground pepper
  • fresh chives for garnish

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Preparation:

Whisk together the marinade ingredients and pour over the pork chops.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours, turning halfway through.

Prepare your outdoor grill or skillet by brushing with olive oil over medium heat.  Add the pork chops, cover and cook 4 minutes.  Turn the chops and cook for another 4 minutes uncovered, or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 140º (I like mine cooked to 145º for medium).

While the pork chops are cooking, pour the excess marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Note: when marinating raw meat, you must bring the marinade to a boil before it can be consumed safely.

To serve, spoon marinade over pork chops and garnish with chives.  I served with green beans and mashed potatoes.

Notes ♪♫ I prefer bone in pork chops, because they are less likely to dry out.  Meat is pricey these days, but I always look for sales and buy family packs to stock up.

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Gluten Free Southwest Chicken Bowls

If you love that popular chain restaurant with the “irresistible” rice bowls, you know that this started out as a copycat recipe.  I love everything about this meal- the chicken and rice, the Pico de Gallo, the beans and corn, and that chimichurri sauce!

So, I used the restaurant entree as my inspiration, but the best part of cooking at home is that you can adapt a recipe to suit your own taste and preferences.  For instance, I left out the lettuce, and added more chicken and rice.  I used way less salt and hold the guac please (am the only person in the world who doesn’t like avocado?).

The verdict, I thought it came really close to the restaurant version, and the recipe was not difficult (shortcuts are ok!).

So, are you ready to cook?  Let’s break it down into easy steps.

4 Servings

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Ingredients:

Seasoning Blend

  • 1/2 tsp. Cipotle Chile
  • 1/2 tsp. oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. onion granules

Chimichurri

  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1-1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
  • pinch red pepper flakes

OR take a short cut and use a chimichurri mix

Pico de Gallo

  • 1 plum tomato, small dice
  • 1/4 cup red onion, small dice
  • 1 tbsp. jalapeno, fine dice

OR take a short cut and use store bought 😉

Cilantro Lime Rice

  • 1 cup white rice (uncooked)
  • 1/2 cup corn (optional)
  • 2 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. spice
  • squeeze of lime juice
  • 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

Beans and Corn

  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp. jalapeno, fine dice (or more, to taste)
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil

Grilled Chicken

  • 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, thin sliced
  • olive oil
  • seasoning
  • lime juice
  • cilantro for garnish
  • gluten free tortilla strips, for serving

Preparation:

  1. Whisk together the seasoning ingredients.  This is my go-to spice blend for Mexican or Tex-Mex inspired meals.  Read more about it here.  It is bursting with flavor and brings all the components of the recipe together.  You can use as much or as little or you like.

2. Stir together the chimichurri ingredients.  If making from scratch, use kitchen shears to cut the parsley into small mince or for a large batch, you could use an electric chopper.  Be sure to do this ahead of time so the flavors have time to meld.

3. For the Pico de Gallo, dice the tomato, red onion and jalapeno and stir together with a squeeze of lime juice.  You can leave it at room temperature or refrigerate.  Score if you found it pre-made at the grocery store!

4. Next cook the rice.  Allow 15 minutes cook time and 5 minutes to rest.  Just before serving, stir in chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

5. Drain and rinse the corn and beans.  In a small saucepan, stir together the corn, beans, olive oil, chicken broth and jalapeno.  Warm over low heat for 15-20 minutes.

6. Now for the final step, it’s time to cook the chicken breast.  Brush each breast with olive oil and sprinkle seasoning on both sides.  Heat a grill pan over medium heat.

Cook for 8-10 minutes depending on thickness, turning halfway.

Here’s how I served it.  I sliced the chicken breast and arranged it down one side of a platter.  I layered the rice in the center, beans and corn next, and finally the Pico de Gallo.  I drizzled the chimichurri sauce over the chicken and garnished with lime slices.  For the table, I had extra chimi sauce for serving along with gluten free tortilla strips.

Let everyone make up their bowls with a little bit of everything and drizzle more chimi sauce over the top.  Garnish with tortilla chips.  Adult beverages optional!

Notes ♪♫ When you cook from scratch at home, you have full control over your food and ingredients.  You will not have to weigh the risk of ordering from the “Gluten Sensitive” or “Gluten Friendly” menu or worry if kitchen and serving staff are trained to understand gluten free.  These bowls are absolutely, positively safe and delicious!

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Gluten Free Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine, the French classic.  What’s not to love about a yummy quiche filled with bacon, cheese and onions?  I think that a quiche is one of the easiest things to make for brunch, because you can prepare most of it a day ahead then just assemble and bake in the morning.

Is quiche gluten free?

The filling of a quiche, usually consisting of eggs, cream, meat and/or vegetables is gluten free.  Only the pie crust contains gluten.  Fortunately, this Gluten Free Cream Cheese Pie Crust is easy to make, and it is perfect to use with both sweet and savory pie recipes.  And of course, I just happened to have one in my freezer, waiting for a special occasion!

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Ingredients:

Preparation:

If your pie crust is frozen, take it out one day ahead to defrost in the refrigerator.  Then let it sit on the counter for about 15 minutes before rolling it out between two sheets of parchment.

If it breaks, you can put it back into the refrigerator for 15 minutes then try rolling it out again.  With a gluten free crust, you do not need to worry about overworking the dough, so you can roll it out as many times as you need to.

Gently place the rolled-out dough into a glass pie dish, trim the edges and crimp.  Use the scraps to patch any holes or cracks (you can see I had quite a few!).  Yes, pie crust does not always cooperate, but I got it to work.  Remember, even if it’s not the prettiest it will taste great!

Place the pie dish in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Hint: you can prepare the pie crust to this point and refrigerate it overnight for baking in the morning.  Just cover it with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.

You can also prep the bacon, cheese and onion the night before.  Cook the bacon (in batches if needed) and drain on paper towels.  Chop it into 1/2″ pieces.  Grate the cheese and mince the onion.

In the morning, when you are ready to assemble the quiche, preheat the oven to 425º.  Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator while the oven preheats, so you are not placing a cold plate directly into the hot oven.  Spread the bacon, onion and cheese into the pie shell.

In a bowl, beat the eggs together with the light cream, salt, sugar and cayenne pepper.  Don’t skip the cayenne, it’s just enough to brighten the flavor without adding heat.  Pour the egg mixture evenly into the pie shell.

Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Then, lower the heat to 300º and continue baking for 30 minutes longer.

The edges should be nicely browned, and the center golden.  To test, you can insert a knife or a toothpick into the quiche, it should come out clean.

The quiche can be served warm or at room temperature.  Leftovers can be refrigerated for several days (do not freeze) and reheated in the oven or microwave.  And if you’re ogling that bacon wrapped sausage, get the recipe here!

Notes ♪♫ I always have gluten free pie crust in the freezer for when I want to make sweet or savory pies and quiche.  It’s a real time saver, especially when we can’t always grab a ready-made gluten free pie crust at the grocery store.  Get the recipe for easy, Gluten Free Cream Cheese pie crust here.

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Split Pea Soup

Another Easter has come and gone, and I’ll bet you still have some leftover ham in the fridge!  And since the winter weather just won’t give up here in New England, I’m craving soup.

Everyone has their own traditions for using up the holiday ham.  I always ring in the New Year with a pot of Lentil Soup.  After Easter though, I like to make Split Pea, which is essentially made the same way.

The ham bone, of course is what you would use to make a stock.  But what if you didn’t make a ham for Easter?  Or maybe your ham was boneless.  Well fear not, you can still use your leftovers or even pick up a ham steak and use that in the soup.  This year I actually cooked a 2 lb. petite boneless spiral ham for myself after the holiday and that’s what I used.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. split peas
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 1/2 sweet onion, diced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 48 oz. gluten free chicken stock or stock from ham bone
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp. sage
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • 1 packet beef bouillon
  • 2 cups diced ham
  • Schar Table Crackers, for serving

Preparation:

Rinse the split peas thoroughly in a colander and examine them for stray bits of barley or pebbles.  Place them in a stock pot and bring to a boil.  Cover, remove from the heat and let them soak while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Chop ham leftovers into small dice.  Set aside and refrigerate.

Cut the onion, celery and carrots into even sized small dice.  Add a little olive oil to a 5 qt. stock pot or Dutch oven and begin cooking the carrots, onion and celery over medium low heat.

Season with sage, thyme, salt and pepper.  Add 32 oz. of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and bouillon.  Simmer 30 minutes.

Drain and rinse the peas again.  Add them to the pot, stir well and continue cooking for another 45 minutes to an hour, or until the peas are tender.

As they simmer, the peas will absorb quite a bit of liquid, so add more chicken broth as needed.

When the soup is ready, partially puree it with an immersion blender (don’t forget to remove the bay leaves first).  I like to leave some of the veggies whole, but you can make it as smooth or chunky as you like.  After pureeing, add back the diced ham and heat through.

Serve with Schar Table Crackers (similar to saltines).  Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for at least a week.

Notes: ♪♫ If you have a ham bone and don’t want to make soup right away, don’t throw it away!  You can wrap it in foil then place in a freezer safe bag and store in the freezer for quite a few months.  There have been times that I would find a ham bone in the back of the freezer just in time for fall soup season.

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Individual Gluten Free Lemon Cheesecakes

Look what my wonderful daughter-in-law made for our Easter dessert! Individual Lemon Cheesecakes and yes, they are gluten free. She used gluten free golden Oreo halves for the base, so clever! 💛🍋💛

Since some of you have asked, she has kindly agreed to share her recipe!

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Ingredients:

Bacon Wrapped Sausage

The name says it all, you don’t need a recipe for this do you?  Just put these little bites of happiness on the table for your next brunch or family breakfast and watch them disappear! (they are great leftover too 😉)

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Ingredients:

  • gluten free breakfast sausage
  • gluten free bacon

Preparation:

The best part of this recipe is that you can get it ready the night before to cook in the morning.  You can make them whole or half size.  Just wrap each sausage with 1/3 slice of bacon.  Optionally, secure with 4″ skewers.  Use the amount needed for your family.

Line a sheet pan with foil (keeps the mess down) and arrange the sausages on a rack, cover and refrigerate overnight.  Alternatively, you can freeze them on a sheet pan and then place in an airtight freezer container until the night before your brunch.

Half size, cut each sausage in half and wrap in 1/3 slice of bacon.

The next morning, preheat the oven to 350º.  Bake the sausage for 15 minutes, then finish them on a hot griddle, turning frequently until the bacon is nice and crispy, and the sausage is cooked to your liking, 15-20 minutes.  Place them back on the rack for a few minutes to drain before serving.

That’s it friends, what could be easier?  So, the next time you are pondering whether to make sausage or bacon for brunch, why not make both!

Notes ♪♫ Most bacon and sausage are gluten free, but I still like to see the gluten free label for extra peace of mind.  I used Johnsonville Vermont Maple Syrup Pork Breakfast Sausage Links and Oscar Mayer Naturally Hardwood Smoked Bacon.

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