Tag: homemade

Gluten Free Seeded Pumpernickel Bread

This Gluten Free Seeded Pumpernickel Bread is a little different than my usual.  It has a hard, chewy crust and seeds that are baked right into the dough rather than sprinkled on top.  Visual and textural interest aside, it’s delicious!

Rye flour is not gluten free, so as I thought about how to make a gluten free pumpernickel bread, the first consideration was of course, the flour substitution.  I used my favorite gluten free flour blend (see below) and added just the tiniest amount of cocoa and molasses to give it that darker shade, reminiscent of whole grain bread.

The verdict – I was hooked after one bite!

About the flour

Where are my Better Batter fans?  Have you ever tried mixing their Artisan Flour Blend and their Bread Flour together?  I know I’m not the only one who does this.  I used a 50/50 combination in this recipe and wow!  once you try working with this dough you will see why it’s my favorite.

Remember to use my Promo Code MGFC30 for 30% off at checkout!

 

This post contains affiliate links.

Ingredients:

Preparation:

You will need a fully active sourdough starter to make this bread.  * If your starter is not quite there yet, then it is fine to add a tiny amount (1/8 tsp.) of commercial yeast to the dough to help it along.  After experimenting with this recipe multiple times, I can attest that adding that little bit of commercial yeast will give this loaf the best rise and texture.

To make the dough, begin by adding the starter, vinegar, molasses, olive oil and water to the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk to combine.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, yeast, salt, cocoa powder and seeds.

You can use different seeds for this bread, for a total weight of 70g.  I really like the way the black sesame seed stands out against the crumb.

With the mixer on low speed, combine the wet and dry ingredients with the paddle attachment.  Increase speed and beat for 3 more minutes to form a smooth dough.

Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl.  It will be stiff.  Cover and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, lightly flour a cutting board or countertop and turn the dough out.  You will be surprised at how you can actually knead this dough with your hands.  Pretty cool for gluten free dough!  Turn the dough onto itself several times, rotating with each turn then pull it toward the center to create tension and shape it into a ball.

Generously flour a 9″ round banneton and place the dough in the center.  Cover and let it proof on the counter for 4 hours, then refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, carefully invert the dough onto a sheet of parchment.  Preheat the oven to 450º with a baking stone.

Carefully brush off the excess flour and score the top of your loaf.  I did a box score.

Place the loaf in a baking dish, sheet pan or directly onto the baking stone.  I baked my loaf in a clay baking bowl for the first 25 minutes then moved it directly onto the baking stone for another 40 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 425º, spray the sides of the oven with water and throw a few ice cubes onto the bottom tray.  The steam will help with the rise and give your loaf and a nice crispy crust.

The bread needs to reach an internal temperature of 210º, don’t guess- use a thermometer.

Allow the bread to cool fully on a rack, then store in a plastic bag at room temperature.  While it cools, you can rotate the loaf every couple of hours, so that the moisture evaporates evenly (no gummy bottom!).

I recommend waiting 24 hours before slicing, to be sure the crumb has set.

This bread toasts up like a dream.  The texture of the seeds and the crispy crust were outstanding.  I wish you could hear the crunch!  I have not had real pumpernickel bread since before my Celiac diagnosis, almost 9 years ago so this was a treat!

If you don’t finish the loaf in a day or two, you’ll want to freeze it.  I wrap the individual slices in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag.

Notes ♪ This is a small loaf, perfect for a one or two-person household.  It is as beautiful to look at as it is to eat!  Toast it up for breakfast or use it for sandwiches, croutons or stuffing cubes.

Notes ♫ You can also bake this loaf in a Dutch oven.  Bake covered for the first 40 minutes then remove the cover for 25 minutes longer.

 

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Gluten Free Seeded Pumpernickel Bread

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  • Author: © My Gluten Free Cucina
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Description

This Gluten Free Seeded Pumpernickel Bread has a hard, chewy crust and seeds that are baked right into the dough rather than sprinkled on top.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Instructions

You will need a fully active sourdough starter to make this bread.  * If your starter is not quite there yet, then it is fine to add a tiny amount (1/8 tsp.) of commercial yeast to the dough to help it along.  After experimenting with this recipe multiple times, I can attest that adding that little bit of commercial yeast will give this loaf the best rise and texture.

To make the dough, begin by adding the starter, vinegar, molasses, olive oil and water to the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk to combine.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, yeast, salt, cocoa powder and seeds.

You can use different seeds for this bread, for a total weight of 70g.  I really like the way the black sesame seed stands out against the crumb.

With the mixer on low speed, combine the wet and dry ingredients with the paddle attachment.  Increase speed and beat for 3 more minutes to form a smooth dough.  Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl.  It will be stiff.  Cover and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, lightly flour a cutting board or countertop and turn the dough out.  Turn the dough onto itself several times, rotating with each turn then pull it toward the center to create tension and shape it into a ball.

Generously flour a 9″ round banneton and place the dough in the center.  Cover and let it proof on the counter for 4 hours, then refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, carefully invert the dough onto a sheet of parchment.  Preheat the oven to 450º with a baking stone.

Carefully brush off the excess flour and score the top of your loaf.  I did a box score.

Place the loaf in a baking dish, sheet pan or directly onto the baking stone.  I baked my loaf in a clay baking bowl for the first 25 minutes then moved it directly onto the baking stone for another 40 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 425º, spray the sides of the oven with water and throw a few ice cubes onto the bottom tray.  The steam will help with the rise and give your loaf and a nice crispy crust.

The bread needs to reach an internal temperature of 210º, don’t guess- use a thermometer.

Allow the bread to cool fully on a rack, then store in a plastic bag at room temperature.  While it cools, you can rotate the loaf every couple of hours, so that the moisture evaporates evenly (no gummy bottom!).

I recommend waiting 24 hours before slicing, to be sure the crumb has set.

If you don’t finish the loaf in a day or two, you’ll want to freeze it.  I wrap the individual slices in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag.

Notes

Notes ♪ This is a small loaf, perfect for a one or two-person household.  It is as beautiful to look at as it is to eat!  Toast it up for breakfast or use it for sandwiches, croutons or stuffing cubes.

Notes ♫ You can also bake this loaf in a Dutch oven.  Bake covered for the first 40 minutes then remove the cover for 25 minutes longer.

Gluten Free Coq au Vin

In an homage to the great Julia Child who I still love to watch on old reruns, I decided one day to challenge myself to make her iconic dish, Coq au Vin.

I learned by watching the master herself prepare this dish on her show The French Chef.  After watching this episode a few times, I felt confident enough to head to the kitchen.

I learned a few things from Julia in addition to her recipe.  First, this fancy-pants sounding dish is actually a stew.  More comfort food than gourmet.  Second, Julia is a good teacher, and you will not need a culinary degree to recreate this French dish at home.

I even made a gluten free beurre manié!  Check it out!

Is Coq au Vin gluten free?  

Except for the flour used to thicken the sauce, the ingredients are naturally gluten free!

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Ingredients:

  • 6 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
  • 3 slices of bacon, diced
  • 1 carton (6 oz.) pearl onions, peeled and trimmed
  • 1 carton (8 oz.) white button mushrooms, rinsed and quartered
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups red wine (use a wine to drink with dinner)
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 2 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp.  thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 tbsp. butter
  • 3 tbsp. arrowroot flour

Preparation:

Per the master herself, I started by poaching the bacon.  According to Julia this step keeps the bacon flavor from overwhelming the entire dish.  I don’t know if I would necessarily do this again other than for the sake of authenticity.

After the bacon was poached and drained, I browned it in a stainless-steel skillet and set it aside to drain on paper towels.  The chicken was browned in the same pan, to take advantage of the bacon grease left behind.

For the next step, I moved the browned chicken and bacon to a nonstick sauté pan (you will need a pan with a lid), leaving the stainless-steel pan available for cooking the onions and mushrooms.

Here is where Julia adds the cognac and flambés the chicken.  That’s not something I would be eager to try (imagining the smoke alarm going off!)

I added all of the wine, stock, tomato paste and seasonings.  Honestly, there was a bit too much liquid and I would cut back next time.  Julia did not add carrots in her recipe, but I went rogue and put a few in.  Lid on, time to simmer!

Since my pearl onions were already peeled and trimmed, I was able to begin browning them in oil without all the prep work.  After this step, I added water to the pan and simmered the onions for 30 minutes, after which they were removed and set aside.

For the next addition, I rinsed and quartered one 8 oz. carton of button mushrooms, cooking them in olive oil and butter.

Now, for the finale.  To put it all together, I made the beurre manié (a/k/a kneaded butter).  This was as easy as stirring together soft, room temperature butter with arrowroot flour until well incorporated.

I transferred all of the liquid from the sauté pan into a stock pot and whisked in the beurre manié until it was smooth and silky.

I added the onions and mushrooms to the sauce, then poured it over the chicken, bringing to a simmer one last time before serving.

There it is.  So many little steps to develop the flavor profile of this famous dish.  Yes, it was delicious.  Yes, I will take a few shortcuts next time, but I do intend to make this again.

Notes ♪♫ I took a few (but not many) liberties with Julia’s recipe.  I omitted the cognac, so no flambéing! 🔥While Julia used a whole fryer chicken and took great pains to explain how to cut it up, I opted for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.  My grocer had pearl onions, already peeled and ready to cook (thank you!) so that was another tedious step that I was able to skip.  Finally, I substituted arrowroot for the flour to make the beurre manié.  With that, the recipe is gluten free!

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Gluten Free Sausage Ragu

This hearty Sausage Ragu was inspired by one of many regional dishes originating in Sardinia, Italy.  It has an incredible flavor profile starting with Italian pork sausage, combined with aromatic veggies, tomatoes, wine and saffron.  Check out the full recipe below.  This sauce pairs perfectly with the Malloreddus Pasta that I made in the previous post.  The dish is traditionally finished with Pecorino Romano cheese, and I added some fresh parsley from my herb garden.  Mangia!

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3-4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 links gluten free Italian sausage, about 10 oz.
  • 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 8 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup carrot, diced
  • 1/4 cup celery, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp. basil
  • 1/2 tsp. oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • pinch of saffron, combined with 1 tbsp. water

Preparation:

Heat a deep skillet with 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Cut the carrots, celery and onion into small dice.  Add them to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes over low heat.

Remove the sausage casings and cut the sausage into small pieces.  Add to the skillet with the veggies.

When the sausage starts to brown, push the meat and veggies to the sides of the pan and add the tomato paste in the center.

Let it toast for a few minutes, then stir it into the sausage and veggies.

Add the wine, and saffron water, garlic, basil, oregano and bay leaf.

Let the wine cook off for a few minutes, then add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato sauce.  Stir well, and simmer 30-45 minutes with the lid slightly ajar to allow the sauce to thicken as it cooks.  Stir the sauce every 10 minutes while it simmers.

Serve this wonderful sauce over your favorite pasta and finish with grated cheese.  Pecorino Romano is traditional with this dish, but you can use Parmigiano Reggiano.

Notes ♪ You’ll want to choose a pasta that can stand up to a chunky sauce like this.  Corkscrew pastas like fusilli, or ridged pasta like rigatoni work especially well.  For a special treat, check out the Gluten Free Malloreddus Pasta that I made from scratch to go with this sauce.

Notes ♫ The sausage in this recipe contains plenty of salt, so if you are watching your sodium intake you can use unsalted tomatoes to balance things out.

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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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Gluten Free Multigrain Sandwich Loaf

Just look at that beautiful loaf of bread!  In the gluten free universe, this is what dreams are made of!  Not only does it taste great, but it is also nutritious and wholesome, made with a combination of grains that delivers real bread flavor without the gluten.

If you like to mix up your own flour blends, then this recipe is for you!

I adapted this recipe from one of my own, Gluten Free Sandwich Thins.  I always made them for lunch when I worked in an office, but now that I’m home most of the time, I find that I like to have sliced bread in the house.  When you make a loaf, you can slice it as thin or as thick as you want for sandwiches, toast or just to go with dinner.

This bread is wonderful for sandwiches.  It doesn’t need toasting, doesn’t fall apart in your hands and the middle is not wet or tacky at all.  It’s a gluten free dream come true!

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Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp. yeast
  • 1 tbsp. ground chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 127 g. whole grain sorghum flour
  • 183 g. brown rice flour
  • 56 g. tapioca starch
  • 56 g. arrowroot starch
  • 56 g. potato starch
  • 21 g. teff grain, ground
  • 1 tsp. gelatin
  • 1.5 tsp. xanthan gum
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3/4 cup warm milk (I used 2%)
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 tbsp. milk, for brushing
  • sesame seeds
  • poppy seeds

Preparation:

Line a 1 lb. loaf pan with parchment paper and mist with cooking spray.

Combine the yeast, ground chia seeds, sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl or measuring cup.  Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients, sorghum flour through salt.

When the yeast has bloomed, add the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer along with the egg, olive oil, milk and water.

Whisk it all together, and then add the dry ingredients into the wet.  Mix for 5 minutes with the paddle attachment.  The dough will be heavy and wet.

Scrape the dough into the prepared pan, smoothing out the top with a spatula dipped in water.

Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let it rise for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Brush the top of the loaf with milk, and sprinkle with sesame and poppy seeds.

Quickly make 2 diagonal slashes across the top of the loaf with a sharp knife.

Place the loaf on the middle rack of the oven, close the door and drop the temperature to 375º.  Bake 50-55 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 205º (use a thermometer).

Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

Cool to room temperature, then bag it and let the loaf stand at room temperature overnight.  Resist the urge to cut into that loaf right away, and your patience will be rewarded with this amazing crumb!  It is truly worth the wait!

Notes ♪♫ It takes a bit more effort to weigh and mix the individual flours and starches in this recipe, but the results make it well worth your time.

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Gluten Free Multigrain Sandwich Loaf

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: © My Gluten Free Cucina
  • Method: Baking
  • Diet: Gluten-Free
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Description

A nutritious and wholesome loaf, made with a combination of grains that deliver real bread flavor without the gluten.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 tbsp. yeast
  • 1 tbsp. ground chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 127 g. whole grain sorghum flour
  • 183 g. brown rice flour
  • 56 g. tapioca starch
  • 56 g. arrowroot starch
  • 56 g. potato starch
  • 21 g. teff grain, ground
  • 1 tsp. gelatin
  • 1.5 tsp. xanthan gum
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3/4 cup warm milk (I used 2%)
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 tbsp. milk, for brushing
  • sesame seeds
  • poppy seeds

Instructions

Line a 1 lb. loaf-pan with parchment paper and mist with cooking spray.

Combine the yeast, ground chia seeds, sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl or measuring cup.  Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients, sorghum flour through salt.

When the yeast has bloomed, add the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer along with the egg, olive oil, milk and water.

Whisk it all together, and then add the dry ingredients into the wet.  Mix for 5 minutes with the paddle attachment.  The dough will be heavy and wet.

Scrape the dough into the prepared pan, smoothing out the top with a spatula dipped in water.

Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let it rise for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Brush the top of the loaf with milk, and sprinkle with sesame and poppy seeds.

Quickly make 2 diagonal slashes across the top of the loaf with a sharp knife.

Place the loaf on the middle rack of the oven, close the door and drop the temperature to 375º.  Bake 50-55 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 205º (use a thermometer).

Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

Cool to room temperature, then bag it and let the loaf stand at room temperature overnight.  Resist the urge to cut into that loaf right away, and your patience will be rewarded with this amazing crumb!  It is truly worth the wait!

 

Notes

It takes a bit more effort to weigh and mix the individual flours and starches in this recipe, but the results make it well worth your time.

Easy Gluten Free Pumpkin Pasta

Look at that pasta!  The dough is enriched with egg and pumpkin puree, giving it a beautiful color and texture.  Yes, it is from scratch, and completely gluten free!

In the years before my Celiac diagnosis, I prided myself on my homemade pasta.  I made endless batches both by hand and with my KitchenAid®.  It’s been a while, but with the cooler weather I decided it was time to try it again.  This fall inspired pumpkin pasta was easy to make and I was so happy with the result!

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I don’t make huge batches of pasta anymore, but this little test batch is enough for a nice dinner for two.  The recipe is scalable, so you can adjust it to make a small dinner or a feast for the family.  I give you ingredient measures for 2, 4, 6 and 8 servings.

I used a Malloreddus board to create the ridged shape.  You can find them at specialty shops like Fante’s.  Similar to a gnocchi board, it’s a cool little gadget to have in your collection!  Did you know that traditional Malloreddus pasta is made with semolina?  Of course, that is off limits on the gluten free diet!

So, for this pasta I used Better Batter Original Gluten Free Flour, and wow, just wow!  The resulting dough was beautiful and silky smooth.  It was so easy to work with, reminiscent of the Italian 00 flour that I would have used back in the day.  Most importantly though, the pasta cooked beautifully and had great taste and texture.  Even the leftovers remained al dente.  Now that is a gluten free success story!

Shop Better Batter and use my Promo Code MGFC30 at checkout to receive 30% off any non-sale item! 

Ingredients:

INGREDIENTS: 2 Servings 4 Servings 6 Servings 8 Servings
Better Batter Flour 70 G 140 G 210 G 280 G
Olive oil 3/4 tsp. 1-1/2 tsp. 2-1/4 tsp. 3 tsp.
Salt 1/8 tsp. 1/4 tsp. 3/8 tsp. 1/2 tsp.
Egg 1 large 2 large 3 large 4 large
Pumpkin Puree 1 tbsp. 2 tbsp. 3 tbsp. 4 tbsp.

Measure your ingredients according to serving size.  Be sure to use a scale to weigh the flour.  Whisk the egg, pumpkin, olive oil and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the flour and mix with the beater attachment to form a smooth, soft dough.

Gather the dough into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest for 15-20 minutes at room temperature.  This is a good time to wash the mixer bowl and attachments. 😉

Lightly dust a cutting board with flour.  Use a bench knife to cut the dough into 4 pieces.

Roll each piece of dough into a rope.  This is the moment when you know you have a good gluten free dough.  It rolls out beautifully without crumbling or breaking.

Cut each rope into 1/2″ pieces.

Using your fingers or a bench knife, gently roll each piece over the pasta board to create the ridges.

Line a baking sheet with wax paper and dust with flour.  As you form the pasta place it on the baking sheet.

Important- Always follow food safety guidelines.  If you are not going to cook the pasta immediately, refrigerate until ready.

How to serve it

You can dress this beautiful pasta with a simple brown butter sage sauce that comes together in minutes.  I grew sage in my container garden this year and it is amazing with browned butter.  If you don’t have an herb garden, try to find fresh sage at the market (or just leave it out).

INGREDIENTS: 2 Servings 4 Servings 6 Servings 8 Servings
Butter 1/2 stick 1 stick 1.5 sticks 2 sticks
Fresh Sage Leaves 8 leaves 12 leaves 16 leaves 20 leaves

When ready, set up a large pot of salted water for the pasta.  Bring the water to a boil while you make the sauce.  Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet.

As soon as the butter begins to foam, add the sage leaves.

As you stir the butter, you will notice the white solids beginning to separate.  Use a slotted spoon or spatula to push them to one side of the pan, skimming off as much as possible.  Watch carefully that the butter doesn’t get too dark.  Remove from the heat when it is just beginning to turn brown.  This shade is perfect.

When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for about 3 minutes for al dente.  The pasta is done when it floats to the top (taste to see if you like the texture).

Use a spider strainer to remove the pasta and add it directly to the sauce.

Toss well to coat for 30 seconds and transfer to a serving platter.

More Serving Ideas:

This pasta is sturdy enough to hold up to a thick and chunky sauce, like my Harvest Pasta Sauce.  Made with tomato, carrot, squash and pumpkin, the flavors pair beautifully with the pumpkin pasta, perfect for a fall inspired dinner.  Enjoy it as a side dish or a main course.

Notes ♪♫ Not all gluten free all-purpose flours are created equal.  In fact, they can vary greatly in terms of ingredient content.  You can try other brands, but I strongly recommend you use Better Batter Gluten Free Original Blend for this recipe.  It was absolutely perfect for making pasta, and what a pleasure to have a smooth silky dough that doesn’t crumble in your hands.  I also used this all-purpose flour to make a gluten free version of My mother’s Italian Wine Biscuits.  Try it, you will not be disappointed!

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Easy Gluten Free Italian Sausage Patties

Why make your own sausage? 

Today we have so many brands of gluten free sausage that are widely available.  So why would you go through the trouble of making it from scratch?

The short answer, because you control the ingredients.  Want less fat?  Instead of all pork use a combination of pork and turkey or use all turkey or chicken.  Don’t like fennel?  Leave it out.  Like it spicy?  Add more hot pepper flakes.  Limiting sodium?  Leave out the salt.  You get the idea.

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I also make my own spice blend, and it is better, and fresher than store bought plus you probably have most of the individual spices in your pantry already.

Did you know that I love using Italian sausage in my recipes?  I add a little to my Meatloaf, Meatballs, Pizza, even my Shepherd’s Pie!  These sausage patties are perfect for adding a little extra flavor to ground beef recipes!

Note- I am not grinding my own meat nor am I using casings.  This is meant to be an easy recipe that anyone can put together at home!

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Ingredients:

Preparation:

Measure the spices before you begin.  I used a coffee grinder to break up my peppercorns, fennel seed and red pepper flakes.

Add the pork and turkey to a large bowl.

Use 2 forks to break apart the meat and mix it together.  This will take some time and patience, as you want it well mixed but not compressed.

Add the vinegar one tbsp. at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Whisk the spices together and sprinkle over the meat, using the forks to incorporate the spices throughout the mixture.  If you’re not watching salt go ahead and add some here.

I used a scale to measure out 4 oz. patties.  I pressed them between wax paper squares.  This recipe yields 8 patties.

The patties need to rest for 12 hours in the refrigerator prior to cooking, this allows the flavors to meld, and the vinegar tenderizes the meat.

After 12 hours in the fridge the sausage patties are ready to be cooked or frozen.  They are great for breakfast or in a sandwich.

Use them in meat sauce, casseroles and stuffing.

Notes ♪♫ In most of my recipes I will recommend that you add salt or seasoning to taste.  If you need to limit salt for medical reasons or just a personal preference, you can leave it out completely.  When you cook from scratch you are always in control!

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Homemade Espresso Powder

Like many, I’m getting ready to do a little holiday baking.  Desserts are not my forte, but I do like to indulge in the occasional treat.  That being said, I really do not want to spend money on pricey, seldom used ingredients like Espresso Powder.  So with a little research, I learned how to make a small amount at home that cost me ZERO$$$!  That’s right, the only ingredient needed are spent coffee grounds.

So get your morning coffee brewing and let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • used coffee grounds

Preparation:

Brew coffee and reserve the grounds.  Let them drain for a bit, then spread the grounds in an even layer onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake the grounds for 1 hour at 250º, then turn off the oven and leave the pan in for another 2 hours.  The grounds should be very dry to the touch.

Transfer the grounds to a coffee grinder and process into a fine powder.

Store in an airtight container, I used a small Ball jar.

Use in recipes that call for espresso powder.

Notes ♪♫ I’m a New England girl, and we love our Dunkin Donuts coffee!  That’s what I used in this post, of course you can use real espresso or any roast you prefer.

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Gluten Free Millet Bread

I have my favorite toasting breads for breakfast.  They are dense, hearty seeded loaves that hold up well in the toaster like Mighty Tasty Toasting Bread and Millet and Buckwheat Toasting Bread.  But as much as I love their texture, sometimes I’m craving a soft, enriched bread to make sandwiches, or French Toast.  This Gluten Free Millet Bread fits the bill.  It has a soft, cake-like crumb with just a hint of sweetness.

I used Bobs Red Mill products in this recipe.  They are widely available online and in stores.  The loaf pan is from USA Pan, made in the USA!

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Millet flour is what gives this bread that light yellow color.

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Whisk together the dry ingredients, millet flour through salt and add them to the bowl of your stand mixer.  In a separate bowl, microwave 1 cup of milk for 30 seconds.  Whisk in the yeast and honey and let it stand for 10 minutes until bubbly.

Whisk the eggs, canola oil and cider vinegar into the yeast mixture.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually pour in the wet ingredients.  Once incorporated, increase speed and beat 3 minutes with the paddle attachment.  The dough will be heavy and clinging to the paddle.

I baked this loaf in a 9″ x 4″ x 4″ pullman pan, the higher sides support the loaf as it rises.  I always line my loaf pans with parchment paper, to easily remove the finished loaf.

Scrape the dough into the pan and use a wet spatula to smooth it out evenly.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional) and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Let it rise for 1 hour.  I set my pan on top of some padding, so that it wasn’t resting directly on the cold counter surface.

Preheat the oven to 350º.  Just before placing in the oven, mist the top of the loaf with water and quickly mist the sides of the oven.  Bake for 45-50 minutes.  The internal temperature should be between 195-200º.

Look at that beautiful loaf!  I was worried that the dough hadn’t risen much but look at the oven spring!  The high sided pullman pan definitely helped with that!

Cool completely on a rack before slicing.

This is exactly what I was hoping for.  It looks like French Toast is back in the breakfast rotation!

Notes ♪♫ Need more inspiration?  Check out this French Toast Casserole with Blueberries and Cream Cheese, or this delectable Tiramisu French Toast!  Both were made with this Gluten Free Millet Bread!

 

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Gluten Free Millet Bread

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  • Author: © My Gluten Free Cucina
  • Category: Gluten Free Bread
  • Diet: Gluten-Free
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Description

This Gluten Free Millet Bread fits the bill.  It has a soft, cake-like crumb with just a hint of sweetness.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Instructions

Whisk together the dry ingredients, millet flour through salt and add them to the bowl of your stand mixer.  In a separate bowl, microwave 1 cup of milk for 30 seconds.  Whisk in the yeast and honey and let it stand for 10 minutes until bubbly.

Whisk the eggs, canola oil and cider vinegar into the yeast mixture.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually pour in the wet ingredients.  Once incorporated, increase speed and beat 3 minutes with the paddle attachment.  The dough will be heavy and clinging to the paddle.

Bake in a 9″ x 4″ x 4″ pullman pan, the higher sides support the loaf as it rises.  I always line my loaf pans with parchment paper, to easily remove the finished loaf.

Scrape the dough into the pan and use a wet spatula to smooth it out evenly.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional) and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Let it rise for 1 hour.  I set my pan on top of some padding, so that it wasn’t resting directly on the cold counter surface.

Preheat the oven to 350º.  Just before placing in the oven, mist the top of the loaf with water and quickly mist the sides of the oven.  Bake for 45-50 minutes.  The internal temperature should be between 195-200º.

Cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Notes

Need more inspiration?  Check out this French Toast Casserole with Blueberries and Cream Cheese, or this delectable Tiramisu French Toast!  Both were made with this Gluten Free Millet Bread!

 

© My Gluten Free Cucina * All Rights Reserved

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Tomato Bean Soup with Chicken Sausage

Making soup is one of my favorite ways to clear the pantry.  This wonderful fall soup is a great example of what you can put together from little bits of this and that from your pantry and freezer.  I had a cup of dry beans, some frozen chicken sausage along with the fresh roasted tomato sauce that I made earlier (in case you missed that post, catch it here).  Of course you can use a can of fire roasted tomatoes and canned beans, but don’t shy away from cooking beans from scratch, it’s easy and they are a healthy and nutritious addition to winter meals.  Just follow my step by step instructions!

4-6 servings

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Ingredients:

Preparation:

I had a cup of dry beans in the pantry left over from another recipe, a mix of Borlotti and Great Northern.  You can use whatever beans you prefer (see notes).  Soak the beans overnight in cold water.

In the morning, the beans will have almost doubled in size.  Drain and rinse them, and return to the pot.  Cover with cold water and add 2 bay leaves.  Simmer 2 hours on low heat.

Notice that I started with cold water.  One of the secrets to tender beans is to cook them slowly and gently.  The heat is on very low the entire time, so the water comes to temperature slowly.  When it does reach a boil, I keep it on a very low simmer.  Also note that I did not add salt.  Salt toughens the beans, so we only add it during the final hour of cooking.

After a 2 hour simmer, drain the beans and discard the bay leaves.  Wipe the pot clean to remove all moisture and add one tbsp. olive oil.

To kick up the flavor in this soup, I added 2 chicken sausage links from my freezer pantry, one hot and one mild.  You can use pork sausage, ham or whatever protein you prefer, just be sure it’s gluten free.  Dice the sausage into 1/2″ pieces and cook until any liquid has evaporated and the meat is nicely browned.  Pardon the shaky photo but you get the idea!

Remove the sausage, cover and set it aside until the soup has finished.  Leave any fat and browned bits in the pot and add another tbsp. olive oil.  Add all of the veggies and season with salt and pepper.  Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Now add back the beans, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, sage and thyme.  Cover and simmer (keep the heat very low) for 1 more hour.

To finish the soup, stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional but I like the spicy kick) and return the sausage to the pot to heat through.

Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh chives and serve with grated cheese.

We really enjoyed this soup, even though it was quite warm this first weekend of autumn!  I’ll be sharing more of my favorite soup recipes in the coming weeks, and I hope you will come by again to see what’s cooking in my Cucina!

Notes ♪♫  Beans are a naturally gluten free food.  However, be wary of the mixed bean packages as some contain barley.  I always rinse my beans thoroughly to limit risk of any cross contact during processing.

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