Gluten free bread!

Classic White Bread

3 cups rice flour (brown or white)

1 cup potato starch

½ cup tapioca starch

½ cup nonfat dry milk

2 tbsp sugar

1½ tsp salt

1 tbsp xanthan gum

1 tsp unflavored gelatin

2 cups warm water

1/3 cup oil or melted butter

1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

3 whole eggs

3 egg whites

2¼ tsp yeast (1 packet)

In glass measuring cup, fill with 1 cut water, 1 tbsp sugar and yeast. This will activate the yeast.

In a small mixing bowl, blend together the remaining wet ingredients.

In large mixing bown mix all the dry ingredients.

Add the wet ingredients; egg mixture first, then the yeast.

Mix on high speed for 4 minutes.

Spray 2 or 3 bread pans with cooking spray.

Pour dough into pans. Cover with plastic wrap (lightly) and let rise for 1 hour. Dough might stick to plastic wrap when rising. Spray bottom of plastic wrap with cooking spray.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake bread for 1 hour.

After 20 minutes of baking, lightly cover with tin foil to prevent the bread from getting too dark.

Let cool before cutting. Best when fresh or warm.

Recipe from 101 Incredible, Edible Gluten-Free Recipes for Kids

Oh my, this is good!  it is the first bread recipe that we have eaten all of it.  this was my third time baking it too in less than 2 weeks.  I need to make more loaves at a time :) 

I mill my own flour and have been using a mix between white and brown rice.  I usually use sweet rice too but last time I milled I didnt have any.  I also buy egg whites rather than wasting the extra yolks.  oh and I prefer to use lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar.  

I made french toast with this for dinner tonight.  Oh my, it was SOOO yummy!

Chicken Rolls

Photo from Madeline L.

This is a popular recipe that I have made on many occasions. I got the original recipe from a friend and since then have made my own version and I call them chicken rolls.

Ingredients:
1- 8oz can of crescent rolls
3- Chicken Breasts
1-8 oz package of cream cheese (softened)
1- small can of cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup
Chopped Onions (about 1/2 small onion)
Chopped Celery (about 2 stalk)
Shredded Bacon (cooked) or soft bacon bits
* You can add more or less onion, celery, and/or bacon depending on how much you like.
* Sometimes I will add a little bit of Cheddar cheese for a cheesier flavor

Your favorite Chicken Gravy for the top

Directions:

Cook your chicken (I usually boil them from fresh or frozen) and then cube.
In a bowl, beat soft cream cheese and soup together. Stir in chicken and remanding ingredients.
Spoon mixture into each crescent triangle and roll them up. Place on a greased baking sheet.
Bake in a pre-heated oven set @ 350 for about 30 minutes. Check for doneness. Serve with hot gravy on top.

Photo by Madeline L.

Broccoli Braid

Photos by Madeline L.

I was asked to announce the next challenge for this blog and that was the Bakery Challenge. This month celebrates National Baking Week and we invite every to join us as we bake some of our favorite dishes. This recipe, I've been making for years. It was adapted from the Pampered Chef but, I have made a few changes to it so now everyone calls it Angie's Broccoli Braid.

The dough is basically 2 cans of buttered cresent rolls that are rolled out onto your baking sheet or in this case a baking stone. Remember to grease the baking sheet (not the stone).

Mix Together:

3 Chicken Breasts (boiled and cubed)

1 cup of defrosted Broccoli (chopped)

1/4 cup or Sour Cream

1/4 Cup of Mayo

1/2 Green Pepper (chopped)

1 cup of Chedder and/or Jack cheese

Salt and Pepper as desired

Layout Mixture onto your rolled out dough. Slit equal strips on each side like shown.

(Don't slice too long or you won't have enough dough to support the bottom). Take each strip and cross over making a braid. (Try to remember not to form sections will a lot of dough or you will get doughy results) If you need to toss excess dough, it is better.

Brush an egg white (unbeaten) all over any exposed dough. This will make your pretty glazed look after baking (As you can see, I did not brush as much egg white so mine could have been better). 

Bake in a pre-heated oven set @ 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Perfect Pie Crust and Chicken Pot Pie

I've found it. The most PERFECT pie crust. hands down. ever. And its all thanks to Julia Child. It turns out she really is a culinary genius though the woman did NOT know the meaning of low fat or heart healthy (though, seriously, she lived to be 92....not bad for a woman who's every recipe contains 3 lbs of butter....ok a little exaggeration there, but still :)). The recipe is following, though I'm sorry to say there is no picture to encourage you to try it. The chicken pot pie it was used for (meant to serve 6 to 8) was eaten straight out of the oven by two apparently hungry missionaries, my husb and I, with not a scrap left. It truly was a thing of beauty, however...golden, flaky beyond your wildest dreams (who doesn't dream of pie crust) and so tender....did i mention completely delicious as well? With out further ado, here's the holy grail of pie crusts and the chicken pot pie filling as well, just for kicks.

Julia Child's Pie Crust from the Art of French Cooking Vol 1

2 c flour (scooped and leveled)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 sticks chilled butter cut into 1/2 inch bits

4 Tbsp chilled shortening

a scant 1/2 c iced water plus droplets as needed.

Mix together dry ingredients. Add fat and with your finger tips only (or a food processor if you are lucky enough to have one) quickly rub the flour and fat together until the fat is broken into pieces the size of oatmeal flakes. (Mine were a little larger. You mix it a little later so don't be too worried--the idea here is to do this quickly.)

Add the water and blend quickly with your fingers held together and slightly cupped to gather dough into a mass. Sprinkle up to 1 Tbsp more water droplets if needed to get any stragglers into the main body. Then press dough together firmly--it should just hold together and not be sticky. Then, on a lightly floured surface, place the dough ball and with the heel of one hand, rapidly press the dough away from you by two spoonful bits. The smear should be 6 inches or so. This finishes blending the fat and the flour.

Gather the dough together into a disk, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thick and 2 in larger then your pan. Follow baking directions for the dish you are making

If you need a baked crust, bake crust, weighted with pie weights, for 15 to 20 min in 400 degree oven.

Loni's Chicken Pot Pie Filling

4 Tbsp butter

1 small onion, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 celerys, chopped

1/3 c flour

4 c chicken broth (give or take)

1/2 c cream

1/2 tsp thyme

3 c chicken, diced (I usually use left-over rotisserie chicken but you can also just boil chicken breasts and chop them up!)

2 to 3 c vegetables, diced (I like to use 2 or so cups of Costco's Normandy Vegetable blend, heated for 3 or 4 minutes in the micro)

Cooked potatoes, diced (optional)

3/4 c peas

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

salt & pepper, to taste

Over medium-high heat melt butter and cook onion, carrot, and celery 10 min, moderating the heat so butter doesn't burn. Whisk in the flour, allow to cook for 1 min more. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, reduce heat to low and let cook 10 min or until desired consistency. Add cream and thyme and let cook a few minutes longer, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat.

In oval casserole dish put chicken, veggies, peas, parsley, and potatoes (if using). Pour sauce over all and stir. Place pie crust over casserole, letting the edges drape over the side. Pinch the pie crust around the edge of the casserole to seal. Cut three air holes in crust and brush on a wash of beaten egg.

Bake pot pie in 400 degree oven for 50-60 min. Be ready for some seriously delicious food!

Curry Chicken Pot Pie

I love to watch "Good Eats" with Alton Brown on the Food Network. One day he made this curry chicken pot pie that I just had to try. I think it's just really stinkin' good and perfect for this fall weather! Oh, and don't be scared off by the curry. It just adds a little hint of flavor.

You don't have to do this, but I enjoyed using cookie cutters to make shapes in the crust.

Ingredients
4 cups frozen vegetable mix, peas, carrots
1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 package puff pastry
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss frozen vegetables with canola oil and spread evenly onto a sheet pan. Place into oven and cook until golden brown.
In a saute pan heat 1 tablespoon of butter and sweat the onion and celery. In another saucepan, heat the broth and milk. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the celery mix and cook out the water. Add the flour and curry and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk mixture and cook until thickened. Add the parsley, salt and pepper. Toss the browned vegetables and the chicken. Pour into a shallow baking pan, or a large terra cotta pot base, lined with foil, and top with 6 to 8 circles of puff pastry. Place into the oven and cook until puff pastry has browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes

Baby Shower Brunch Casserole

This recipe is brought to you by my friend Jolisa. She impressed us all at the double baby shower she planned with me a couple of weeks ago for our friends. This was so delicious that I had to have seconds and the spiced sour cream literately topped it off. She is so creative!

Egg Casserole


Ingredients:
12 eggs
3/4 loaf of sourdough or French bread, cubed
2 1/2 c. shredded cheese
2 c. half and half (but heavy whipping cream is better!)
about 3 green onions
chopped pepper
1 lb bacon, crumbled


Directions:
Grease 9x13 pan, put cubed bread, bacon crumbles, green onion(leave some to decorate the top) and some pepper, and 2 cups of cheese on top of bread. In a medium bowl, combine the half and half and eggs and pour this mixture over the rest of the ingredients in the pan. Put some cheese and green onions on top for decoration and place in fridge overnight. Cook, covered with foil for 30 minutes, remove foil and cook another15, until you're sure the center is done.


*
Serve with sour cream with as much Tapitio (hot sauce) as you like mixed into it You can make substitutions, like grilled onions instead of green, ham instead of bacon, etc.

Thank you for this recipe Jolisa!