Corn Bread and Bean Casserole

Check this out: I used this recipe for my inspiration, changed a few things in the corn bread section...and voila...gluten free!
Corn Bread and Bean Casserole


For the gluten free corn bread use:
2 c Maseca Flour
Generous 3 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
-Sift these together

Add 3 eggs
1 1/4 c Milk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
and creamed corn***

Mix well (i used my hands)

***I also made the creamed corn from scratch which was amazing!
1 c frozen corn
1/2 c milk

simmer til soft

add a few tbsp honey

simmer

add tapioca starch if too watery

YUM!


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Miracle Maseca

Maseca is a white corn flour. I was initially introduced to it through my Columbian friend as it is a staple in her cooking. Then another friend from South America somewhere uses it as well. It has turned out to be one of the most versatile amazing flours I've used yet. I have found it in the International Foods section at Superstore here in BC although I'm sure there are many other places that carry it.

I will post quite a few recipes that I have made using this flour. Some of them come from my Columbian friend and some are just self inspired.

The basic dough recipe is on the back of the back. Basically you put a desired amount of flour into a bowl, add a dash of salt and enough water to make it the consistency of playdough. I use my hands so that you can really make sure it is blended well and then, like playdough I shape it to how I want to use it. I have done Chips and Tortillas obviously, but some of the funner things I've done with it are Pitas, Corn Poppers, Corn Dogs, 'Beaver Tails', Pancakes, Corn Fritters, Pizza, Calzones, and I'm still in the experimental phase with this...it's so much fun. It really is like playing with playdough, like i'm back in kindergarten except not only is this dough edible...it's so yummy fantastic!!

1) Pitas

Shape the dough into a flat 4-6" pancake shape. Cook on a fry pan with a little oil until golden brown. Flip until the other side is golden brown. Remove from pan and let sit until cool to touch.

Insert knife along side of pancake and slit down the middle like a pita. Then you can fill the pita with anything. Examples include: Scrambled Eggs for breakfast, sauteed onions/peppers/chicken bits, taco fillings, peanut butter/banana, garlic butter/parmasan cheese.

2) Corn Poppers

This one was a hit with my daughter. Roll the dough into little 1/2" balls. Fry with a little oil until golden brown on all sides. Sprinkle with a little salt and serve with ketchup.
Alternatives to seasonings could be: Cinnamon and Sugar, Chili seasoning, Dip in Ranch, etc.

3) Corn Dogs

These are corn dogs...for real. Take a handful of dough and an uncooked *GLUTEN FREE* Hot dog. Take the dough and press it onto the hot dog until it is fully covered. Try not to make it too thick on the ends. Once dog is covered place in oiled fry pan and cook til golden brown on all sides. Let cool for a few minutes and serve with ketchup and mustard. Or...you could insert the stick and serve traditionally.

4) Beaver Tails

Anyone ever been to the carnival? Stampede? Toronto Zoo? Pretty much they serve a big peice of fry bread doused in cinnamon and sugar. This is the same thing.

I lay a piece of saran wrap on the counter. Then place a ball of dough on the wrap. Then I take a sandwich baggie and squish the dough flat until quite thin. (Don't open the baggie, use it so that the two pieces of plastic are rubbing against each other, this way the dough doesn't rip apart)

Once dough is thin, approximately as thick as a tortilla, put in oiled fry pan and cook until golden brown and crispy on the edges. Sometimes it gets dark brown...just don't let it burn. And before it cools sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top. This is a great dessert!! Serve with Ice Cream and you'll have a dessert worthy of a fancy restaurant.

5) Pancakes

Ok...so these aren't even comparable to real pancakes. Not the same texture nor the same taste. But it works. The reason I decided to try this was because we were camping and everyone else had pancakes and I didn't want to be left out. So I made my 'pitas' (see above) and instead of slitting them down the middle I just left them and topped them with whipped cream, syrup and fresh fruit. And it was quite tasty. It's a good alternative if you want something quick. It won't absorb the syrup like normal pancakes...so DON'T drown it!!

6) Corn Fritters

OOOOOhhhhhhh Corn Fritters. YUM!

Ok, so many of these recipes need some oil...and this one is definitely NOT exempt.
Oil your pan with a good layer of canola on the bottom. Once your dough is made add some sugar (you'll have to experiment until you find out how much you like) and add some corn. I used canned corn because it's all I had but i'm sure fresh would be great as would frozen. Mix up the dough with corn and sugar and place in the hot oil. Cook until golden brown. Then serve plain, with butter or with some syrup on top. Dont' eat too many or you'll feel sick...i speak from experience!!

7) Pizza

This was so easy and YUMMY!

Get a pizza pan and lightly oil. Use PAM if you'd like. press the dough into the pan (1/4" thick) and create a lip at the edge so that the sauce doesn't leak. Cook the pizza at 400F for about 10 min. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn. Once the crust is crispy at the edges remove from the stove. Put your sauce on and your toppings, put back in oven and cook until cheese is golden brown or until your desired 'doneness'. This pizza is like a thin crust, it will be a bit floppy but it sure tastes good..and you don't feel left out during a pizza party.

8) Calzone

This is similar to a pizza. Instead of using a pizza pan use a smaller single serving oven proof dish. Oil then Press the dough into the pan and up the sides of the dish. Add pizza sauce, toppings, cheese, whatever you'd like. Roll out a piece of dough like a tortilla and put on top and seal it like a pie. Put a few fork holes in it to release steam while it cooks. Brush it with olive oil and put in 400F oven for about 40 mins. Watch it until it gets golden brown. When it is done slip it out of the dish and serve. good with salad or by itself.

That's all I can think of for now, if I think of more things to do with Maseca flour I'll add it to this post.

Enjoy!!

I Can't Believe It's Not Lasagna Noodles-Lasagna

Here's one I've told alot of people about. It doesn't taste much different from regular lasagna. Just substitute the polenta straight across from regular lasagna noodles in ANY of your favorite lasagna recipes. The recipe I've posted is just a suggestion as I usually add whatever I find around the house at the time. Go for it! Be daring and original!! Add some extra sauce and cheese and VOILA! Yummy Gluten free Lasagna.
This suggestion courtesy of J.Rollins-

Ingredients:
1lb cooked ground beef
1 tube prepared polenta (in casing)
1-2 cans spaghetti sauce (to taste)
500g Mozzarella cheese (add other cheeses to taste)

Layer in a rectangular 9X13 pan. The polenta will absorb some of the sauce so it's good to be generous.
Top with extra cheese. Throw in the oven (about 350 deg) for an hour or until cheese is golden brown on top. (You might want to use an actual lasagna recipe...this is typical of how I cook...throwing caution to the wind...haha)

Bon Appetit

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake

I was lucky enough to have an awesome neighbor who used to surprise me with yummy gluten free treats...this was BY FAR the BEST cake I have tried since being diagnosed with Celiac's Disease! It's so good...even non-celiac's gobble this one up!
This recipe comes from Allrecipes.com: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=149550&servings=12

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free!)

"A very good high protein alternative to flourless chocolate cake. Give it a try!"

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed
and drained
4 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake pan.
2. Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth. If you have a powerful microwave, reduce the power to 50 percent.
3. Combine the beans and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the sugar and the baking powder, and pulse to blend. Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.
4. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Suggestion by myceliacs.blogspot.com: ****HINT**** If you have a VitaMix I suggest putting all the ingredients in the mixer, mix until smooth and spoon into the greased pan. You don't have to melt the chocolate first...the speed of the mixer chops them up so fine you don't have to worry about it!!! It works great!

Gluten Free Crepes

1c rice flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c milk


Combine sifted flour, sugar, and salt. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add enough milk to make a thin batter, usually the whole cup. Beat until smooth. Pour some batter into a lightly greased skillet and flip once top begins to bubble. Fill with fruit, whipped cream, syrup, chocolate syrup, cinnamon/sugar...whatever your little heart desires. My daughter loves to make peanut butter crepes...just plain ol peanut butter and wrap it up. YUM.

Bon Appetit

Amazing Chocolate Fudge Icing

You may ask why I'm posting a gluten free icing recipe...as most icings are already gluten free.
This recipe is AMAZING because you ice the cake while it's still hot. So, I know alot of gluten free cakes miss the moist fluffiness of a glutinous cake...voila...use this icing and your cake is nice and moist.

1 stick of butter
1/2 c. cocoa
1/3 c. milk
1 lb icing sugar
1 tbsp vanilla

Melt butter and cocoa, boil 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Spread while warm.

Bon Appetit

Pop Up Rice Muffins

In a bowl, beat together to blend 1 1/2 tsps butter, 1 large egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup rice flour, and 1/2 tsp salt. At once, fill 8 well buttered muffin cups equally with batter. Bake in a 375deg oven until popovers are well browned, about 35 minutes. Run a knife between pan and popovers and ease out of pan. Serve HOT.

The best thing about this recipe is it's versatility. They remind me of Yorkshire Puddings. So I often use these in place of yorkshire puddings during nice roast dinners. BUT because I like them so much, I've also used them for breakfast and put syrup or jam on them. Or cheese.
Really, whatever your imagination can come up with, these muffins are amazing.

Bon Appetit