Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

Almond Poppy Seed muffins are one of my favorites!  I've missed being able to eat the Costco muffins, so I decided to create one myself!  Wahoo!  These muffins are fluffy and delicious!

1 1/2 cups all purpose GF flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 375º.  Melt butter in a small cup or bowl.  In a medium bowl, combine flours, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds.  Mix.  In a small bowl, beat egg until slightly beaten.  Add egg, milk, sour cream, butter, vanilla and almond extract to the dry ingredients.  Mix until combined.  Bake for 14-17 minutes until it begins to brown on top, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Makes 12 muffins.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

These banana muffins are deliciously moist!  I think the blueberries add a delicious flavor, but they would be great without them too.

2 cups featherlight flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 375º.  Combine GF flour, xanthan gum, sugar, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl mix together mashed bananas, oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla.  Stir until well blended, then stir into dry ingredients until moistened.  Gently stir in blueberries.

Spoon batter into muffin cups that have been coated with cooking spray.  Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes 12 - 16 muffins.

Note:  You can substitute plain yogurt for applesauce

Brazilian Cheese Rolls

These cheese rolls are one of my all time favorites!  I was first introduced to them at Tucanos Brazilian Grill Restaurant.  I had no idea they were so simple to make!  I totally crave them!  They satisfy my bread cravings for sure!

2 cups tapioca starch
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 ounces)
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup olive oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375º.  Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.  Pour batter into greased mini muffin tin.  Bake until lightly golden, about 17 - 18 minutes.  Serve warm.  It makes 24 - 30 rolls.

San Fransisco BBQ Chicken Pizza

My husband and I went to San Fransisco to get away for a week!  We had such a great time!  It was so much fun to try new gluten free foods there!  One of my favorites was the BBQ Chicken Pizza at Patxi's Pizza!  It was so delicious!  I loved the sweet BBQ chicken combined with the smokey bacon and spicy jalapenos!  Unfortunately we don't have those restaurants in Utah so I had to try to recreate the pizza.  I was pretty excited when I took the first bite!  Yum!

BBQ Chicken pizza for me is either really good, or not good at all.  I realized while eating at Patxi's why the pizza seemed so much better than any I had before.  Bottom line - it was pizza, not just BBQ sauce and chicken on the crust.  Let me explain.  They put regular pizza sauce on the pizza!  Yup, that's the secret!  The chicken has BBQ sauce on it, but not the whole pizza.  You'll have to try it and let me know what you think!

Here is the order:
Crust
Pizza Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
BBQ Chicken
Bacon
Jalapeno peppers

Let me break it down:

Crust
Use my Yummy Gluten Free Pizza Crust.  You can also buy a Udi's frozen crust, or use your favorite gluten free recipe.

Pizza Sauce
This pizza sauce recipe is hands down the best I've ever tasted!  Remember, use regular pizza sauce, not BBQ sauce!

Mozzarella Cheese
Shredded

BBQ Chicken
Use whatever kind of chicken you like; breasts, chicken tenders, or thighs.  Cut about 1 lb into bite-sized pieces and cook in a saucepan over medium high heat with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.  Add your favorite BBQ Sauce.  My personal recommendation is Sweet Baby Ray's Original.  Mix in enough sauce to nicely coat the chicken, and heat through.

Bacon
Cook 1 lb of bacon.  Cool then break into pieces.

Jalapeno Peppers
My family likes things a little spicy, but not too hot.  I chose to cut the jalapeno down one side and take out the seeds.  This was perfect because you still had a little kick from the pepper, but it wasn't really hot.  Slice the pepper.

Cook the pizza as indicated on the crust recipe.
Enjoy!

Pear Almond Muffins

These muffins just might be my all time favorite!  They are moist and flavorful!  Yum!  They have a lot of ingredients, but don't let it fool you.  They are really quick to mix up!

2 medium pears, peeled, cored and cubed (about 1/2 inch)
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup featherlight flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup almond flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 375º.  Peel, core and cube pears and place in a microwave safe bowl.  Add lemon juice and the 2 teaspoons sugar.  Microwave on high for 4 minutes, until pears are very soft.  Smash the pears with a potato masher, but leave small chunks.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, add flours, sugar, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt.  Mix until combined.  In another bowl, beat eggs with a fork and add melted butter, milk, yogurt, vanilla and almond extract.  Add wet ingredients and pears to dry ingredients.  Stir until combined.

Fill greased, or paper-lined muffin cups about 3/4 full.  Bake at 375º for 16 - 17 minutes.  Makes about 18 muffins.

Zucchini Bread

I love this zucchini bread recipe.  It is an adaptation of a Lion House recipe.  It's moist and delicious!

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups shredded raw zucchini
3 cups featherlight flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Combine oil, applesauce, sugar, and eggs in large mixer bowl.  Beat well.  Blend in vanilla and zucchini.  Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.  Add to oil mixture and blend well.  Add nuts, and stir.

Pour batter into 2 loaf pans (8x4x3), well greased and lightly floured.  Bake at 350º for 50 - 55 minutes, or until loaves test done.  Let stand in pans for ten minutes, then turn out on racks to cool.

Zucchini Muffins

 My boys devoured these muffins!  They are quite tasty!  I grew up on these muffins. (Although that was with white flour and whole wheat flour.)  They were our favorite kind of muffin.  I decided to adapt the recipe and make them gluten free and yes they are still delicious!  Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups featherlight flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup grated zucchini
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Add beaten eggs, milk, zucchini and melted butter.  Mix all together until moistened.  Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.  Makes about 16 muffins.  Bake at 375º for 15-18 minutes.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

It's nice to change up pizza every once and a while.  For this recipe, use the Yummy Gluten Free Pizza Crust recipe.  Make sure your BBQ sauce is gluten free.

4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup onion, chopped

Cook chicken until mostly done, then add the BBQ sauce and onions.  Saute until onions are soft.

Spread the crust with another 1/2 cup BBQ sauce.

Top with:
     Chicken mixture
     1/2 - 1 cup sliced mushrooms
     1/2 of a green pepper, sliced
     1/2 of a red pepper, sliced
     1 tomato, diced

Top with 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350º for 12 - 15 minutes.

Banana Nut Bread

Yum!  This banana bread satisfies all my cravings!  This recipe is adapted from the Lion House Recipe book!  It is easily doubled.

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups featherlight flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350º.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and beat.  Add bananas, milk, and lemon juice.  Sift dry ingredients and add.  Add nuts.  Divide the batter into 2 well-greased loaf pans.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Corn Bread and Honey Butter

I love to serve warm corn bread and honey butter with Chili on a cold wintery day!  If you prefer a smaller amount, just half the recipe and use an 8 x 8 inch pan.

2 cups corn meal

2 cups featherlight flour

1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups milk

2/3 cup canola oil

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400º.  Spray 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Combine corn meal, flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.  Combine milk, oil and egg in small bowl; mix well.  Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until blended.  Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Serve warm.

Note:  Make sure the corn meal is gluten free.

Honey Butter

1/2 cup butter

1 tablespoon honey

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Whip the butter until it's fluffy.  Add the honey, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla.  Beat until smooth.

White Sandwich Bread

This bread is delicious!  It's a gluten free dream!  I love eating it hot out of the oven!  Yum!
This recipe is an adaptation from eatingglutenfree.com

3 cups GF flour

¼ cup sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1 ½ teaspoons salt

¼ cup dry powdered milk

1 ½ tablespoons yeast

1 ¾ cup warm water

¼ cup oil

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

3 eggs

Mix flour, sugar, xanthan gum, salt and powdered milk together in bowl of a stand mixer.  Dump the yeast on top of the dry ingredients, but don’t mix it in.  Combine water, oil, and vinegar in a separate bowl.  Pour on top of yeast, and let sit 3 minutes.  Mix together on low speed.  Add eggs.  Mix until combined, then beat on high speed for 5 minutes.

Grease 2 regular loaf pans with shortening.  Pour batter in pans, and let rise for about 20 minutes.  As bread is rising preheat oven to 375º.

Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto counter/cutting board.  (Yummy eaten when warm!)

Let cool completely, then slice and place in refrigerator or freezer.

Note:  When it's cool, I like to put it in a ziploc bag and leave it on the counter the day I bake it and the next day.  I love the taste.  If you keep it more than about 4 days, put it in the freezer.

Yummy Gluten Free Pizza Crust & Sauce

I really love this pizza crust recipe because it tastes great and it's really easy.
The pizza sauce recipe is the most incredible pizza sauce I've ever tasted!

2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2/3 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Add the yeast and brown sugar to the water, and stir to dissolve the yeast.  Set aside.  Measure all the dry ingredients and put in a medium size bowl. Add olive oil, vinegar, and yeast water.  Stir with a fork until a ball forms.  The dough will be soft.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until about double in size (20 minutes).  Stir down the dough.  Spread dough with hand until very thin, making sure you close up any tears or holes in the dough.  (You may want to flour your hand a little, using either featherlight or sweet rice flour.)

Spread with pizza sauce.  Place mozzarella cheese on top and and toppings of your choice.
Bake at 375º for 15 minutes.


Pizza Sauce

Put these ingredients in a blender and blend:

½ cup celery, sliced

½ cup green onion, chopped

1/3 cup green pepper, chopped

½ teaspoon garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves

¼ cup water

Put 1/4 cup of blended mixture in a large bowl.
Then add:

2 cups canned tomatoes, slightly blended

2 6 oz cans tomato paste

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Blend.  

Mix well.  


Note:  I usually double the 2nd half of the recipe.  I add 1/2 cup of the green blended mixture, and double the rest of the ingredients.  (I use a quart of my whole tomatoes, etc.)  It makes a huge batch.  I use what I need and freeze the rest for pizza another day).

Breadsticks

This has to be one of my all time favorite gluten free indulgences!  I LOVE these bread sticks!  When I'm feeling a little down on my diet this is what I make!  My son told me tonight as he was eating the bread sticks that I should open up a gluten free restaurant!  So sweet!  This recipe is adapted from eatingglutenfree.com


3 cups French Bread mix
1/3 cup dry milk powder
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt

4 egg whites
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 1/2 cups warm water


Mix flour mix, milk powder, yeast and salt in a medium bowl.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the wet ingredients.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Beat on high for 3 1/2 minutes.

Spoon dough into a Ziploc bag then cut the corner off to about a 1/2 inch diameter opening.  Spray 2 cookie sheets with Pam.  Squeeze dough onto the cookie sheet in 5 - 6 inch lines.  You will get about 44 - 46 six inch bread sticks.

Preheat oven to 400º.  Brush bread sticks with melted butter.  Sprinkle garlic powder and Parmesan cheese on top.  Let rise for 20 minutes in a warm place.

Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until golden brown.  Serve immediately.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Notes:
•  In this photo I did some bread sticks with fresh Parmesan and some with the inexpensive can of
      Parmesan cheese.  Both work well.
•  I use non-instant milk powder
•  I use saf - instant yeast.  It dissolves well.