The GFCF Recipe Experience: Chocolate Pudding

Did you ever have one of those weeks where you had every intention of getting some things done, and then life intervened? Well, last week was one of those weeks. I had every intention of getting this posted up, then things just, literally, went up in smoke. While we are by all accounts having a mild wildfire season in the Northern Rockies, we have had just enough activity to keep me busy in support of the forests managing the wildfires. Not to mention dealing with the usual domestic issues, like a three year old who should be nicknamed F5 tornado the way she destroys things, and the occasional cranky, anal neighbor. All this made last week just a little bit chaotic and left little time to get things posted.

Yet all of that seems to make this post more appropriate, since when life intervenes like that, you need something to, well, take you away. Remember the commercial from the 1980s, where this woman is having the most chaotic day of her life and then, exasperated, she says "Calgon, take me away!" and she's instantly transformed into a decadent soaking bath away from all the chaos? Well, no bath here, but, in my opinion, something foodwise that could be just as decadent - chocolate pudding.

Growing up, the pudding I enjoyed came from the same place as most kids - Jello. And for my kids, we have bought the GFCF pudding made by Zen Soy, which my kids love but is quite expensive for what you get. As it turns out, though, pudding is really simple to make from scratch. The pudding I made is based on a recipe I found by Elise at Simply Recipes. As Elise shows in her post, this is a great recipe to make with the kids, provided you have enough spoons so they can all lick the bowl. And while we used soy milk in our recipe, I think this would be even better with almond milk.

The end result? Pure decadence for the most chaotic of days.

Chocolate pudding, take me away!





Chocolate Pudding
based on a recipe by Elise at Simply Recipes.

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp cornstarch
pinch of salt
2 cups CF milk (you may need to adjust this depending on the milk you use)
1 large egg
4 ounces CF semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whisk the sugar, cocoa powder, and cornstarch together in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in the milk, then bring the mixture to a boil. While whisking constantly, boil the mixture until thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a heatproof bowl, beat the egg lightly, then slowly add in the hot mixture, whisking constantly. Ass the chocolate chips, and whisk until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth.

Pour evenly into four 6 oz. ramekins or cups, and cover with wax paper if you do not want a skin on top. Place into the refrigerator and chill until cold, at least 2 - 3 hours.

NOTE: Since I have more than four mouths to feed, I ended up doubling this recipe without any problem.

The GFCF Recipe Experience - Chunky Chicken Fried Rice

Seems like it's leftovers week here at the GFCF Experience!

My kids LOVE rice. They are equally happy having it with some gravy made from slow roasted chicken drippings, as they had this past weekend, as they are with just a simple dollop of Earthbalance CF butter. So when we make rice, we usually make a lot.

We had a couple of cups of rice left over from the weekend and I decided to try something a little different. Between the package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts I found in the freezer, and a craving for Chinese, a recipe was born.

I based this recipe off of one I found at Cooks.com. Much like the Shepherd's Pie, the beauty of this recipe is both its simplicity and its versatility - you can put just about any combination of vegetables in here, or even use turkey breasts or ground turkey. And it was all ready in under 30 minutes!



Chunky Chicken Fried Rice
based on Rosemary's Chicken Fried Rice recipe found at Cooks.com

Ingredients

2 cups cooked white rice
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/2 cup GF flour
1 tbsp CF butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 - 2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp tamari or GF soy sauce

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil or butter in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat. Add the carrots and onions and saute until the onions just start to brown.

Meanwhile, place the flour in a gallon zippered bag. Add the chicken to the bag, seal the bag, and shake until the chicken in evenly covered with flour. Add the chicken to the carrots and onions and fry until golden brown. Remove the chicken mixture from the saucepan.

Place the saucepan back over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is heated through. Add the eggs to the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the eggs are cooked. Add enough tamari of GF soy sauce to give the rice mixture some color. Add back the chicken mixture, and stir to combine.

Serve and enjoy!

NOTE: If you choose to make the recipe with ground turkey instead of chicken, simply cook the turkey first, and add that to the sauteed carrots and onions, eliminating the dredging with flour.

The GFCF Recipe Experience: Shepherd's Pie

We eat a lot of ground turkey in our house, not only because it tastes good, but (at least in Missoula) it's cheaper than ground beef. The problem is that you can only eat turkey burgers so many ways. Time to get creative.

Credit my wife Valerie for this idea. Faced with about 2 lbs. of turkey burger leftovers, she suggested shepherd's pie. This is one of those recipes that's quick (ready in under 30 minutes)and versatile - you can easily add any vegetables you like.

We "cheated" and used instant mashed potatoes for the topping, but of course regular mashed potatoes will do. You can always use fresh ground turkey as well - just brown it before you do anything else.

And when my son compliments me on one of my best dinners ever - well, then I know I've done my job.






Shepherd's Pie


Ingredients

2 lbs. cooked ground turkey
5 - 6 cups mashed potatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 - 3 carrots, diced
1 1/2 cups cooked peas
2 Tbsp crushed rosemary
1/2 cup CF sour cream
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp arrowroot starch
salt and pepper to taste


Heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots, and saute until softened. Add the meat and peas and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and add the rosemary. Add the sour cream, wine, and 1/4 cup of water, and stir to combine.

Dissolve the arrowroot in the other 1/4 cup of water, and add to the sauce pan. Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce is thickened.

Spray a 9" x 13" casserole dish with cooking spray, and spread the contents of the sauce pan evenly in the dish. Evenly spread the mashed potatoes over the mixture.

Preheat the broiler. Place the casserole dish in the broiler about 6 - inches from the heat. Broil for 5 - 6 minutes or until the top is evenly browned. Remove from the broiler and garnish with some chopped parsley.

Adopt a GF Blogger: Kate from Gluten Free Gobsmacked

With Sea busy this summer with moving and welcoming Baby Yum, among other things, she asked for some help in hosting the Adopt a GF Blogger event. This month, Terri at Faking It Gluten Free Style was happy to volunteer. Thanks for helping out Terri!

For this edition of Adopt a GF Blogger, I chose a really good blog friend - Kate from Gluten Free Gobsmacked. Kate recently redesigned her blog, and her tagline reads "sharing everyday recipes from my gluten free kitchen with a side of life." And how appropriate that is! Kate recently became mom to her beautiful adopted daughter Zoe, and it's been wonderful to read about her joyful motherhood. While adjusting to life with Zoe has kept Kate out of the kitchen, they are finding their rhythm, as she says, and soon we will be treated to more of her wonderful recipes.

For this adoption, my intention was to let my kids, specifically Nicholas and Olivia, decide what to make. As we pored through Kate's recipes it was as you would expect between two rival siblings - one would like something, and the other would immediately say NO! But then we hit on a recipe perfect for summer, and one which that happily agreed with each other. Presenting...

Kate's Ice Cream Sandwiches!

What a great recipe! Very simple to make, though we did make one change. Several hours before we made the cookie sandwiches, we placed a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in the freezer. After a few hours, we let the ice cream soften up on the counter for 15 minutes, then scooped it onto the frozen baking sheet. The ice cream was soft enough so that we could use a butter knife and spread it into a 1/2 in. thick rectangle. We then put the baking sheet back in the freezer to harden the ice cream. When it came time to assemble the sandwiches, all we had to do was dip a pizza cutter in water and slice the ice cream to fit each cookie.

To me, the real advantage of this recipe is this: unlike store-bought sandwiches, which usually come in the big two (vanilla and chocolate), here you can actually use your favorite ice cream flavor. Our ice cream sandwiches are filled with Soy Delicious Mocha Fudge and Chocolate Peanut Butter flavors for a great GFCF treat.

Thanks for sharing such a great recipe Kate!

And I encourage you to visit Terri's blog after July 3rd for a delicious roundup of the latest Adopt a GF Blogger Event.

The GFCF Recipe Experience: Tyler Florence's Crispy Potato Pancakes

For my second Tyler Florence Fridays (TFF) submittal, I wanted to try something simple. And it really doesn't get much simpler than Tyler's Crispy Potato Pancakes. This is a dish that has some of my heritage behind it. In Poland, potato pancakes are known as Placki Kartoflane, and they are a staple of Polish and, in general, Eastern European cuisines. Plus for me, it's already a GFCF dish, so no substitutions!

You can find Tyler's original recipe by going to http://www.tylerflorence.com/ and searching the recipe finder on the main page under "Sides." The key, as Tyler points out, is to make sure you wring out as much water from the potatoes and onions as possible so the will fry up crispy. I only made one change to Tyler's recipe - I used crushed rosemary instead of chives. I was only going to make half the recipe, but my family liked them so much I made a full batch!

One of the great things about this dish is its versatility. There are many people that like to serve them with a dollop of sour cream (CF in our house, of course). In Tyler's case, he serves his as a side dish with applesauce. As for me - it was a perfect complement to oven fried chicken.

PLACKI KARTOFLANE (POTATO PANCAKES)
adapted from Tyler Florence


Ingredients

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled
2 medium onions
1 tbsp crushed rosemary
Kosher salt and pepper
2 large egg whites, slightly beaten
vegetable oil for frying



Preheat the oven to 200°. Line a cookie sheet with foil and place it in the oven.

Coarsely grate the potatoes and onions. Using a cheesecloth or tea towel, wring out as much water as you can from the potatoes and onions.

Place the potatoes and onions in a large mixing bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Add the rosemary and toss to combine. Add the egg whites as binder and mix thoroughly.

Place about 1/4" of oil in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat. Drop two tablespoons of the potato mixture into the pan, and flatten into a pancake about 4 inches in diameter. repeat the process for as many pancakes as you can fit into the pan.

Fry for about 3 - 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Immediately season with salt. After draining, place the pancakes in the oven to keep warm until all have been fried.

Serve with a dollop of CF sour cream, applesauce, or just plain!