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Moving…..

I am relocating!!  I am still under construction, but look for further posts at Pamper Me Gluten-Free!  All of the information listed here is also on the new site now.

Thank you so much!

Buttermilk-Herb Marinated Chicken Breast

I am into planning ahead when I can.  If I can get a day to prepare meals and freeze them, that would be my ultimate kitchen day!  This is a recipe that I came across some time ago, and I have adjusted it a little based on what I typically have in my spice cabinet.  This is something that can be mixed together, marinated and used that evening or you can freeze it for a later time.  You pick!  Either way, it’s a keeper.

Buttermilk-Herb Marinated Chicken Breast

1 Cup Buttermilk

1 TBSP Honey

1 TBSP Dijon Mustard

1 1/2 TBSP Italian Seasoning (I like Badia or Pampered Chef)

Mix together ingredients and pour over chicken in a ziplock freezer bag.  You can either marinate in the refrigerator for the day, turning half-way through, or you can place it in the freezer to use at a later date.  You can grill it or bake it.  I have done it both ways and was pleased with both results.  I usually bake it at 375 for 20-30 minutes, depending on thickness.  Serve with brown rice, salad, roasted potatoes, grilled veggies (OH!  I need to post my Honey-Garlic Marinated Grilled Eggplant!)…  will make for a wonderful dinner!

Wednesday Challenges

If you are in for a Gluten-Free challenge each month, check out the Gluten-Free Homemaker!  I missed out on the bread challenge, but up next is seasonal soup!

Peanutty Bars

Ok, so maybe I could have come up with a more creative name.  Maybe Protein Bar?  And these are not allergen-free, but they sure are gluten-free!  And super yummy.  I am on a mission to make gluten-free snacks to have in the house.  I tried making crackers and it was my first gluten-free, all-out failure.  They actually went into the trash can.  Most things, even if they don’t work for their intended purpose, can be repurposed.  Not the crackers.  They were a full-out bust!  These, on the other hand……

This recipe makes a lot of these little peanutty bars.  They are very rich, so I make my bars on the smaller side.   I hope you enjoy them!  And the best part?  No need to heat up the house this summer by turning on the oven!  They are a no-bake treat!

Peanutty (Protein) Bars

3/4 Cup Peanut Butter (Almond Butter would be a nice substitute)

3/4 Cup Honey

1 1/4-1 1/2 Mixed Nuts

1/4 Cup Chia Seeds

1 Cup Raisins (you can use any mixture of dried fruit you like)

4 Cups Gluten-Free Rice Check (I have used the regular and the honey)

Line a large cookie sheet with wax paper (or parchment paper) and set aside.

Put nuts, raisins and seeds in food processor and pulse until it is coarsely ground.

Mix peanut butter (or almond butter) with honey in a large pot or sauce pan over medium-low heat.  Once it starts to bubble, cook it, while stirring, for about a minute.  Watch it closely – it will scorch easily.

Remove from heat and mix in the nut mixture and the cereal.  You may want to crush the cereal a little before mixing, but you can also crush it during the mixing to break it up a bit.  Stir the until it is evenly coated with the peanut/honey mixture.

Pour the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet.  Place a piece of wax paper over the top and roll it out evenly.  Place the covered sheet in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.  Then remove the wax paper on top, cut into desired size and place in a wax paper-lined container.  I place wax paper between each layer to avoid them all sticking together.  Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.  Trust me, they won’t last long… I didn’t even get a chance to take a picture!  I’ll post from the next batch I make.

Allergen-Free Pancakes

We all have a soft spot for pancakes.  A memory of some kind that warms the heart.  Pancakes were always such a treat in our house growing up.  And my mom ALWAYS made them from scratch.  Actually, she made everything from scratch. Bread, cakes, pancakes, brownies, pie crusts….. Oh the pie crusts.  No one makes a pie crust like my mama.  Even following her recipe over the years (before going gluten-free) I could not get them to turn out like hers.  I cannot tell you how long it was before I knew that you could get a mix of any sort from the store.  However, we are talking pancakes.  See all those wonderful memories that surfaced while thinking about pancakes?  I really wanted pancakes one morning, so I set out to find a recipe and make them.

For those of you who know me, I cannot leave a recipe alone.  Kind of drives my husband crazy.  Usually because I have made something he really loves and after I make a few more adjustments, I can’t remember how I made it the first time.  Give me time!  I’ll figure out the original recipe again!   Oh well.  That’s a perk of living in my house.  You never know what you’re gonna get.  So I found a pancake recipe and made a few changes to make it a bit healthier.  Then I found out there was a sweet boy in our area who is allergic to about everything.  I thought, “there has to be a way of making great foods, every day foods, that this child can enjoy too… without sacrificing the flavor.”  Let’s face it.  Pancakes are kind of iconic in the eyes of a child.  They are easy to whip up, the kids can help, and you can top them with just about everything!  So I set out to make a recipe that was clear of all of his allergies.  They are not as fluffy as a regular wheat pancake, but my children (who don’t have any current allergies that we know of and eat wheat products regularly) eat them plain, without any butter or syrup on them.  I’d say it’s a keeper!

Allergen-Free Pancakes

1 Cup Sorghum Flour

1/2 Cup Tapioca Starch

1/4 Cup Buckwheat

1/4 Cup Teff Flour

1/4 Cup Sugar

1TBSP Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum

2 TBSP Ground Chia Seeds in 7-8 TBSP of water

1 3/4 Cups Almond Milk

1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil

1 tsp Pure Vanilla

3/4 1 TBSP Cinnamon

1/2  tsp nutmeg

Mix ground chia seeds and water and set aside.  They will become a thick gel.  Is a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Add wet ingredients and mix well.  Set aside while you heat pan or griddle.  If the consistency is too thick, add more almond milk.  The pancakes are naturally thicker than wheat pancakes,  so they will not bubble like you may be used to.  This is what mine do:

Give them a few minutes on each side, watching the bottoms.  Then top with your favorite toppings!  The pancake everyone can enjoy….

Gluten-Free, Multigrain Sandwich Bread

Hi everyone! Well, I have been hard at work creating the perfect recipe for a gluten-free, multigrain sandwich bread. Not an easy task! But it has been so much fun to play, experiment and EAT! Yes, you heard correctly. Eating these samples has been very enjoyable. Nice flavor, not like cardboard and the whole family loves it! I know I will tweak it just a bit more, but here is the recipe as is currently stands:

Gluten-Free Multigrain Sandwich Bread
3 Eggs (I have also used egg beaters) – room temp is best
3 1/2 Tbsp Canola oil
2/3 Cup Millet Flour
1/2 Cup Sorghum Flour
1/3 Cup Teff Flour *
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
1/2 Cup Potato Starch
1/2 Cup Tapioca Flour
2 1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
3/4 tsp Salt
1 3/4 tsp Unflavored Gelatin
2 1/2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 packet Dry Active Yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 Cup Almond Milk – warm, but not too hot
4 Tbsp Ground Chia Seeds **

* If you don’t have Teff Flour, just use 1 cup of the Millet Flour. I think the Teff adds a richer taste.

** You can use ground flax if you have that.  I have done it with both.

Whisk eggs and oil in a bowl and set aside.

Whisk all dry ingredients in a bowl (stand mixer) until well blended (except for the ground chia seeds). While mixer is on low, add egg/oil mixture and warm milk and mix until well blended. Scrape sides of bowl, then beat on medium-high for 3 1/2 – 4 minutes. Mix in ground chia seeds until well blended.

Pour dough into prepared bread pan (just spray it well with cooking spray, and I have used both an 8 1/2 and a 9 inch pan) and spread evenly with spatula. Cover loosely with a light towel (you can also pray plastic wrap and cover with that.  I did that in the pictures below for viewing purposes). Let rise is a warm, draft-free place for 30-35 minutes. Don’t let it proof too long or it will likely fall after baking. You won’t want it to proof and higher than an inch above the pan, so keep an eye on it.  While bread is rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place bread in preheated oven and bake for about 50 minutes, gently resting a piece of foil over it after the first 10 minutes.  This will keep it from getting too dark. Bread should sound hollow when tapped on the top.  I usually turn of the oven after 50 minutes and let it sit for a few minutes in the oven before pulling it out.

Pull bread out and let sit in the pan for a few minutes.  Then tip it out of the pan and let cool.  The bread should just come right out.

To store, cover well in aluminum foil.  I do it while it is still slightly warm. I then place the wrapped bread in a Ziplock bag. You can store it on the counter this way for a couple of days, but any longer and you will want to store it in the refrigerator or freezer. In my house, it doesn’t last long enough to freeze! We actually just leave it out on the counter in the foil/ziplock since it only lasts about 2-3 days tops!

Enjoy

Check out more bread recipes at The Gluten-Free  Homemaker!