Fluffy Gluten Free Bread

It is really a crapshoot when it comes to good, non-crumbly but light and  fluffy gluten free breads. This one was a hit with my bread knife and with my son! Nothing like a good piece of fresh toast with homemade blackberry jam!

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 TB yeast

2 TB sugar

1 cup sorghum flour*

1 cup brown rice flour*

1/2 cup potato starch

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/4 cup ground flax

1 TB xanthan gum

1/2 tsp salt

3 egg whites

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 TB butter, melted

* I had some Bob's Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal on hand that my boys weren't too fond of(texture wise) as breakfast food so I took that and stuck it in my vitamix and ground it into a flour and subbed it for the sorghum and rice flour....it was AWESOME!!! It is Buckwheat, Sorghum, Rice and Corn so it was a nice combo in the bread) If you have some of that I recommend giving it a try!

In a large bowl proof the yeast with the water and sugar until nice and foamy.

While the yeast is proofing whisk together the dry ingredients in another bowl

In a large measuring cup beat eggs with vinegar until nice and foamy.

When the yeast is ready add the dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time, beating well between additions.

When all the flour is incorporated add the egg whites and butter

 then beat on high for 3 minutes.
It will not be firm like "regular" dough! Don't add more flour!

Spoon into a greased loaf pan (I used a 10 x 5 loaf pan, anything smaller than that should be divided into 2 pans)

Shake it around a bit to form in to the pan.

Allow to rise in a warm draft free location for 30 minutes.

Bake at 400 for 45 minutes.

 Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.....see those pretty tomatoes, they are just ITCHING to be in a sandwich!!!

Pumpkin Sloppy Johnnies

It's PUMPKIN TIME!!! I love pumpkin and decided to get an early jump this year. I was looking for something to do with steak and I was leaning towards sliced steak sandwiches. I came across Rachel Ray's site and found "Sloppy Johnnies"
Sloppy Johnnies VS Sloppy Joes?? Sliced Steak instead of Ground Beef! Then I found an idea for Pumpkin Sloppy Joes , the recipe wasn't ideal but the idea was great....The pieces fell into place!


Steak:
1.5 lb steak
1 clove garlic
oregano
salt and pepper
olive oil

Pumpkin Sauce:
1 tsp olive oil
1 smallish onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup water
3 TB tomato paste
2 TB brown sugar
1 TB apple cider vinegar
1 TB mustard
1 TB chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Steak:
Chop the garlic clove fine and rub it over the steak on both sides. Sprinkle both sides with oregano, salt and pepper.
Drizzle it with a healthy dose of olive oil and let stand at room temp for 30 mins.







Grill or broil the steak for 4-6 minutes per side, until medium rare(you can cook shorter or longer if you like)

Let it rest for a few minutes, then slice it thin.









Pumpkin Sauce:
In a deep pan Heat oil over medium high heat, add onion garlic and bell pepper, cook until tender and fragrant.









 Add the remaining ingredients. Stir well and bring to a low boil.










Add sliced steak and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.









Scoop onto toasted rolls and I topped it with swiss cheese and threw it under the broiler to melt it up!

Beer and Bacon Cheese Stuffed Burgers

Not really a new recipe but *drools*....sooooooo tasty!!
I made the Beer and Bacon Cheese Dip and had a little left over.....my husband had the brilliant idea to put it inside a burger.......YUUUUUUM!!!!







Cold (must be cold, or its too runny)Beer and Bacon Cheese Dip
Ground Beef(amount depends on how many burgers you are making)
garlic powder
seasoning salt
black pepper
well  just any burger seasonings you like
1 TB water per lb of meat



Mix your ground beef and seasonings and water.
Divide into the amount of patties you need.
Divide each meat ball in half

Flatten half and make a small indentation, add 1 TB cold Beer and Bacon Cheese Dip to the center,









flatten the other half and carefully place it over the dip, seal edges.

Broil or grill to perfection!

Beer and Bacon Cheese Dip

I really hadn't expected this to turn out so well so I didn't take process pictures. It is DELICIOUS! I wanted a cheese dip that didn't have fake cheese so I started throwing things in the pot.







3-4 slices bacon, chopped fine
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup evaporated milk
12 oz beer ( I used Dick Danger Ale)
8 oz shredded cheese(I used a mix of pepper jack and cheddar, use your fave!)
8 oz brick of cream cheese
1 tsp worcestshire
garlic powder, red pepper flakes and salt to taste

minced jalapeno(optional)

In a deep pot cook the bacon over medium heat until cooked through. Add the flour milk and beer, whisk well.(no need to remove grease unless you want, it helps incorporate the flour, you need to whisk ALOT to remove those lumps!!)

Cook over medium until well thicken, add cheeses and stir until melted. Add Worcestershire and seasonings to taste.(and jalapeno if using)

Serve with soft pretzels or a good sour dough

Sweet N Sour Meatballs

My husband wanted sweet and sour meatball subs, many simple recipes call for chili sauce and grape jelly so I thought I would sub out what I had in the house........Just YUM!






Meatballs:

1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef
1/4 cup cornmeal(I used blue, you can use yellow or white if you like)
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 tsp oregano
2 TB pineapple juice(water is fine, add a dash of Worcestshire if you use water)
salt and pepper to taste


Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup blackberry jam
1/4 cup pineapple juice(lemon juice is fine if you have no pineapple)
2 TB brown sugar
1 TB apple cider vinegar
1 TB chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground mustard powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425

Mix the sauce ingredients and set aside

In a bowl mix all of the meatball ingredients, gently mix together(I like doing it by hand, it mixes better)

Place the meat mixture on a cutting board and press into a rectangle shape.

 Cut the rectangle into 20 evenly sized pieces and roll each into a ball











Place balls in a greased baking dish

 Top with sauce

 Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes until cooked through.

Excellent in a sandwich, over rice with veggies or just an appetizer!!

Apple Ale Pork Stew

Thunder and Lightening and rain pouring down. Sounds like a good night for stew!







2lbs boneless pork, sliced into bite sized chunks
2 TB olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1 large onion
3-4 good sized carrots, diced
2 medium apples,seeded and diced(peeled if you like)
3 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
2 cups green beans
1 cup corn
2 cloves garlic, minced
24oz  Redd's or Angry Orchard Apple Ale*
2 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 TB brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
* you can sub apple juice if you like


red pepper flakes to taste


In a large deep pan heat olive oil, add pork slices and salt and pepper








 cook until the outsides are all white.










In the slow cooker add the cooked meat and remaining ingredients,











Cook set to low for 6-8 hours, high for 4-6.


Serve with red peppers flakes to taste.

Tuna or Chicken Melt Pizza

I love making classics into pizza!!! This is good with either chicken salad or tuna salad, of if you don't want a pizza this is a fantastic basic tuna or chicken salad recipe.







1 pre-baked pizza crust, I used my GF Foccacia with 2 tsp caraway seeds added(and I only baked it half-way), you can use an actual rye bread crust like this one if you like.

Tuna or Chicken Salad Ingredients:
1lb tuna (Here is a great homemade recipe or you can use 3 cans, drained well)
OR
1 lb chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1/4 cup finely diced celery
1/3 cup mayo(plus or minus to your preference)
2 TB dijon mustard
2 TB chopped green onion
1 TB parsley
1 tsp dill
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cayenne
salt and pepper to taste

Remaining:
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used swiss and  mozzarella, you can use cheddar, pepper jack or ? all up to you)
1-2 TB Olive Oil
1 clove Minced Garlic
To taste:
Fresh tomato slices
Baby Spinach Leaves

Combine all the "Salad" ingredients.











Mix well and allow to mingle for 30 minutes













Preheat oven to 350
Brush your crust with olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic.









Layer Spinach Leaves to taste.











Spread your tuna / chicken salad over the pizza crust, arrange tomato slices,










top with cheese and bake 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and browned.









 I even broiled it for a few minutes, we like our cheese toasty.