Gluten Free Sour Cream Coffee Cake

When I first stopped eating gluten, I wondered how can I do this?  How can I not eat all of the foods that I love?  Then, I discovered that there is not reason not to eat the foods I love, I just have to reinvent them so that I can eat them.  This sour cream cake was literally the very first food I thought about never being able to eat again.  I'm not sure where my mom got the recipe, but she makes it, I make it, and both of my sisters make it.  In fact, my sister served it recently at my nephew's baptism.  It's present at many of our family functions, so I set out to find a way to make it so I could eat it, not just watch everyone in envy.

Gluten Free Sour Cream Coffee Cake

280 grams gluten free flour mix*
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten together
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

*See my Lemon Cake for my flour mixture, or use one of your own

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease and lightly dust a bundt pan with gluten free flour.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. 

Cream together butter, sugar and eggs.  Add vanilla extract and sour cream.  In half-cup increments, add the flour mixture, pausing between each addition to mix well. 

Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and 2 Tbsp of sugar.  Top with chopped pecans. 

Pour in the rest of the batter.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle powdered sugar on the cake before serving.

Rosemary Chicken Thighs with Cannellini Beans and Tomatoes

This is one of my quick weeknight go-to meals.  I use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, which crisp up nicely.  The cannellini beans work really well with tomatoes. 

Rosemary Chicken Thighs with Cannellini Beans and Tomatoes

2 sprigs rosemary, one chopped
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
4 Chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh ground pepper

Combine, in a sauce pot, 1 whole sprig of rosemary, the cannellini beans, and the tomatoes.  Simmer on medium-low heat while you prepare the chicken.



To prepare the chicken sprinkle both sides of each thigh with the chopped rosemary, salt and pepper.  Heat a pan over medium heat, add about a tablespoon of olive oil.  Once the oil is heated, add the chicken, skin side down. 

Cook chicken on skin side until it is crispy; Flip the chicken and continue cooking until it is cooked through. 

Serve skin-side up, on top of a large spoonful of the bean and tomato mixture (after you remove the rosemary sprig from the pot). 

Lemon Cake

This cake came from Gluten Free Girl and the Chef.  I swapped out some of the ingredients, though.  And, my flour mix is a little different.

I've tried several different flour recipes, and this one is the best I've made.  It leads to light and fluffy baked goods, that crumble like foods with gluten do.  Really, I don't even miss the gluten when I make foods with this mix. 

Gluten Free Flour Mix

1 1/4 cups white rice flour
3/4 cups sorghum flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 Tablespoon tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed.  Store in an airtight container.

Lemon Cake

280 grams flour mix
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
zest of 1 lemon
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375.  Grease the bottom and sides of springform pan with cooking spray.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In your stand mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Slowly add the beaten eggs while the mixer is running.  Continue to mix while you add the lemon zest, vanilla and lemon juice.

With your mixer running, add the flour and then the milk (alternating) in 1/4 cup increments, allowing the flour or milk to become fully incorporated before adding the next batch (you should begin and end with flour).  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix for 1-2 minutes;  the batter will be light and fluffy.

Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan, using a spatula to even out the top.  Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Allow the cake to cook before releasing it from the pan. Top with powdered sugar or whipped cream. 

Pork Tacos

My husband smoked a pork shoulder the other day.  Even after having friends over for dinner (and eating seconds and thirds) there was so much pulled pork leftover.  I decided to use the leftover pork to make some yummy tacos.

Pulled Pork Tacos
1/2 cup GF Chicken Stock
1/2 can Coke or other Cola (6 oz)
1/4 cup Orange Juice
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Smoked Chipotle Pepper
Pulled Pork
Corn Tortillas
Avocado, sliced
Sour Cream

Combine the chicken stock, Coke, orange juice, cumin and chipotle pepper in a saucepan over medium heat.  Simmer until reduced by about half.  Add pork, stirring to coat all pork in the sauce, and allowing meat to heat through.

Assemble tacos with pork, sour cream, and a couple slices of avocado. 

Gluten Free Bisquick Strawberry Shortcake

Summer time is not really summer time without fruit.  The strawberry shortcakes I make with Bisquick Gluten Free Mix from Betty Crocker are delicious.  The recipe is right on the back of the box, but I'll print it here too. 

GF Bisquick Strawberry Shortcakes
Serves 6 (according to the box, they're huge though, so I recommend making a half recipe for 6, or making 12)

1 quart Strawberries, hulled & sliced
1/2 cup Sugar
2 1/3 cups Bisquick Gluten Free mix
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cups milk
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp Gluten Free Vanilla
3/4 cup whipping cream, whipped

Mix strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar; reserve in the refrigerator, covered.

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease cookie sheet (I use a Silpat).

In a medium bowl combine Bisquick with remaining 1/4 cup sugar.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 forks.  Stir in milk, eggs and vanilla.  Drop by (6 or 12) spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.  Cool, split shortcakes with serrated knife.  Serve with prepared strawberries and whipped cream.

French Fries

I love french fries.  I mean, I really love french fries.  After I stopped eating gluten, I discovered that I often cannot eat fries in restaurants.  If they are not fried in a dedicated fryer then they can be contaminated with gluten from other foods that may be fried in the same fryer.  I could not imagine not eating french fries again, so I tried making my own.  It's super easy, they're always hot and fresh (essential to a good fry), and since I make them in my own kitchen, I know they're safe to eat. 

The key to a really good fry, with a soft inside but crispy outside, is to fry them twice.  They can sit for up to two hours after the first fry, but should be eaten immediately (when they're hot!) after the second fry. 

French Fries
Serves 2

1 Baking potato, cut into strips of your desired size (keep them the same thickness, though), peeled if you wish
Peanut Oil
Salt

After cutting the potatoes, soak them in a bowl filled with cold water, 20-30 minutes.  Drain, and pat dry.

Heat peanut oil in your fryer (if you don't have a fryer, use a large pot) to 350 degrees.  Place the potatoes in the oil in small batches.  Allow to fry for 5-7 minutes; the fries will be slightly golden, and limp.  Place them on a plate with a paper towel on them to soak up the grease.  Repeat with remaining potatoes.  After all the potatoes have been fried once, increase the heat to 375 degrees. 

Fry the potatoes a second time at the increased heat, again in small batches, for 2-3 minutes.  They should be golden brown and crisp.  Remove to a clean paper towel covered plate.  Salt as desired.