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ardysez

~ surrender to yourself

ardysez

Tag Archives: gluten free

living dangerously…

14 Wednesday Dec 2016

Posted by Ardys in Cook's Edit, Food

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

baking, biscuits, cookies, dairy free, gluten free, maplesyrup, oranges, refined sugar free

If ever you are feeling particularly murderous and audacious, but wanting to bake all at the same time, here is what you do.

  1. Take a perfectly nice recipe that calls for a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice.
  2. Substitute blood oranges (because that is what you have on hand) for the regular kind.
  3. Hand squeeze them with a citrus juicer. (Warning: murderous tendency may either be heightened or diminished by the visceral act of hand-squeezing blood oranges.)

    fullsizeoutput_38c0

    the blood and the orange

     

4. When you are nearly finished look down at what you are wearing.

If it is a pure white linen shirt …you are really living on the edge, so go for it. If the shirt looks like something from CSI, take it out and shred it and get some stress release. Better still, burn it. As we know, that leaves fewer clues. If you escaped without a drop on your shirt, as soon as you finish baking, go buy a lottery ticket.

fullsizeoutput_38be

the syrup over warm biscuits, don’t they look deceptively good? HA!

I was all set, in fact had already written this post to include the recipe, when horror of horrors, the resulting biscuits/cookies were no good! The taste was okay, but nothing to rave about, but the problem was they upset both my husband and my digestion! Now, I’m normally sensitive, so not so surprising for me. But my husband has an iron gut and can eat just about anything. The biscuits were gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free, a good start, one would think. But it just goes to show, anything can be problematic.

To be honest, I often have problems with refined sugar alternatives. Honey and maple syrup both have free fructose in them in sufficient quantities to upset me if I consume too much. And while I can usually get away with small amounts of citrus fruit, the juice is much more concentrated with fructans as well. I’m just guessing here, but I’ve necessarily become a pretty good detective. In the end, I had all my luck up front with this recipe, as you can see from my pristine white linen shirt. How did that happen???? No need for the lottery tickets, it was obvious my luck had run out when I ate one of the biscuits. They were a bit fussy to make, too, and while I was curious enough to try them, I have simpler recipes that I will share with you some time when I’ve recovered my composure.

Enjoy your day.

img_3480

white linen shirt, that escaped bloody oranges

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International Scone Week – August 2014

11 Monday Aug 2014

Posted by Ardys in Food

≈ 34 Comments

Tags

Food, gluten free, international scone week

gluten-free-scones

Gluten Free Currant Scones

This morning I read on Celia’s figjamandlimecordial blog that it is International Scone Week. Who knew? As it happened I was preparing my shopping list. I added a couple of things to it so that I could have a go at ‘playing’ the scone making game this week!

gluten-free-scone-dough

dough before kneading

round piece of dough, cut into 8 pieces, brushed with yolk/cream mixture

round piece of dough, cut into 8 pieces, brushed with yolk/cream mixture

Yummy piece of goodness!

Yummy piece of goodness!

The recipe I’m making available to you is one I’ve cobbled together from a couple of others… mmm, well, kinda, sorta… with a dash of creative modification of my own. I hate to brag, but I could have eaten the entire batch. Good thing it was small!

I’d been craving some kind of bread type food and this satisfied me perfectly, without having to eat gluten or sugar. I’d invite you over to taste them, but they may be gone by the time you get here! Have a great week!

–Ardys

Gluten Free Currant Scones

½ C almond meal

¼ C gluten free flour (Orgran)

¼ C coconut flour

1.5 T xylitol or sugar

1.5 tsp baking powder

½ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp sea salt

2 T cold, unsalted butter

1/3 C currants

2 tsp grated orange zest

1 egg yolk

½ C heavy cream

Preheat oven to 210 C (425 F). Place parchment paper onto a baking sheet.

Combine dry ingredients into a bowl and mix with a fork to blend well.

Chop butter into small pieces and add to dry ingredients. Rub into dry ingredients with tips of fingers until it resembles course bread crumbs.

Separate the yolk, add to a cup along with the cream and mix well with a fork to blend. Add all but a small amount of the cream mixture to the dry ingredients, saving a scant tablespoon of mixture to brush over the tops of the scones.

Mix the dough until it comes together as a ball, then turn onto bench top that has been dusted with GF flour. Knead just a few times until it is quite consolidated, then pat into about a 15-20mm (3/4 inch) thick, round shape. Place onto the baking sheet and make cuts right through so that there are 8 small, wedge shaped scones. Brush with the remaining egg and cream mixture.

Bake for 12-13 minutes. The scones will be fairly crumbly, but delicious, if eaten while warm. Or they will become slightly firmer as they cool. Also the sweetness develops a bit further as they cool. The inside is a very tender, soft texture with a nice outer crust.

 

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In My Kitchen – April 2014

31 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by Ardys in Alice Springs, Food

≈ 32 Comments

Tags

Alice Springs, Food, gluten free, grain free, home, photography

Look at how this last day of March began before my walk, and before writing this post…

Sunrise, 31 March

Sunrise, 31 March

Builder's dust

Builder’s dust on everything

For the last few weeks the activities at our house have focused around the laundry, not the kitchen. The laundry was the very last area to receive the makeover treatment, in the 15 years (almost to the day) since we moved into this house.  I had dreaded it, and it turns out, with good reason. No, not horrific, but painful enough, with the usual problems of having to ‘undo’ what was haphazardly done 26 years ago when the house was built. And wet-areas are always worse to renovate that other rooms.

Flour-less chocolate cake

Flour-less chocolate cake

The reno is done now, and as of wine-thirty on Friday (28th), we can get back to the fun stuff… eating and blogging! Friday being the last day for the builder/tiler/all-round-great-tradesman and fellow, I made Flour-less Chocolate Cake, for him, and the electrician who has a few updates to do in other rooms.

IMG_8979

Meatballs/spaghetti squash with Bleasdale Shiraz

Meatballs/spaghetti squash with Bleasdale Shiraz

I’ve had a craving for meatballs, so on Saturday while my husband played golf, I went into a meatball trance.  It was worth it. Please try these some time and don’t leave out the sultanas, they are the perfect balance for the chilli flakes and the sauce and you will be glad you didn’t (I hope). My husband is not really one for fruit in meat dishes, even in curries, which sometimes call for them, but he loves these meatballs.  And the sauce…. resist temptation to tinker with it, and remember it is the foil for the meatballs and it doesn’t taste like most normal sauces, in my experience. The meatballs are the star of this meal.

Spaghetti squash with butter, salt, pepper, lightly cooked yellow cherry tomatoes, broccoli and Parmesan

Spaghetti squash with butter, salt, pepper, lightly cooked yellow cherry tomatoes, broccoli and Parmesan

Shred the inside of the boiled spaghetti veg

Shred the inside of the boiled spaghetti veg

I am also having a love affair with spaghetti squash at the moment! Revealing though that may sound… spaghetti squash and I go waaay back. When I was a child in Ohio and my Mom made it, I was pretty unimpressed.  But now, being the gluten free, grain free consumer that I am, it is a little slice of heaven… a vehicle for butter and Parmesan, and a perfect base upon which to add other vegetables or meatballs (above). I have never seen it in Alice Springs previous to this autumn and believe me, at $10-$12 per vegetable, I imagine it is not a big seller.  But I get several meals from one and if you price good chocolate per kilo, it is much more expensive, so I am indulging.

IMG_8989On Sunday I made baked cheesecake (gluten free base) for a friend whose birthday is today, 31 March. According to him it is his favourite all time dessert. Who am I to argue??

Bodum, coffee grinder

Bodum, coffee grinder

When one is occupied with renovations, there are many tedious hours spent waiting for tradesmen. One day, when I was waiting for the plumber, and entertaining myself, I clicked the ‘buy’ button for this lovely coffee grinder. Oops!  If you want a small, but very robust grinder for home use, this is the one.  Love it.  It has taken my morning cuppa to a new level. Listen, smell that??

(As usual, In My Kitchen posts are part of the monthly hosting by Celia at figjamandlimecordial. Lots of interesting goings-on in kitchens around the world–go have a look!)

Okay, you have waited patiently, so here you are, the good, the bad and the recently renovated laundry photos.  Thanks for reading.

Temporarily repositioned washing machine-outside

Temporarily repositioned washing machine-outside

Laundry 'before'

Laundry ‘before’

Light fitting

New light fitting

Plumbing 'before'

Plumbing ‘before’

IMG_8997

plumbing/hot water heater 'after'

plumbing/hot water heater ‘after’

Laundry 'after'

Laundry ‘after’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Only 3 meals a day?

14 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by Ardys in Family, Food, Health

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

family, Food, gluten free, health

Winter food

Winter food

When you get old you eat less.  Or you should.  But if you love food, like we do, there just aren’t enough meals in the day.  So when our daughter visits, it is a wonderful excuse toward excess.  In the first 24 hours after she arrived I made Chili con Carne with corn bread, and buckwheat pancakes with fruit for breakfast the next morning. Carb overload, I know.  Eat small servings. No fun, but it helps.

Home cooked

Home cooked

When she is home I try to cook things that she requests, just like my Mother used to do for me.  But when it’s just us two old birds, we try to eat light, with the occasional, special meal thrown in just to show our arteries who’s boss.

I told Don years ago “I married you for better or worse, but not for lunch.” Old joke, I know, but so to the point.  Anyway, he knew exactly where he stood when he retired a few years ago.  I try to make sure there are plenty of options in the fridge or cupboard, but the rest is up to him… unless I’m feeling very benevolent or need something done in the garden 😉

Sicilian Apple Cake

Sicilian Apple Cake

Shall I leave you with another recipe?  The buckwheat pikelets/pancakes we had for breakfast are hard to beat, and for my dear readers who need to eat gluten free, that is how I usually make them.  Since I am a grumpy, and uncooperative, consumer of healthy things that sacrifice taste, you will find these do not.  Enjoy the recipe, sorry to rush… I need to toast some walnuts for the Sicilian apple cake and pop sweet potatoes into the oven for lunch then work on the meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner….  Have I mentioned there aren’t enough meals in the day??

IMG_4008Buckwheat Pikelets (pancakes)

yield: ~16, 3″ pikelets/pancakes

1 C Organic buckwheat flour

½ C plain gluten free flour or plain wheat flour

2 T caster sugar (regular sugar is fine, caster sugar is just superfine sugar)

3 tsp baking powder

1 ½ C buttermilk (the amount is approximate, you may need to add a small amount extra but the mixture should be like thick porridge)*

1 egg, slightly beaten

a pinch of salt

Stir together dry ingredients.  Add wet ones and stir to combine but don’t over mix.  Let sit for a few minutes and see if you need to add a bit more milk so the consistency is what you want, then preheat the pan to med-high heat with a small amount of oil for frying.

bubbles appear on top

bubbles appear on top

cook briefly on the second side

cook briefly on the second side

I use a non-stick pan so I don’t have to use much oil, but whatever you prefer will work.  Cook as you would any pikelets, when bubbles appear on top, they are ready to turn.   Cook less time on the second side than the first.

These are great leftover if you heat them slightly in the microwave or toaster.  If you want a more savoury version, cut the sugar back to 1 T.  You can add fruit, like blueberries or bananas to the batter of these, too, or use it as a topping.

*If you don’t have buttermilk you can substitute milk with the juice of a lemon for it, or you can mix half milk and half plain yogurt together also.  You may have to experiment with the amounts a little to get it right for your tastes.  If you can’t eat sugar experiment with whatever sweetener you can eat, they do best with a little sweetening in them.  Alternative milk (soy, almond etc) is okay but the texture of them will not be as nice so you may want to add a tablespoon of your favourite vegetable oil to the batter.

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