Cardboard Cookies AKA Gluten Free Molasses Cookies

This recipe is an adaptation of an adaptation created by my mother-in-law Margaret St. Charles.
She apparently developed this recipe during a time when she was trying to reduce her intake of sodium and she omitted the baking powder.  The cookies turned out very firm....even hard.  Her husband, famous bow hunter Glenn St. Charles took them hunting and appreciated how they didn't fall apart or crumble and they made a perfect treat for the hunting trail.  Glenn started calling them "Cardboard Cookies" and the name stuck! Here is my gluten-free adaptation for these holiday favorites:

Wheat, Soy, Egg, and Refined Sugar Free Cardboard Cookies

(Cindy St Charles’ adaptation)

½ cup honey or agave nectar

½ cup oil (safflower or olive)

½ cup molasses

1 heaping teaspoon egg replacer  (or one egg, if you can eat eggs)

3 cups brown rice flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

This batter will be runnier than regular.  It may be necessary to drop by spoonfuls rather than rolling it out.

 Here is the Margaret St. Charles Version

Cardboard Cookies

 

½ cup sugar

½ cup Crisco (I use butter flavor)

½ cup molasses

1 egg

3 cups flour

Roll thin.  Cut with a pizza cutter.  Ungreased baking sheet.  375 degree oven.

Sauteed Kale with Caramelized Onions

I am not overly fond of kale, but this is one of the recipes I do enjoy. 

Kale Saute with Caramelized Onions

1 small (or one half large) onion, peeled and sliced.

1 - 2 tablespoons oil, maybe be olive oil or sunflower oil

1 clove garlic, diced

1 large bunch cleaned organic baby kale

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, as garnish (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

In a 4 quart or larger pot, caramelize the onion over medium high heat in the oil.  When the onions are nicely browned, add the garlic and stir until just softened.

Add kale, and stir fry, lifting the wilted kale from the bottom of the pan until kale is mainly all wilted.  Then, add about 1/4 cup water and continue stirring until the water is evaporated.  Add another 1/4 cup and when that has evaporated, the kale is ready to serve.  Sprinkle the top with sesame seed as a garnish, if desired.

Sweet Potato Muffins - Wheat, Soy, Dairy - Free Recipe

This muffin was made with a leftover baked sweet potato, but I have adapted the same recipe to carrots, applesauce, pumpkin or banana. 

Nana’s Muffins

Banana, Carrot, Sweet Potato, Applesauce, Pumpkin

½ cup oil (any)

½ cup brown rice syrup, honey, agave nectar, maple syrup or other natural sugar (apple or grape juice would also work, I think)

½  teaspoon powdered stevia ( Sweet Leaf is my preference)

2 eggs (or equivalent egg replacer)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup mashed fruit or vegetable of your choice (banana, carrot, applesauce, sweet potato, squash, pumpkin)

* I used a leftover baked sweet potato to make this batch of muffins.

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 teaspoon Garam Masala, cinnamon, ginger, your choice (or omit)

2 cups flour of your choice (my preference is 1 c. brown rice, ½ c. millet, and ½ c. tapioca starch)  May be all brown rice flour.

Spoon batter into greased or paper lined muffin tins.   Makes 12 muffins.

350 degrees   20 minutes or til firm

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole

2 orange yams

2 pale yellow sweet potatoes

1 small can pineapple juice or crushed pineapple (or use about 1 cup diced fresh pineapple)

1/3 cup safflower oil

1/3 cup whole pecans

Optional:

1/3 cup honey

Peel and slice yams and sweet potatoes and layer alternately into a casserole dish or shallow baking pan.  You may need more potatoes to fill your pan and if so, adjust other ingredients accordingly.

*I like to use both sweet potatoes and yams for the variety in color and texture, but either can be used alone. 

Pour over, the pineapple juice and safflower oil.  Add the honey if you want more sweetness – I used to include honey originally, but I currently do not add it.  Sprinkle pecans over the top.  Bake covered at 350 for an hour, stirring once for even cooking and flavor.  Uncover for the final 20 minutes to allow the liquid to evaporate and intensify the flavor. 

This is even better made a day ahead and reheated the next day.

Homemade Graham Crackers - Gluten, Soy, Dairy, Egg Free Recipe

I have been making this recipe for years and these graham crackers are a favorite with all my nieces and nephews as well as kids and grandkids.  They are not too sweet, have a nice crunch, and are addictive!  My recipe was adapted from The Gluten Free Gourmet by Bette Hagman.  Enjoy!

Graham Crackers

½ cup safflower oil

¼ cup honey or agave nectar

1 teaspoon Stevia powder (original recipe calls for 1 cup brown sugar)

1 teaspoon vanilla (I omit this because vanilla is a legume, but they are better with the vanilla)

2 cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca or corn starch

½ cup millet flour

(or just use 3 cups rice flour)

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 teaspoons baking powder

¼ ro ¾ cups water or apple juice (preferred)  (can use white grape juice, also)

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the oil, honey and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients.  Dough will be crumbly.  Gradually add water - 1 tablespoon at a time and beating well after each addition – until batter forms a firm ball.

Roll out half the dough on a rice floured smooth surface.  Dough should be about 1/8” thick.  Cut with a pizza or pastry wheel.  Bake on cookie sheets that have been greased or covered with parchment paper. 

Bake for about 12 minutes.  Check for doneness.  Baking time will vary according to thickness of crackers.  Remove crackers when they start to brown around the edges and feel firm.

These can also be cut with cookie cutters for the holidays - they make great "gingerbread boys"!

Crockpot Antelope Stew

 Joe shot four antelope this fall in a special hunt near Worland, Wyoming.  I am cooking a lot of different dishes with antelope, but this stew was a favorite!

Antelope Stew

1 lb antelope (or venison) stew meat

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 quarts water or more as needed

1/2 cup celery, coarsly chopped

5 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 parsnips, peeled and chopped

3 white potatoes, diced

Salt and pepper

Bay leaf

Thyme leaves

1/4 cup brown rice flour for thickening

 Chop one onion and saute in a frying pan in olive oil until carmelized.  Transfer onions to crock pot.

In the same pan, brown the stew meat in small portions.  Transfer the stew meat to the crock pot.  When all the meat is browned, add chopped celery to the frying pan with a small amount of olive oil.  Saute slightly, then transfer celery to the crock pot.  Add a small amount of water to the frying pan and scrape up all the brown bits, transferring them to the crock pot.  Sprinkle stew generously with salt, pepper and add a light dusting of thyme leaves over the top.  Add a bay leaf and water to cover, then set the crock pot on to cook all day.

Midway through cooking, add carrots, parsnips, and white potatoes to the crock pot.

At this point, thoroughly mix the flour with about 1/2 cup water, and add this mixture to the stew, stirring to distribute it throughout the broth.

By the end of the day, the stew meat will be tender and the vegetables will be cooked just right.

This dish could also be cooked on the stove top - if so, plan on taking about 4 hours simmering to get the meat thoroughly cooked  and add the vegetables during the last hour of cooking.

Gluten Free Pasta Salad with Tuna

 I make several different versions of this pasta salad.  My garden was overflowing with basil and oregano, so I was inspired to try making the dressing very simple with herbs, olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.  We think it compliments the tuna fish very nicely.  

A word about canned tuna.  Often "tuna in water" or "tuna in oil"  includes "vegetable broth" AKA soy added!  I avoid those brands because the soy is something I am highly sensitive to.  It is possible to find canned tuna that is free of added soy, but you have to be diligent about reading labels.

Pasta Tuna Salad

1 package rice pasta (Tinkyada is my preferred brand)

Cook pasta according to package directions.  During the last minute of cooking, add 3 sliced carrots and about 1 cup broccoli and/or cauliflower florets.  Drain and cool.

Dressing:

            Blend together the following ingredients in a food processor.

½ cup fresh herbs – parsley, cilantro, thyme, basil, oregano – whatever is available and suits your fancy  (1/3 cup each basil and oregano was used in this batch)

2 clove garlic (more as desired)

¼ grated sweet onion

Juice of 2 limes

½ cup olive oil

½ t salt

½ t black pepper

¼ cup olive oil

Add  the following ingredients to the cooled pasta / fresh vegetables:

4 cans tuna (drained)

Sliced celery – 3 or 4 stalks

1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

1 can black olives, drained and sliced

1 cup finely grated Romano cheese

Combine all ingredients and chill before serving to allow flavors to blend.