Special thanks to Lavonne for putting together this months handout! - Joy

RECIPES: ........ Apple Crisp........Stuffed Apples........Chicken Rice Soup......Vanilla Cookies....Egg Bread
PRODUCTS

Apple Crisp – This recipe from Special Diets for Special Kids 2 is a big favorite in our home, especially during apple season! The crisp topping could be used for other fruits too, and the sugar can be cut back if desired.

½ cup GF flour blend
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ cup CF margarine, cold (I have also used ghee)
2 cups Erewhon GF (not all are!) Crispy Brown Rice cereal
8 cups apples, peeled and sliced

Preheat oven to 375. Combine flour, xanthan gum, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut in margarine with a pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly and the margarine is evenly distributed.

Place apple slices in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle topping over fruit and bake for 35-40 minutes or until apples are tender.

Stuffed Apples – Here’s another way to use up all those apples this fall, and a great way to get picky kids to eat apples. If your child cannot tolerate apples, try using a firm pear.

1 apple (or pear)
Peanut (or other nut) butter
Raisins
Sunflower seeds
Toasted coconut

Core the fruit and stuff with nut butter. Top with as much of the other ingredients as you can fit in. The filling will keep the fruit from turning brown. (For a variation of this, try baking the apple in the oven until soft)

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Chicken Rice Soup – As cooler weather approaches, soup is always a great way to warm up. This easy recipe is also from Special Diets for Special Kids 2 and has been at the top of our soup list. If you have homemade chicken broth on hand, this soup is even more delicious, but a good GF canned broth will save time and energy.

1 cup cooked chicken, diced
3 ounces long grain white (or brown) rice, uncooked (I use about ½ cup)
1-2 carrots, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups GF chicken broth
½ tsp. dried parsley
Salt & pepper to taste

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large pot. Add all other ingredients except rice and return the soup to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the rice and stir. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender.

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Vanilla Cookies – This simple cookie recipe is from Special Diets for Special Kids 2 as well. I have also used this cookie to make “sandwich cookies” with either peanut (or other nut) butter or icing in the middle of two cookies.

1 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup shortening (Spectrum Palm Shortening)
2 eggs (EnerG egg replacer works well also)
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. GF Vanilla
3 cups GF flour mix (I vary the flours in this mix, but often use 2 parts brown rice flour, 2/3 parts potato starch, and 1/3 part tapioca starch)
2 tsp. xanthan gum
3 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. water (if necessary)

Preheat oven to 325. Cream together the sugars, shortening, eggs, vanilla and salt. Add flour, xanthan gum and baking powder. Beat until the dough comes together—if necessary add the water—and continue to mix until you can gather the dough into a ball. The dough should have the consistency of very fresh Play Doh.

Roll the dough into very small balls and flatten to a wafer with the bottom of a sugar-dipped glass or cookie stamp. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until cookies are golden brown.

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Egg Bread – This has been my most successful bread recipe so far! I found this recipe in the latest issue of Living Without magazine. I varied the flours according to the needs of my family and came up with a very soft and light textured bread which I find very comparable to the “real thing”! I have not yet tried this in a bread machine, but I imagine that would work as well.

3 cups GF flour blend (I used: 1 cup brown rice flour, ½ cup teff flour, ½ cup sorghum flour, 2/3 cup tapioca starch, 1/3 cup potato starch or arrowroot starch)
¼ cup milk powder of choice (I used Dari-Free)
1 tbsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. salt
2 packages instant dry yeast
3 eggs, room temperature (I have not tried egg replacer, but perhaps that would work too)
1 tsp. cider vinegar
¼ cup melted CF margarine or extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. honey or agave nectar
1 cup warm water

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9x4-inch bread pan and sprinkle with cornmeal or rice flour.

Mix flour blend, milk powder, xanthan gum, and salt in a mixing bowl until well blended. Using the beater/paddle, mix in the yeast.

Whisk eggs, vinegar, melted margarine, honey and warm water together. Pour wet ingredients into the dry, mixing on medium speed until everything is well blended. If the batter seems too dry, add more water, 1 tbsp. at a time. Beat on medium-high speed for 5 minutes.

Spoon the dough into the prepared pan only half full. Spray the top of the dough with baking spray. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the top. Spray a piece of plastic wrap and loosely cover the bread. Place in a warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes or until the dough reaches a ¼ inch from the top of the pan.

Place in preheated oven on the middle rack and bake 35-45 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.

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PRODUCTS:

Organ Gluten Free All Purpose Crumbs – Only ingredient is baked rice, and they are nice for breading meats, fish or veggies. Also can be used as a thickener in soups or casseroles. Add your own seasonings for a great taste.

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