tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388902412024-03-08T05:23:36.768-07:00Lauralea CooksFavourite family recipes, Diabetic and Kid friendly recipes... all the ingredients for a fine medley of cooking inspiration and fun.Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.comBlogger156125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-13639165327810344712018-03-08T19:36:00.000-07:002018-03-23T14:54:18.071-06:00Quarter Cup Muffins<i>Oatmeal muffins reinvented, using one bowl and two measuring utensils. There are a lot of things you can personalize about these low fat, low sugar muffins. Change up the sweetener or the nuts, add a small apple, finely chopped, or leave out the cinnamon or raisins. Basically, a very nice, hearty muffin that makes a lovely breakfast or snack. If you don't have parchment liners, you might want to either use oil instead of apple sauce, or grease the muffin tins instead of using paper. (the muffins will stick to regular paper liners because they don't have any oil in them.)</i><br />
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1/4 cup sweetener (xylitol, Splenda, white or brown sugar, Stevia)</div>
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1/4 cup all purpose Gluten Free flour blend</div>
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1/4 cup almond flour</div>
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3 x 1/4 cup quick oats</div>
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1/4 cup coarsely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are nice)<br />
1/4 raisins</div>
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1/2 teaspoon salt</div>
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1/2 teaspoon baking soda</div>
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2 x 1/2 teaspoon baking powder</div>
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2 x 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon</div>
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3 x 1/4 cup milk (I use dairy free almond milk)</div>
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1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce (or vegetable/ Canola oil)</div>
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1 egg</div>
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1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar</div>
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Measure ingredients into a medium sized bowl in order given, then mix very well. Actually, mix the heck out of it, then let it stand for 1/2 hour to give the flours time to soak up the liquid and thicken up, while the oven preheats to 350* F. </div>
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Using parchment muffin papers, line 9 muffin cups, then divide the batter between them. Bake for 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned, and the top bounces back when pressed, and when a toothpick inserted into the middle of one comes out clean.</div>
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Cool completely before storing in an airtight bag or container. Can be frozen or stored in the fridge to last longer.</div>
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I like these eaten with Becel Vegan margarine and honey or marmalade, or with slices of goat cheddar.</div>
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Makes 9 medium sized muffins.</div>
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Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-68705671957993793782017-12-19T19:28:00.002-07:002017-12-19T19:35:23.866-07:00Agave Holiday Cookies<i>It's holiday time, and with Christmas just around the corner, the baking has begun. We have several ingredient issues in our family; This Sister can't eat sugar, That Son can't eat dairy, This Blogger can't eat gluten, soy, or dairy, and it wouldn't hurt her to avoid sugar as well. SO, when my friend asked if I had a sugar free sugar cookie recipe that she could make with her grandkids, I was more than motivated to see what I could find. </i><br />
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<i>I scoured all my allergy-friendly cookbooks before turning to my new <b>Almond Flour</b> (by<u> Beverly Lynn Bennett</u>) cookbook. With some tweaking, Cut-Out Sugar Cookies has become "Agave Holiday Cookies". They are good plain, with frosting, with a dusting of sugar sprinkles (that and frosting kind of defeat the purpose... but...) and with a candy cane window. They roll out well, and bake up nicely. If you, or someone you love, has dietary issues, I'd encourage you to try these cut-out cookies. </i><br />
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2 cups almond flour<br />
1/2 cup coconut flour<br />
1/2 cup arrowroot starch<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 cup Becel Vegan margarine<br />
1/2 cup agave nectar<br />
1 Tbsp vanilla extract<br />
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Whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot starch and salt. With a silicone spatula, mix in margarine, agave nectar and vanilla. Mix well. When all ingredients are well combined, divide into 2 parts and wrap each with plastic wrap. Refrigerate about an hour to chill.<br />
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Meanwhile, cover your cutting board over with plastic wrap and preheat the oven to 325*F. When dough is chilled, place half at a time on wrapped cutting board, cover with a second large piece of plastic wrap and roll between the plastic with a rolling pin to 1/4-1/2 inch thickness. Make shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet with a flat silicone lifter. Decorate with coloured sprinkles, raisins or nuts if desired.<br />
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Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on thickness, until light golden brown. Let stand on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before removing to wire cooling rack to finish cooling.<br />
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* To make candy cane windows, cut a smaller shape in the centre of a large cut-out cookie. Fill the smaller shape with crushed candy canes or crushed clear, coloured hard candy. Fill the window generously as the candy shrinks when melted. Bake as directed above.<br />
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Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-16004055424895311302016-12-06T11:54:00.000-07:002016-12-06T11:54:25.338-07:00Coconut Cookies<i>My Mom made some (apparently) really good coconut cookies that I was supposed to get the recipe for. When I went to try making them, I decided to go for a gluten-dairy-free version to see if He-Who-Requested-The-Cookies would notice. They turned out pretty good, but not as good, of course, as the wheat flour/buttery biscuits. The second time around I tried a few things, and came up with a much better cookie than my first attempt. It's a flaky, rich biscuit with big coconut flavour, and no dairy, no gluten. I'm interested in trying them with agave nectar instead of sugar... I'll let you know how that goes if I get around to it. These are seriously nice cookies. All the taste testers agree that you'd never know they were allergy friendly. If you don't have xanthan gum (or guar gum)on hand, I'd try without it. I feel like they might hold together just fine without the added gum. </i><div>
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1 cup coconut oil, unmelted; chipped and packed into measuring cup</div>
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1 cup granulated sugar</div>
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1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar</div>
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1 egg</div>
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1 tsp vanilla</div>
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1/2 tsp salt</div>
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1 tsp baking powder</div>
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1/2 tsp xanthan gum</div>
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1/2 tsp baking soda</div>
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1/2 cup coconut flour</div>
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1 cup coconut</div>
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1 cup oatmeal</div>
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Mix coconut oil together with sugars, egg and vanilla until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until mixture holds together. It should be a little sticky, but not too sticky, and not too stiff. (*if it feels too sticky, and if a test cookie doesn't hold it's shape/spreads way out, add a little more oatmeal and coconut flour- equal amounts, a Tbsp at a time.) </div>
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Make 1 Tbsp balls of dough, and space them out on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. To be allergy-safe, I use parchment paper. Flatten cookie balls with a fork, and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar. Bake at 350*F for 10 minutes. Let rest on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in a sealed bag or container.</div>
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Made 3.5 dozen cookies. </div>
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Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-61604345113883329122016-03-27T20:26:00.000-06:002016-03-27T20:26:10.235-06:00Hot Cross Muffins<i>A delicious take on Easter's Hot Cross Buns that's adapted from the<u> Company's Coming Mostly Muffins </u>cookbook. If you love hot cross buns but don't have the time or inclination to bake them, you should check out the Mostly Muffins cookbook and bake up a batch of <u> Spiced Fruit Muffins</u>. If you can't tolerate gluten or dairy, give this adapted recipe a try. If you like hot cross buns you will like these muffins. If you've been missing the joy of hot cross buns because of food intolerance, I promise you will LOVE these muffins. </i><br />
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1 1/3 cups gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend<br />
1/3 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 Tbsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp xanthan gum<br />
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/8 tsp each nutmeg, allspice and ground cloves<br />
1 large egg<br />
1 cup non-dairy milk<br />
1/3 cup canola oil<br />
1/2 cup dark raisins or currants<br />
1/2 cup chopped mixed glazed fruit<br />
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Measure all dry ingredients into a medium/large bowl. Stir together with a wire whisk. Add egg, milk and oil. Whisk together vigorously for several minutes until very well incorporated and smooth. Stir in raisins and glazed fruit. Let stand for 1/2 hour.<br />
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Heat oven to 350*F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Divide batter between lined cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tops are browned and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Let stand a few minutes then move to wire rack to cool completely before adding icing crosses.<br />
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<b>ICING</b><br />
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Mix 1/2 cup icing sugar, 2 tsp non-dairy milk and 1/8 tsp vanilla together to make a smooth paste. Spoon it into a small freezer bag; snip a small hole in one corner and squeeze icing to/through the hole to pipe crosses onto the cooled muffins.<br />
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Makes 10-12 muffins.<br />
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<br />Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-33191141618619548292016-03-18T22:32:00.000-06:002016-03-18T22:32:30.074-06:00Toasted Walnut Cake<i>Apparently I'm not done with my Company's Coming "Baking: Simple to Sensational" cookbook. I've been using it to adapt recipes for gluten and dairy free desserts lately. This Toasted Walnut Cake turned out beautifully! I might add raisins to it next time, since my Other Half doesn't like walnuts and didn't help me eat this. I did a half batch of the original recipe and used my bundt pan for baking. I used the full glaze recipe, but I'll convert it here. (feel free to double the glaze recipe here.) I did find the glaze a bit thick, so I added hot water to make it a little more runny. I think it would work in an 8 or 9 inch square pan; you might have to bake it a little longer, but it should work. Just drizzle the glaze all over the top. Enjoy!</i><br />
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1 cup all-purpose gluten free flour blend<br />
1/2 tsp xanthan gum<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />
1/2 cup packed brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup non-dairy milk<br />
1/3 cup Canola oil<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla<br />
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted*<br />
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<b><u>Maple Glaze</u></b><br />
1/2 cup icing sugar<br />
1 tsp Becel Vegan margarine<br />
1/4 tsp vanilla<br />
1/8 cup maple (or maple flavoured) syrup<br />
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1-2 Tbsp chopped walnuts, toasted<br />
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In medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt and sugars. Add milk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Whisk together really well, until thoroughly blended and your arm starts to get a little tired. Stir in walnuts. Let stand for 30 minutes.<br />
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While batter is standing, grease a bundt or small angel food tube pan and preheat the oven to 350*F.<br />
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After 30 minutes, spread batter evenly in pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let stand in pan on wire until the pan is cool, then gently ease cake out of pan onto wire rack to continue to cool.<br />
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Mix up all glaze ingredients together until smooth. (If too thick, add a little hot water. ) Drizzle glaze over top of cake, allowing some to drip down sides. Immediately sprinkle with second amount of walnuts. Let stand until glaze is set.<br />
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*You can toast the walnuts in the oven, spread evenly in ungreased shallow pan at 350*F for 5-10 minutes, stirring or shaking often, until lightly browned and fragrant, OR you can toast them on the stove in a skillet/frying pan or saucepan, likewise stirring and/or shaking them. Toast all 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp together, reserving out the smaller amount for garnish.<br />
<br />Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-8788251858100343432016-03-18T21:56:00.000-06:002018-03-08T19:37:11.159-07:00The "Minus 1/3" Gluten Free Baking Solution, or "The 30% Solution"I've discovered a four-part trick to easily convert regular muffin, quick bread and cake recipes:<br />
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1. Remove 1/3 of the required amount of regular all-purpose flour and substitute an all-purpose gluten free flour blend.<br />
2. Add 1/4-1/2 tsp xanthan gum, if it's not already in your flour blend (I generally do 1/2 tsp per cup of flour)<br />
3. Beat the batter to death (opposite of normal quick breads and muffins)<br />
4. Let the batter stand for 30 minutes before filling muffin tins/cake pans<br />
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Mixing the batter up and letting it stand for half an hour allows the gluten free flours to absorb the liquid. As the flours are absorbing the liquid, the batter gets thicker, so it makes sense to reduce the amount of flour used. I've had success with this formula for numerous muffin recipes, for banana bread, pancakes and waffles. Also a chiffon cake, surprisingly. The baked food is noticeably less "dry/ grainy" than previously, and it doesn't dry out as quickly- lasting several days longer than usual.<br />
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<a href="http://www.lauraleacooks.com/2008/01/basic-pancakes.html">These <b>pancakes</b></a><u><b> </b></u>worked, these<u><b> <a href="http://www.lauraleacooks.com/2008/01/basic-pancakes.html">Cranberry Orange Muffins</a>,</b></u> (using 2/3 cup + 1/4 cup GF flour blend) and <u><b><a href="http://www.lauraleacooks.com/2007/03/chocolate-chip-or-berry-muffins.html">Blueberry or Chocolate Chip Muffins</a>,</b></u> (2/3 cup GF flour).<br />
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The secret seems to be reducing the flour, really beating the batter and then letting it rest for half an hour.Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-64979505359150749512015-06-13T19:14:00.000-06:002016-03-18T22:47:44.621-06:00Gluten and Dairy Free Baking Powder Biscuits<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I just tried Baking Powder Biscuits using<b><a href="http://www.lauraleacooks.com/2016/03/the-minus-13-gluten-free-baking-solution.html"> this formula</a></b>. Success! They didn't brown very well, but they had a good biscuit texture, didn't taste at all "grainy/dusty" and were delicious with the hamburger soup I made for supper. </span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">1 1/3 cups Gluten Free flour blend</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">4 tsp baking powder</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">1/2 tsp salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">1/2 tsp xanthan gum</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">1 cup almond milk</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">1/4 cup Canola oil*</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Measure flour blend, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum into a medium sized bowl. Whisk together until well blended. Add milk and oil. Beat with a whisk or rubber tipped spatula until very smooth and dry ingredients are well incorporated. Batter will seem too runny, but let it stand for 30 minutes, and the flours will absorb the liquid, making it thicker. Set the oven to 350* F. After a 30 minute rest, drop batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet into 9 mounds. Smooth and shape the batter mounds (with a spoon or fingers dipped in cold water) and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the tops are firm and slightly browned. The biscuits didn't get as golden brown as traditional/wheat flour biscuits, but they had a good texture and tasted quite delicious.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><i>To turn these into "scones", add 1/4-1/3 cup sugar to the dry ingredients, brush the tops of the biscuit rounds with almond milk and sprinkle with sugar. The dough can also be formed into one large round, brushed with almond milk, sprinkled with sugar and scored with a knife into 6-8 pie shaped wedges to create more traditional scones. </i></span><br />
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*I've also used Becel Vegan Margarine with good results. Biscuits were pretty much the same with the vegan margarine as they were with the oil, so I've been using oil as it's less expensive than the margarine, choosing to save the margarine for eating on the biscuits. Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-75479024499942793402015-04-12T16:32:00.003-06:002016-04-04T14:57:18.868-06:00Gluten, Diary, Soy Free Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Icing<i>This is the Banana Cake recipe from the Purity Cook Book- mine is a lovely copy I found at a second hand bookstore a few years back. I've employed the <b><a href="http://www.lauraleacooks.com/2016/03/the-minus-13-gluten-free-baking-solution.html">"normal recipe minus 1/3 of the flour" </a></b>technique, increased the amount of mashed banana so the oil and sugar can be reduced a bit, and discovered the glories of <b><a href="http://us.daiyafoods.com/">Daiya non-dairy cheese!</a> </b>It's a delicious cake and it keeps well in the fridge for about a week. No one will know it's gluten and dairy free. Enjoy!</i><br />
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<u><b>Dry Ingredients:</b></u><br />
1 1/3 cups gluten-free flour blend<br />
1 1/4 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp xanthan gum<br />
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<u><b>Wet Ingredients:</b></u><br />
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas<br />
1/3 cup oil<br />
2/3 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 well beaten eggs<br />
1/4 cup non-dairy milk soured with 1 tsp vinegar/cider vinegar <br />
1/2 tsp vanilla<br />
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Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk/beat together the wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry, and beat together until completely incorporated and very well mixed. Let stand for 30 minutes, (batter may seem runny, but as it stands the flours will absorb the liquid and it will get thicker).<br />
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Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350*F and lightly grease or line with parchment paper, one 9" square pan or two 8"round layer pans. (I found the 9" square pan made a very high cake. I preferred the height I got using a 9 x 13" baking pan.). <br />
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After 30 minutes, pour/divide batter into pan(s). Bake for 50-55 minutes for a square/rectangle cake, 30-35 minutes for a layer cake. Test for doneness with a toothpick inserted in the middle. Cake is done when the toothpick comes out clean, cake bounces back when lightly touched and is nicely browned.<br />
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Let cool completely before removing from pans and frosting.<br />
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<u><b>Faux Cream Cheese Frosting:</b></u><br />
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3 oz (which is 125g/@1/2 cup) <b><a href="http://us.daiyafoods.com/">Daiya Plain Cream Cheese Style Spread</a></b><br />
1/4 cup <b><a href="http://www.becel.ca/en/">Becel Vegan Margarine</a></b> (or other non-dairy butter-like spread)<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla<br />
2 cups icing sugar<br />
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Beat together until smooth, creamy and of spreadable consistency. Spread evenly over cake, or between layers and on top. Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-29784134257784202972013-08-21T16:45:00.000-06:002015-06-14T18:06:09.904-06:00Gluten-Dairy-Soy Free Raisin Bran Muffins<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">This is a recipe that I've adapted from <b><a href="http://www.lauraleacooks.com/2007/03/bran-muffins.html">my adaptation of the Company's Coming Muffins and More</a> </b>cookbook. These muffins have been a favourite, and I've missed them since going gluten and dairy free. They freeze well, and mix up quickly, and since they work for the new diet- I've been in heaven again. My FAVOURITE thing is coffee or tea and a raisin bran muffin with Becel Vegan Margarine and honey. <b>This has become my "go-to" bring along muffin for travelling. </b>A double batch makes 18 muffins that really travel well. I bring them in a freezer-type storage bag and borrow fridge space along the way. With peanut butter, (I bring Kraft Extra-Smooth or a natural PB- the only ones I've found without soy oil) one of these muffins is a good breakfast when the hotel is serving up a "continental". Also a good lunch option, snack or supper supplement. So far the record is tasty for 2 weeks on the road. </span></div>
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<span class="font">150 ml (2/3 cup) Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour* </span><br />
<span class="font"><span class="font">250 ml (1 cup) ground flax (or 125 ml/1/2 cup ground flax+ 125 ml/1/2 cup oat bran)</span> </span></div>
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<span class="font">3 ml (1/2 tsp) Xanthan Gum<br />5 ml (1 tsp.) baking soda</span><br />
<span class="font">5 ml (1 tsp.) baking powder<br />5 ml (1 tsp.) cinnamon (optional)<br />175 ml (3/4 cup) raisins</span><br />
<span class="font">250 ml (1 cup) non-dairy milk</span><br />
<span class="font">5 ml (1 tsp) vinegar</span><br />
<span class="font">50 ml (1/4 cup) canola or olive oil<br />50 ml (1/4 cup) molasses<br />1 egg</span><br />
<span class="font">5 ml (1 tsp.) vanilla</span></div>
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<span class="font">In a large bowl, combine flour, flax/oat bran, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and raisins. Mix well with a whisk. Push up around sides of bowl, making a well in the center.</span><br />
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<span class="font"><span class="font">In med. sized bowl, stir milk, vinegar, oil, molasses, egg and vanilla together. Whisk together until well blended.</span> </span></div>
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<span class="font">Pour milk mixture into well in dry ingredients. Stir vigorously to combine well. You can't beat this too much.* </span></div>
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<span class="font">Let better stand 30 minutes.</span></div>
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<span class="font">Divide into greased or paper lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 * F., for about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Makes 8 large muffins.</span><br />
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<span class="font">Note: To make the Husband's Favourite "Raspberry Bran Muffins", use 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen (un-thawed) instead of raisins, and add 25 ml., (1/8 cup) Splenda sweetener or 1/4 cup brown sugar to the flour mixture.</span></div>
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Another Note: I made a batch (without cinnamon), divided the batter, added raisins to half for me, some brown sugar and raspberries to the other half for him, and he thought they were just fine. In spite of a slight prejudice against "gluten-free" things. </div>
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Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-33946026751009831932013-04-29T22:56:00.000-06:002013-04-29T22:56:56.865-06:00Baking Powder Biscuits<i>One of the first things we were taught to make in Grade 8 Home-Ec. A great, versatile standard. If you add a little extra milk, (on purpose or by accident) to make a stickier dough, you can either drop them onto the top of a bubbling stew to make dumplings, or drop them onto a greased cookie sheet for "drop biscuits". Add cheese and bacon! Add chopped green onion or chives! Add sugar and bake in round "cakes" to make scones! You can even use the baking powder biscuit as a pizza crust in a pinch. Perfect with soup or stew for dinner, or for breakfast, hot and fresh with jam or to hold an egg and ham sandwich.</i><br />
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2 cups all-purpose flour</div>
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4 teaspoons baking powder</div>
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1/2 teaspoon salt</div>
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1/8 cup of butter or hard margarine</div>
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3/4 to 1 cup milk</div>
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Lightly grease a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 375*F.</div>
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Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender. If you don't have a pastry blender, you can use a couple of knives to cut at the butter, or just use your fingers, kind of squishing the flour and butter together until the butter is broken up into little flour covered pieces and the mixture sort of resembles oatmeal.</div>
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Add the milk- start with 3/4 cup, and add a bit more if needed, gently folding it into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until it holds together. (*if you use whole wheat flour, it will take more milk than with white flour) Dough should be in a lump together but not sticky. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently roll out to 2 inch thickness. Either cut into circles (or hearts, or shamrocks or Christmas trees...) and place on prepared baking sheet. You can gently gather the scraps together and recut it. OR (as I usually do) just cut the rolled dough into 12 squares and place on cookie sheet. </div>
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Bake for 15-25 minutes, until biscuits are risen and golden brown.</div>
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If you add too much dough and it's quite sticky, just drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, dividing it into 12 mounds. Bake as indicated until risen and nicely browned.</div>
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VARIATIONS: </div>
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<b><u>To make dumplings for stew</u></b>, add 1 cup to 1 1/4 cups milk to make a soft, sticky dough. Drop by Tablespoons onto hot stew. Cover and let the stew simmer for 15-25 minutes until the tops of the dumplings are firm to the touch. To make dumplings in the Slow Cooker, cover the top of the slow cooker (under the lid) with a clean tea towel. This keeps the condensing steam from dripping back onto the dumplings which keeps them from getting cooked properly on top.</div>
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<u><b>Cheese Biscuits:</b></u> Add 3/4 to 1 cup of grated cheese with the flour, either before or after you cut in the butter.</div>
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<b><u>Cheese and Bacon Biscuits:</u></b> Add 3/4 cup of grated cheese and 1/2 cup of cooked, chopped bacon before you add the milk.</div>
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<b><u>Cheese, Bacon and Onion Biscuits:</u></b> Add 3/4 cup of grated cheese, 1/2 cup of cooked, chopped bacon and 1/3 cup of chopped green onion before you add the milk.</div>
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<b><u>Easy Scones:</u> </b>Add 1/2 cup of sugar to the flour mixture, and increase the butter to 1/4 cup. Divide the dough in half, after the milk is mixed in, and shape it into two 6 inch circles. Score the circles with a knife, cutting each into 6ths. Brush the tops and sides with a little milk or cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake as directed for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.</div>
Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-2746668933574044662013-04-19T11:16:00.000-06:002013-04-23T18:31:50.798-06:00Sunny Girl Porridge<i>I like porridge. Cream of Wheat, oatmeal, Red River Cereal or Sunny Boy... love 'em all. The problem with being off gluten, is that Cream of Wheat is out. Regular oatmeal, which seems to give me a reaction, is also out. The nutty brilliance of Red River Cereal or Sunny Boy, because of the added wheat germ, likewise nixed. What then?! I gave Oat Bran a try, and found that it didn't affect me the way mealed oats did, and it was nice and very reminiscent of Cream of Wheat. First hot cereal victory! Then I thought of adding flax to it, and after perfecting the formula, I have a delicious porridge that reminds me of both Cream of Wheat and the hot flax cereals. Thought this snowy spring morning would be a good time to finally share the recipe here. A lovely hot breakfast cereal that is guaranteed to keep you warm and happy inside until lunch. </i><br />
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1/3 cup oat bran<br />
1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) ground flax<br />
1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) whole flaxseed<br />
1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) raisins (or dried cranberries) optional<br />
1 1/3 cups water<br />
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Put all ingredients into a small saucepan. Stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stirring frequently, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Doctor it up with a bit of milk and sugar. Equally delicious with almond milk and a sprinkle of Splenda.<br />
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Serves 1.Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-9961277052647221142013-04-12T15:34:00.000-06:002013-04-29T22:22:49.517-06:00Gluten, Dairy and Egg Free Brownie Bites<i>I am still in love with the Babycakes cookbooks. They have brought some joy back to this diabetic, gluten, dairy and soy-free woman's life. One of my favourite recipes has been adapted from "Brownies", in Erin McKenna's first cookbook. This is a smaller version of the original, with a few modifications. They are completely delicious, and as they are very quick to mix up and only take about 15 minutes to bake, it's super easy to whip up a batch while <b><a href="http://www.lauraleacooks.com/2008/07/fudge-brownies.html">Brownies</a> </b>for everyone else are baking. Bonus: they freeze well, and even taste good before they thaw... </i><br />
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1/3 cup garbanzo-fava bean flour</div>
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4 teaspoons potato starch</div>
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2 teaspoons arrowroot or tapioca starch</div>
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3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder</div>
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1/3 cup granulated sugar (*A combination of 3 Tbsp sugar + 2 Tbsp Splenda works)</div>
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1/2 teaspoon baking powder</div>
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1/8 teaspoon baking soda</div>
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1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules</div>
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1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum or guar gum</div>
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3 Tablespoons Canola oil</div>
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3 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce</div>
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2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract</div>
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3 Tablespoons hot water</div>
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1/3 cup vegan* mini chocolate chips (I used "Enjoy Life Mini Chips" that I purchased at Nutter's Bulk & Natural Foods) OPTIONAL</div>
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Preheat oven to 350* F. Lightly grease a 12-cup mini muffin tin. (have a second tin ready to grease and fill as needed)</div>
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In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, potato starch, arrowroot, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum (or guar gum) and coffee granules. Add the oil, applesauce, vanilla and hot water, and stir until the batter is smooth. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chocolate chips, just until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. </div>
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Divide the batter into prepared muffin cups. Fill to the top of each cup; grease additional cups as needed. I generally get 14-16 brownies per batch. </div>
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Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the center brownie comes out clean, and the tops have a firm edge with a softer center. Let stand in pans 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack. Fabulously, decadently delicious when served warm. Equally delicious any time. Store in airtight container in the fridge, or freeze. </div>
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Serve iced (making a dairy-free frosting with Becel Vegan Margarine), dusted with confectioner's sugar or plain. The chocolate chips give them a "frosted" taste. </div>
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Have I mentioned that these are delicious?</div>
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Makes 14-16 brownie bites.</div>
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Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-6324758782140453092013-01-26T19:24:00.001-07:002013-01-26T19:24:54.140-07:00Pineapple, Upside Down Oatmeal Cake<br />
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<i>It's MOPS time again, and for our Tropical Beach Party theme we thought an upside-down pineapple cake might be fun. I had a vision of a kind of pineapple-oatmeal cake, and so I went looking. In one of my favourite cookbooks (</i><u>Cooking From Quilt Country by Marcia Adams</u><i>) I found both an upside-down pineapple cake and an oatmeal cake. I envisioned a mash-up of sorts and so putting them together, came up with this. The first trial was pretty good, but deemed a little too sweet, and since I had added ground flax I thought I might be able to leave out the egg. The second trial turned out nicely; with a few maraschino cherries sprinkled in for a festive colour and the egg replaced with a flaxseed substitute, either regular or gluten-free it's a delightful breakfast or dessert treat. In place of crushed pineapple I used pineapple tidbits the second time around, breaking up the chunks with the sharp edge of a plastic spatula. It worked just fine.</i></div>
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Pineapple Upside-Down Oatmeal Cake</div>
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1 -14oz can crushed pineapple</div>
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5 maraschino cherries, finely chopped (optional)</div>
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1 cup Gluten-Free Oatmeal (or regular, but not instant, rolled oats)</div>
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2 Tablespoons ground flax* (or 1 egg/egg substitute)</div>
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pineapple juice + water to make 1 cup</div>
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1/3 cup brown sugar</div>
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1/4 cup Canola oil</div>
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1 cup all-purpose flour or Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour</div>
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3/4 teaspoon baking soda</div>
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3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (if using gluten-free flour)</div>
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1/8 teaspoon salt</div>
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1/8 teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg</div>
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1/3 cup Canola oil</div>
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1/2 cup Agave nectar <b><i>OR</i></b> 1/4 cup brown sugar+1/2 cup granulated sugar</div>
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1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla</div>
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Preheat oven to 350*F. Line a 9inch square pan with parchment paper or lightly grease with spray oil.<br />
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Drain pineapple through a sieve into a microwave safe bowl or glass measure.</div>
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Add water to pineapple juice to make 1 cup. Microwave 2-3 minutes on high heat. Stir in oatmeal and flax, and let stand for 10 minutes.</div>
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Meanwhile, mix first amount of brown sugar and canola oil together and spread over bottom of prepared pan. Spread drained pineapple over brown sugar mixture, sprinkle maraschino cherry pieces (if used) over pineapple, and set aside.</div>
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In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, xanthan gum (if used), salt and mace. When pineapple juice is cooled to lukewarm, add second amount of oil, agave nectar or sugars, and vanilla. *Mix in egg or egg substitute if ground flax wasn't added to the oatmeal. Stir together until well blended. Add to flour mixture, and fold together until fairly smooth and well blended. Pour over pineapple in pan and bake for 25-40 minutes until cake is browned, springs back when lightly touched, and a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.</div>
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Let stand for 15 minutes, then invert onto large serving plate. Peel off parchment. </div>
Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-40125438536239212032012-11-01T21:46:00.000-06:002012-11-01T21:46:00.404-06:00Pumpkin Spice Muffins<i>If you like to bake, or to eat baking, and you have food sensitivities, you must-must-MUST get yourself one of the Babycakes cookbooks by Erin McKenna. "Babycakes" and "Babycakes Does The Classics" are both awesome vegan cookbooks. This Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe is in the first book, but I've replaced 1/4 of the flour with ground flax and quinoa flour. I also added pumpkin seeds and raisins because I like raisins in spice cake and muffins, and because I thought the texture of the seeds would be nice. These muffins freeze well and travel well. They are equally fabulous with Becel Vegan margarine or Kraft No-Sugar-No-Salt-Added Peanut Butter. Easy to mix up and satisfying for breakfast, lunch or snacks on the go.</i><br />
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1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour*<br />
1/4 cup ground flaxseed<br />
1/4 cup quinoa flour*<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon xanthan gum*<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon<br />
1 Tablespoon ground ginger<br />
1/2 cup Canola oil<br />
2/3 cup agave nectar*<br />
2/3 cup rice milk<br />
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract<br />
1-398 ml (about 13 oz) can pure pumpkin puree<br />
1/2 cup hot water<br />
1 cup raisins<br />
3/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds<br />
*readily available at Nutter's Bulk and Natural Foods<br />
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Preheat the oven to 325*F.<br />
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In a large bowl, whisk together flours, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Add oil, agave nectar, rice milk and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Stir with the whisk until batter is smooth and thick. Using a plastic/silicone spatula, fold in the pumpkin, hot water, raisins and pumpkin seeds until batter is smooth and everything is evenly distributed throughout.<br />
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Fill paper lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Muffins won't rise much during baking. Bake on center rack for 22-30 minutes, switching the pans and rotating them 180* after 12 minutes. Finished muffins will be soft to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.<br />
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Let muffins stand in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer. Pop a frozen muffin in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or so to heat it up, or throw it in a bag or reusable container and take it along to eat at your next Starbucks coffee date.<br />
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Makes 18-22 delicious muffinsLauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-60894071280880864632012-07-01T15:57:00.000-06:002012-07-01T16:00:41.181-06:00Strawberry Surprise Cupcakes<i>As if being diabetic wasn't bad enough, I had to go and decide to give gluten and dairy free eating a try. The good news? I feel 100% better. The bad news? I feel 100% better. At least, after two months without the gluten and dairy, I have the energy and imagination to feel like baking again. I discovered Erin McKenna's cookbooks, "Babycakes" and "Babycakes Covers The Classics". If you're living in a gluten-dairy-egg free world you MUST investigate these cookbooks. Life changing. At least you'll be able to make some pretty awesome snacks and goodies. This recipe is half of the Vanilla Cupcakes recipe in the first Babycakes cookbook. I've added a little strawberry jam goodness. These were a delightful Canada Day treat (strawberries = red + vanilla cupcakes for the white) but they'd be good any time and I guarantee they'll turn any day into a celebration. All the "strange" ingredients (agave nectar, coconut oil, xanthan gum) and the flours can be found at Nutters. In a pinch you can try Canola oil instead of coconut oil.</i><br />
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1 cup garbanzo-fava bean flour</div>
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1/2 cup potato starch</div>
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1/4 cup arrowroot</div>
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2 teaspoons + 1/4 teaspoon baking powder</div>
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1/4 teaspoon baking soda</div>
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1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum</div>
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1 teaspoon salt</div>
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1/3 cup coconut oil (melted before measuring, and measured in dry ingredient measures not liquid)</div>
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2/3 cup agave nectar (again, use dry ingredient measuring cups to measure the liquid ingredients)</div>
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1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce</div>
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1 1/2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract</div>
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1/2 cup hot water</div>
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1/2 cup (or so) Strawberry jam</div>
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<b><u>Strawberry-vanilla frosting:</u></b> (Mix together 2 cups icing sugar+2 Tablespoons Becel Vegan margarine + 2 Tablespoons strawberry jam+ boiling water to make spreadable.)</div>
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Preheat oven to 325*F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. (I got 14 cupcakes out of my batch)</div>
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In a medium bowl whisk together flour, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, applesauce and vanilla to the dry ingredients and combine. Stir in the hot water and mix until the batter is smooth.</div>
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Spoon 2 Tablespoons of batter into each prepared cup. Drop a generous teaspoon of jam into the centre of each cup on top of the batter. Cover with another spoonful of batter.</div>
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Bake on the centre rack for 22 minutes, rotating the tins 180 degrees after 15 minutes. The finished cupcakes will be golden brown and will bounce back when pressure is applied gently to the centre.</div>
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Let the cupcakes stand in the the tins for 20 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely. Frost with the strawberry-vanilla frosting. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.</div>
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Makes 12-14 cupcakes.</div>
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<br /></div>Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-38511944315751641032012-06-28T20:05:00.003-06:002012-07-01T15:58:19.841-06:00Easy Gluten & Dairy Free Mushroom-Chicken-Rice Casserole<i>This was very tasty and went together quickly. While it baked in the oven I cleaned up the kitchen, so the after supper tidy was minimal. I actually used some "Coconut Dream" that I'd thrown in the freezer, and it worked really well. I think that Almond milk would work nicely too, especially if you toasted some slivered almonds to sprinkle on the top before serving. If it's a little too saucy after 45 minutes in the oven, let it bake a little longer. We were three for supper; if you're serving four big eaters you might want to add an extra 1/4 cup of rice and 1/2 cup coconut milk. Other vegetables to add might be thinly sliced carrots and peas. I'd add carrots with the bulk of the vegetables and peas (fresh or frozen) with the pepper just before it goes in the oven.</i><br />
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Two large skinless, boneless chicken breasts<br />
1 onion, diced<br />
3 garlic cloves, minced<br />
2 sticks of celery, thinly sliced<br />
10 large mushrooms, thinly sliced<br />
1/3 of a green, red, yellow or orange pepper (if you like), finely chopped<br />
1/2 cup of raw (uncooked) rice (not instant)<br />
2 cups coconut milk<br />
Bouillon cube/powder to flavour 2 cups liquid<br />
Canola or olive oil<br />
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Cut chicken breasts into 1- 2 inch sized pieces. In a large, oven-safe skillet, fry chicken in oil (start with a couple of tablespoons and add a drizzle more as needed to keep the chicken and vegetables from sticking to the pan). Add onion, garlic, celery and mushrooms. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside, and vegetables are cooked/clear/browned.<br />
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Add coconut milk, rice, pepper and bouillon. Stir to dissolve bouillon. Put the covered skillet in the oven at 350*F, and bake for 30- 45 minutes, until rice is cooked and soft.<br />
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Season with salt and pepper to taste.<br />
<br />
Serves 3-4Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-38875499276760123902012-06-11T09:24:00.000-06:002012-06-11T09:24:37.896-06:00Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Pancakes For One<i>I'm really liking Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuit and Baking Mix. As I'm just cooking gluten free for myself, it seemed prudent to downsize the recipe on the package, and so I have. One serving size (37g of dry mix) is 1/6 of the package's pancake recipe. This gluten free pancake has become a breakfast, lunch and, in a pinch, a supper staple for me. When I'm going to be away from home for the day, I've made the two pancakes into a peanut butter and jam sandwich in case I need a snack or an option at lunch. The pancake sandwich travels well. I've also forgotten to add the oil to the batter on occasion, and the pancakes were no less delicious or light and fluffy.(you can subtract 120 calories and 14 g of fat if you leave out the oil) Enjoy.</i><br />
<br />
1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuit and Baking Mix<br />
1 egg<br />
1 Tablespoon vegetable/Canola oil<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
<br />
Whisk all ingredients together until just mixed. Cook on lightly greased hot griddle or frying pan until bubbles form and surface puffs up. Flip to cook other side until lightly golden brown.<br />
<br />
Makes 1 large pancake, or two 4 1/2 inch pancakes.<br />
<br />
Nutritional Analysis: (pancakes alone, without butter, syrup, or other toppings)<br />
<br />
Calories: 320<br />
Total fat: 20 g<br />
Cholesterol: 190 mg<br />
Sodium: 455 mg<br />
Carbohydrates: 25 g<br />
Fibre: 4 g<br />
Sugars: 2 g<br />
Protein: 10 g<br />Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-44461963321773558002012-03-21T08:41:00.000-06:002012-03-21T08:41:06.858-06:00Easy New York Style Cheesecake<i>I've been hungry for cheesecake for awhile. Cherry cheesecake, to be specific. Problem is, the cheesecake at your typical restaurant is worth nearly two whole meals, carb-wise. (<a href="http://www.swisschalet.com/ourmenu/nutritionals.pdf"><b>Swiss Chalet</b></a> and <a href="http://www.swisschalet.com/ourmenu/nutritionals.pdf"><b>Boston Pizza</b></a>'s nutritional information indicates their cheesecakes have about 75 g of carbohydrates per serving) Also, no one makes Cherry Cheesecake anymore; not that I have anything against strawberry topping, but my favourite has always been cherry. Yes. Since the '80's. SO. Not wanting to fuss with my most excellent<b><u><a href="http://www.lauraleacooks.com/2007/04/low-fat-high-fibre-graham-wafer-crumb.html"> graham wafer crust,</a></u></b> and finding a New York Cheesecake recipe in the new Splenda cookbook I have become possessed of, I put 2 & 2 together and came up with this quick, smaller, delicious cheesecake. I popped open a can of E.D. Smith Light Cherry Pie Filling, and even The Husband approved. </i><div><br />
</div><div>1 pre-made graham wafer crust</div><div>500 g (2 x 250 g/8 oz packages) light cream cheese</div><div>1/2 cup Splenda granular</div><div>1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice</div><div>1/2 teaspoon vanilla</div><div>2 eggs</div><div>1/4 cup fat free sour cream</div><div><br />
</div><div>Preheat oven to 325*F. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Mix all remaining ingredients together, blending until smooth and creamy. Spread in graham wafer crust, (for added stability, I set the pie crust tin on a cookie sheet) then bake for 30-45 minutes, until filling is firm to the touch and just lightly browned. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Serve with fresh fruit or pie filling.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Per Serving: (1/8th before topping) <i>*Check the nutrient guide on the pie filling. Serving size=about 1/3 cup; half of that gives you a good 2.5 Tablespoons topping. Add calories and carbs to your totals accordingly. The E.D. Smith Light Cherry Pie Filling I used adds 30 calories & 10 g carbs per serving. 1/4 cup of fresh, chopped strawberries adds about 12 g carbohydrates. Add 5 g of carbs for each teaspoon of sugar you mix with them.</i></div><div><br />
</div><div>Calories: 300</div><div>Fat: 22 g</div><div> Saturated Fat: 11g</div><div>Cholesterol: 94 mg</div><div>Sodium: 92 mg</div><div>Carbohydrates: 19g</div><div> Sugars: 8.5 g</div><div> Protein: 9 g</div><div><br />
</div><div> </div><div><br />
</div>Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-63579073627327183662011-11-22T22:56:00.001-07:002011-11-22T22:57:22.326-07:00Mini-Donut Muffins<i>I recently acquired a couple of mini-donut pans. I bought mine from Avon, but I've seen them online as well, so I know they're out there. The fun thing is that the recipe that came with the pans, (for "Old Fashioned Buttermilk Donuts") makes really delicious little cinnamon donuts that remind me of The Forks in Winnipeg and The Exhibition, where we used to buy little mini cinnamon donuts. I reasoned that this recipe should work with regular mini muffin tins, so I tweaked it a bit- cutting down the recipe for a start (the original makes about 6 dozen of the things), and have come up with this manageable facsimile. They are very quick to mix up, and can be baked and ready to serve in about 30 minutes. I hope you try them. Not just for little children.</i><br />
<br />
1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1/3 cup granulated sugar<br />
3/4 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/8 teaspoon each ground nutmeg, ground cloves (optional) and ground cinnamon<br />
1/3 cup buttermilk<br />
1 egg<br />
3 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine melted<br />
<br />
Topping:<br />
2 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine, melted<br />
1/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 Tablespoon cinnamon<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 325*F. Lightly grease 1 & 1/12 mini-muffin pans.<br />
<br />
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves and first amount of cinnamon together.<br />
<br />
Mix buttermilk, egg and first amount of melted margarine together in another bowl; stir into the dry ingredients.<br />
<br />
Fill each greased muffin tin about 3/4 full. Bake for about 15 minutes, until muffins are lightly browned and spring back when lightly touched. Allow to cool 3-5 minutes, (until you can handle them) then remove from pan.<br />
<br />
Topping:<br />
Put butter (melted) in a small bowl. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in another bowl. Dip tops of slightly cooled muffins in the butter, and then in the cinnamon/sugar mixture to coat the tops.<br />
<br />
Makes about 18 mini-muffins.Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-81155369996256019022011-11-03T14:06:00.000-06:002012-07-01T16:05:53.191-06:00Banana Oatmeal Muffins<i>I needed to make some sugar free muffins this week and I had oatmeal on the brain. I also had a bunch of overripe bananas, but I couldn't find a recipe that had both oatmeal and bananas, so I ended up going to my new "Company's Coming Mostly Muffins" cookbook, which has the most amazing muffin recipes, and took inspiration from two recipes: Basic Banana Muffins and Basic Oatmeal Muffins. I really liked the texture and flavour I got. I also liked the numbers that came up when I crunched them. I think these would be really good with chopped walnuts or pecans, together with or instead of the mini chocolate chips- (which are great for muffins because they are tiny and give the illusion of chocolaty goodness without actually adding too much chocolate). It made a lovely big batch of pretty large muffins. I'm hoping they freeze well, as the extras were tossed into the freezer this morning for breakfast and snacks later on.</i><br />
<br />
1 cup oatmeal (not instant)<br />
1 cup buttermilk (or milk soured with a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice)<br />
<br />
1 cup all-purpose white flour<br />
1/2 cup all-purpose whole wheat flour<br />
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/4 cup Splenda, artificial sweetener (you could make it 1/3 cup if you like 'em sweet)<br />
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips<br />
<br />
2 eggs, lightly beaten<br />
1/4 cup Canola/vegetable oil<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas<br />
<br />
Combine oatmeal and buttermilk in a medium sized bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
Combine next 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.<br />
<br />
Add eggs, oil, vanilla and bananas to the oatmeal mixture. Mix well. Add to the well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Stir gently to combine, until just moistened.<br />
<br />
Divide between 15 paper-lined or greased muffin cups. Bake at 375*F for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.<br />
<br />
Let stand in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool. Serve warm or cooled with butter if desired.<br />
<br />
Makes 15 large muffins.<br />
<br />
Nutritional Analysis per 1 muffin:<br />
Calories: 154<br />
Total Fat: 6.4 g<br />
Cholesterol: 27 mg<br />
Sodium: 178 mg (lower this to 100 mg by omitting the salt)<br />
Potassium: 112.55 mg<br />
Carbohydrates: 20 g<br />
Fibre: 2 g<br />
Sugars: 6 g<br />
Protein: 4 gLauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-3425188833395663902011-08-23T12:29:00.000-06:002011-08-23T12:29:08.551-06:00Healthier Butter Tart Squares<i>Butter Tart Squares are a family favourite around here, but I don't make them very often because I like them, and they're traditionally VERY full of sugar and flour. Although this version is still very high in carbs and calories, I switched up more than half of the white flour for whole wheat flour and wheat germ, so between kicking up the fibre and replacing half the brown sugar with sweetener, it's at least a little better for you. If you cut them smaller that will help a bit too. Just remember- one at a time. Savour the sweetness.</i><br />
<b><u><br />
</u></b><br />
<b><u>Bottom Layer</u></b><br />
<br />
1/2 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/4 cup wheat germ<br />
2 Tablespoons ground flax seed (optional)<br />
2 Tablespoons Splenda artificial sweetener<br />
1/2 cup hard margarine, softened<br />
<br />
<b><u>Second Layer</u></b><br />
<br />
2 eggs<br />
1/2 cup packed brown sugar<br />
1/4 cup Splenda artificial sweetener<br />
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine, melted<br />
1 1/2 cups raisins<br />
<br />
Crumble Bottom Layer ingredients together then press into an ungreased 9" square pan. Bake at 350*F for 15 minutes.<br />
<br />
Mix eggs, brown sugar and Splenda together. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Spread over Bottom Layer and bake for about 20 minutes, until light brown. Cool. Cut into 36 squares.Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-36239905095956748152011-07-23T16:46:00.000-06:002011-07-23T16:46:18.831-06:00Almost Gwen's Harvest Bread<i>My friend Gwen Ericson brought me the most wonderful loaf of bread when I was recovering from surgery last year. She's such a generous lady that she happily gave me the recipe. I've modified the ingredients to reflect my pantry and changed her instructions a bit- I'm lazier than I ought to be and found I could throw everything together in my Kitchen Aid mixer with good results. I also adjusted it to make just one very large loaf instead of the three or four her original recipe made. This is a lovely, light multi-grain loaf with a beautiful texture. I like it with sunflower seeds, but others here don't, so I leave them out. Adding a quarter cup of dried cranberries would be nice too. I haven't tried it "Regular", so if you try the "Regular Instructions" and find something in the method that needs to be changed, let me know!</i><br />
<br />
3 cups white flour<br />
1/2 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 cup ground flax seed<br />
1 Tablespoon instant yeast<br />
1 Tablespoon sugar<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
2 Tablespoons whole flax seed<br />
2 Tablespoons oatmeal<br />
2 Tablespoons Bob's Red Mill 10 Grain Cereal<br />
2 Tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds (optional)<br />
1 1/2 cups very warm water<br />
1 large egg<br />
1/4 cup lard (or 1/3 cup vegetable/Canola oil)<br />
2 Tablespoons oil<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">*Kitchen Aid Instructions:</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Put all ingredients except the last 2 Tablespoons of oil into largest mixer bowl. Mix on lowest speed with dough hook for about 10 minutes. Add more flour if necessary, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until dough no longer sticks to your fingers when you test it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Take dough off dough hook, and form into a ball with your hand. Remove from bowl, (either hold in one hand or rest on clean breadboard) and add 2 Tablespoons of oil to bottom of bowl. Put dough in bowl, swishing it around to cover the bottom with oil, then flip the dough to cover the other side.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, 1.5- 2 hours.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
When bread dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and shape into loaf/loaves, and place in lightly greased bread pan(s). Set in warm place to rise again until bread is about doubled in size- 1-1.5 hours.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Preheat oven to 350*F, then bake the loaves for 30- 50 minutes until nicely golden.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Take the pans out of the oven, and carefully tip the bread out of the pans. Cool on baking racks.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>Yield:</b> 1 very large loaf, 2 small loaves, 1 good sized loaf + a couple of buns (hamburger/hot dog/ dinner roll shaped)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">*Regular Instructions:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Measure water, salt, yeast, sugar, lard, egg and 2 cups of the flour into large mixing bowl. Using electric hand mixer/ beaters, beat batter together until lard and flour are incorporated, and mixture looks gelatinous, (kind of gooey/ glue-y) It will be very sticky.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Measure in 3rd cup of flour and the rest of the ingredients except the last 2 Tablespoons of oil.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix dough together. As the ingredients are incorporated, the dough will get stiffer and you'll find it easier to just transfer it to a lightly floured board and mix with your hands.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
When the dough starts to feel less sticky, and the flour is mixed in, begin to knead the dough, adding flour a Tablespoon at a time as needed to keep dough from sticking to your hands. As you knead it, the dough <span style="font-style: italic;">will </span>get less sticky and the less flour you add, the lighter your bread will be.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<u>To knead</u>: Gather the dough into a ball. With the heel of your hands, push the dough away from you. Now with your fingers pull the dough back towards you into the ball. Repeat with pushing away and pulling it back 4 or 5 times. The dough should start to get longer, side to side. Rotate the dough, (1/4 turn), so it is long-wise to you; gather the longer end up into a ball with your fingers, then push it back out in the kneading motion as before. Continue kneading and turning the dough for at least 10 minutes. The longer you knead, the better your bread will be.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Put the 2 Tablespoons of oil in the bottom of the bowl. Put the dough in the bowl, swishing it around to cover the bottom with oil, then flip the dough to cover the other side.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, 1.5- 2 hours.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
When bread dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and shape into loaf/loaves, and place in lightly greased bread pan(s). Set in warm place to rise again until bread is about doubled in size- 1-1.5 hours.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Preheat oven to 350*F, then bake the loaves for 30- 50 minutes until nicely golden.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Take the pans out of the oven, and carefully tip the bread out of the pans. Cool on baking racks.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>Yield:</b> 1 large loaf, 2 small loaves, 1 good sized loaf + a couple of buns (hamburger/hot dog/ dinner roll shaped)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-80459349975387662422011-06-24T21:24:00.000-06:002011-06-24T21:24:46.346-06:00Barbecued Pork Roast<i>I tried one of my slow cooker recipes on the barbecue... and it was wonderful! "South Pacific Pork Roast", from the 1976 Better Homes And Gardens Crockery Cooker Cook Book, is my favourite pork roast recipe and I am happy to find that it made the barbecued roast equally tasty. (You can make the marinade, marinate the meat overnight & cook for about 4 hours on high or 8 hours on slow in the slow cooker.) We also tried the new Kraft "Mango Chipotle" salad dressing tonight and together with the barbecued roast? Magnificent! </i><br />
<br />
a 3 pound pork roast (my preference is a pork loin when it's on sale)<br />
1/2 cup soy sauce<br />
1/2 cup dry sherry (apple juice will also work)<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/4 tsp dry garlic)<br />
1 Tablespoon dry mustard<br />
1 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed<br />
<br />
Place the pork roast in a heavy plastic (freezer) bag, set in a deep bowl. Thoroughly blend the rest of the ingredients together and pour over the meat in the bag. Close the bag, pressing out as much air as you can, and seal it tightly. Place the roast in the refrigerator and marinate all day, (or do the prep in the evening and let it marinate overnight).<br />
<br />
An hour before you want to eat, fire up the barbecue; heat it up on "high" for about 10 minutes. Lower heat on one side of the barbecue to "low", and on the other side to "medium". Using tongs or a meat fork, remove roast from bag and place on the low-heating side of the grill. Discard marinade. Let it cook slowly for 15-20 minutes; turn the roast over and continue cooking until it's well grilled on the outside, and doesn't look pink when you cut into the middle. (the times I've given are for a pork loin- if you have a thick pork roast, cook it slowly until it's done, turning when the bottom half of the roast looks brown and cooked.)<br />
<br />
If meat is cooked before you're finished the rest of your meal prep, turn the "medium" side of the grill to "low", and turn the "low" side right off. Keep the lid closed and hurry with the rest of the meal so the meat doesn't get dried out. <br />
<br />
Serves 4-8Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-14678079760832051772011-06-05T17:06:00.001-06:002011-06-05T17:07:31.616-06:00Trifle<i>I had some loaves left over after an event a few months ago, so I froze them for later. With another event looming at the beginning of next week, "Trifles" came up, and so I'm going to convert the leftover loaves into a couple of trifles. I think the beauty of "trifle" is that, with a little imagination, you have limitless possibilities. <a href="http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/quick-easy-trifles-85117.aspx"> <u>Kraft Canada has a great Trifle "formula" style recipe</u></a><u>; </u>they've made a chart and the 3 main components have been broken down, giving you ideas for mixing and matching what you have on hand. It's a good place to start if you're a first time Trifle maker.</i><br />
<br />
<u><b>To make a Basic Trifle, you need:</b></u><br />
A clear/glass bowl <br />
A cake/cookie layer<br />
A fruit/jam layer<br />
A pudding/custard layer<br />
Whipped topping<br />
A garnish<br />
<br />
Start with a layer of cake on the bottom of the bowl.Traditional English Trifles have liqueur or sherry sprinkled over the cake. The older and drier the cake, the more liquid (whether alcohol or fruit juice) it will soak up. If you are using frozen or tinned fruit, you could drain the juice and sprinkle it over the cake. If you're using fresh fruit, you might spread the cake with a complimentary jam. Layer the fruit over the cake, followed by a layer of pudding or custard. A few inches of whipped cream is next.<br />
<br />
I like at least 2 layers of everything, so I would try to use half of each item, and then layer it all again. If you have a tall trifle bowl, you might like to do 3 or 4 layers of everything. Top off the last layer of whipped cream with your garnish. <br />
<br />
<u><b>Trifle Ideas:</b></u><br />
<br />
<u>Tropical Trifle</u>- banana bread/cake with crushed pineapple and coconut custard (Bird's Custard made with coconut milk), whipped cream with a toasted coconut garnish.<br />
<br />
<u>Banana Split Trifle</u>- banana bread/cake with strawberries on one layer and crushed pineapple on another, chocolate pudding and whipped cream, garnished with fresh sliced strawberries & shaved chocolate, or chocolate sundae sauce drizzled over the whipped cream. <br />
<br />
<u>Leftover Waffle Trifle</u>- Breakfast waffles, any kind of frozen fruit or jam, vanilla custard or pudding, and whipped cream with coloured candy sprinkles on top.<br />
<br />
<u>Leftover Loaf Trifle</u>- how about <u>Orange-Cranberry </u>loaf with tinned mandarin orange segments, vanilla custard or pudding, whipped cream and orange sugar sprinkles, grated orange rind or maraschino cherries on top? <br />
<u>Lemon-Poppyseed</u> loaf or muffins with peaches or mandarin orange segments, lemon pudding, whipped cream and grated lemon peel on top.<br />
<br />
<u>Chocolate Trifle</u>- chocolate cake, cherry pie filling, raspberries or strawberries, chocolate pudding, whipped cream with crushed Oreo cookies for a garnish.<br />
<br />
<u>Vanilla Trifle</u>- white cake, strawberries or raspberries, vanilla pudding or custard, whipped cream with fruit to garnish.<br />
<br />
<u><i>*Use your imagination and share your trifle ideas in the comments.</i></u>Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38890241.post-4870197755705425902011-05-11T14:39:00.000-06:002011-05-13T14:20:43.563-06:00Granola Squares<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><i>My friend Susan gave me this recipe. It's one of those "never exactly the same twice" recipes that is always good. The key is the "extras"- use whatever your people like and leave out what you don't have or what you need to if allergies are an issue. This is one of the few recipes I've done that doesn't work with homemade sweetened condensed milk, but "light" condensed milk works well. If the squares don't hold their shape when you cut them up, the resultant crumble can be used as dessert/yogurt topping, or you could add milk and eat it like granola cereal. I sometimes wrap the squares in plastic as soon as they're cooled, and store them pre-wrapped and ready for school lunches. Be careful, though, these granola squares are a little addictive... Easy to make, yummy to eat- enjoy!</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">1.5 cups rolled oats</span><br />
<div style="font-family: arial;">1.5 cups Rice Krispies</div><div style="font-family: arial;">Extras to equal 4 cups: raisins, sunflower seeds, chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, sesame seeds, chopped dried fruit, wheat germ, flax seeds ...</div><div style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: arial;">1 can sweetened condensed milk</div><div style="font-family: arial;">1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, melted</div><div style="font-family: arial;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: arial;">Preheat oven to 325*. Line a jelly roll pan or your largest cookie sheet with tin foil; grease the foil. </div><div style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mix cereal and the rest of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together sweetened condensed milk and melted butter, then add to dry ingredients. Spread well combined mixture over prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool slightly, then invert pan onto clean cutting board. Remove pan and peel off foil. Cut into squares while still warm. Store in a cool place in an airtight container. Save the crumbled bits to use as a yogurt topping.</span></div>Lauraleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10521054238842667014noreply@blogger.com1