Corn Bread - Gluten Free

Even my gluten-loving family enjoys this corn bread recipe! It's a winner with all of us.

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup masa (corn flour)
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 cup rice flour (I've used brown or sweet white)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 TB sugar
1/8 tsp xanthan gum
2 cups milk plus 2 TB apple cider vinegar (or 2 cups of buttermilk)
2 beaten eggs

Mix together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix together the milk and eggs in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until they are smooth. Quickly stir in the melted butter.

Pour batter into a greased 10x13 baking dish. Bake at 400* for 20 minutes or until the edges are a golden brown.

This recipe will also work without the xanthan gum. The texture will just be more crumbly without it.
Masa can be found in the ethnic section of the grocery store, with the Mexican foods.
This bread does not store well. You'll have to break out the honey-butter and eat it now!
This is a wonderful option for gluten-free stuffing at Thanksgiving.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Jeremiah LOVES pancakes.  Every. Single. Day.  So, these are a nice addition to my growing collection of different pancake varieties. Packed with protein, I feel like I can send him to preschool with a bit more in his tummy than the regular flour kind. And everyone loves these at our house, so consider doubling the recipe and saving some for having on hand for snacks.  They're great with a dollop of jam!

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tblsp. honey
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt.

Directions:
Combine eggs, cottage cheese, vanilla and honey in a bowl.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix all together. (Yes, it will be lumpy because cottage cheese is lumpy.  It's OK, carry on as usual!) Pour 1 - 2 Tablespoons on a griddle to cook them.  Do NOT try to make these larger in size because you won't be able to flip them.  Trust me. :)  Cook until they are set and have a dull sheen to them instead of shiny and glossy.  Flip them over and cook on the other side.  Serve and enjoy!

(Find more great recipes, like this one, at Weelicious.com)

Stovetop Kettle Corn

This post is for Mom! It originates from Our Best Bites.

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons oil (coconut oil is divine here)
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Kosher salt

Directions:
Heat the oil in a LARGE pot with a tight fitting lid over a medium-high heat. While it's heating, combine the popcorn kernels and sugar together in a bowl.  When the oil is hot, pour the sugar and kernels into the oil, give it a quick stir, and promptly put the lid on! Hold the handles and the lid down (use something to protect your hands from the heat) and give the pan a shake from side to side and up and down.  Do this every 20 seconds to keep the sugar from burning and to coat the kernels evenly.  Continue doing this until you can tell that everything is almost done popping (the popping will slow down considerably as it nears the end). Remove the lid and stir it.  Add as much salt as you would like, toss it into a bowl and serve!

Tip: If the kernels don't start popping after a few minutes, try cracking the lid open to release some pressure, then put it back on and continue shaking the pan around.  Most likely that will help things along.  :)

Porcini Mushrooms

He is my accidental mushroom forager. It was an incredibly beautiful afternoon in early September when we happened upon these porcini mushrooms. That same morning, Scott had been educated on wild mushrooms of the season. So we were very excited when we chanced upon them unexpectedly. A kind gentleman recognized what we were gathering and offered us a bag for our treasures. Our benefactor just happened to be a chef from the eastern states and very much appreciated what we had found. The only difficult part of that afternoon was rushing home to make it to Stake Conference. It was such a great treasure hunt!

That evening we sampled our cache by sauteing a few of the perfect porcini in butter. Wow! Our new chef acquaintance was right; they are delicious!

To assure you that this is a recipe blog, I'll tell you that we dried the mushrooms in our dehydrator.  The old reliable Ball Blue Book recommends that the mushrooms be dipped in an acid solution to prevent browning. However, these porcini didn't need it at all. All I did was clean and sort them. Then the best were cut in 1/4 inch slices. The largest porcini took about 9 hours to completely dry at a low heat.

We have used these beautiful porcini in soups, omelets, and as a side dish cooked in butter. I am already looking forward to trying them in Thanksgiving stuffing. They are so fast and easy to hydrate and even the water used for plumping them back up has a wonderful flavor.

Now, the official disclaimer here will be to confirm that you know your wild mushrooms! If in doubt, throw it out! It is also wise to always cook wild mushrooms to nullify any toxicity.

By the way, we did not use the largest mushroom in Scott's hands. It was much too mature. We definitely prefer the smaller size.

Creamy Chicken Curry In A Hurry

Jenny brought this simple recipe into our lives years ago. It has always been a favorite for everyone.  Family Fun magazine was the original publisher, but I don't know what changes have been made since then. It's simple, easy, and delicious. I usually double the recipe with the intent of freezing the leftovers, but there are rarely leftovers when I serve a group.

1 1/2 TB oil (I prefer coconut oil)
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp curry powder
1 can (12-14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
2 TB tomato paste
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1 inch cubes (chicken thighs work wonderfully)
3 cups packed, fresh, baby spinach

In a large skillet, saute the onion and salt in oil until the onion is translucent. Add the curry powder and continue to cook and stir for 1 minute more to encourage the fragrant spices.

Stir in the coconut milk, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Continue cooking mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.

Add the chicken, stir well, and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. Add the spinach and cook until wilted (about 3 minutes). Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.

Variations:
I love to replace the spinach with chard from our garden when it is in season.
I have used whole canned tomatoes and blended them for the sauce.
Fresh tomatoes can also replace the canned variety during their season. Peel and dice them.
Our favorite rice with this dish is jasmine rice, but many varieties work well.
This is a nice way to use leftover cooked vegetables, too: peas, carrots, potato chunks, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, corn, cabbage, green beans. Just add them after everything else is cooked to warm through.
I will open a can of tomato paste and then freeze the leftover paste in prepared portions for future curries.

Company Chocolate Cake

At one of my children's wedding receptions, I was asked where we purchased the cake. The inquiry was flattering. This cake is actually a family favorite that my sister shared with me years ago. It is delicious enough that it was requested for the reception. Thank you, Karen! It is a family favorite with good reason. 

1 devil's food chocolate cake mix, any brand

2 eggs (3 if they are small)

1 cup tepid water

1/2 vegetable oil

1 cup sour cream

1 small package instant chocolate pudding mix

1 package of chocolate chips (we've used either milk chocolate or semi-sweet with good success)

Combine cake mix, eggs, water, oil, sour cream, and pudding mix; blend with an electric blender until smooth. (Or have Ben or Joe do it for you!) Pour batter into a 10x15 pan that has been greased and "floured" with cocoa. Top mixture gently with chocolate chips. Bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes. It is done with the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and the top bounces back when gently tapped. This cake stands alone and does not need to be frosted. 

Marsh Soup

We affectionately call this Marsh Soup because it originated with the Marsh family. Any way it is named, it is always easy and delicious. It is consistently a favorite with the guys: meaty, hearty, and perfect after a good snowball fight.

2 cans white beans, drained
2 cans kidney beans, drained
2 cans red beans, drained
1 quart bottled tomatoes with juice
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup white rice, uncooked
1 large chopped onion
4 TBS taco seasoning mix
garnishments: Fritos, sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions, etc.

Brown ground beef; drain excess fat and add onion. Cook until onion is translucent. Place beef and onion in a crock-pot with beans, tomatoes, rice, seasoning, and additional 1/2 cup water. Incorporate well. Cook on high for three hours. Serve with your favorite garnishes.

The rice in this recipe acts as the thickening agent. I have also used rice flour successfully. I like to replace the canned beans with leftover beans from other recipes: pinto, black, great northern, pink, anazai, kidney, whatever is on hand that week. It is a very forgiving recipe that adjusts to on-hand ingredients.