Gluten Free Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

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Oh Sweet Mercy

Breakfast today was very pumpkiny. Pumpkin smoothies and these amazingly delicious Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins I found on food.com. The poster of the recipe says they are like Starbucks, but honestly it's been so long since I've had one I can't remember well enough what they taste like to say how true that claim is. You'll just have to make them and decide for yourself. Or, just make them anyway because they are really, really good.

 I used the gluten free all purpose flour from C. C. Dolch that I used to make that amazing cornbread the other night, and was not at all disappointed (other than the batter was rather bitter, but the muffins were not bitter at all after they baked). I'm not sure what made it bitter, I'm just guessing it was the flour since I've made pumpkin muffins before going GF and the batter was never bitter. Yes, I sneak a taste of batter with raw eggs in it. Been doing it all my life. Started off with licking the beaters when I was a kid...you know how that goes...at least if you grew up in the 70's and 80's or before people got all freaked out about raw eggs.

I will definitely make them again, and if I'd thought of it when I was making them I would have added ground flax for the extra nutrition. Please see the chef's notes for tweaks, as I made a few.  They really bake up nice with the C. C. Dolch gluten free flour, I think I've found my "forever (GF) flour"! I am not getting any kickbacks for promoting their flour, I am just really, really happy with it and can heartily recommend it!

(Gluten Free) Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins 

ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c gluten free all purpose flour, I recommend C. C. Dolch's
• 3/4 tsp xanthan gum, if your flour does not already contain it
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 pinch cardamom (optional, but I added it...probably 1/8 tsp)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 c sucanat, or sweetener of your choice
• 1 c pumpkin
• 5/8 c light olive oil
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tsp vanilla, divided...more or less to your taste
• 2-3 Tb powdered sugar or sweetener of your choice
• nuts or seeds (such as pecans, walnuts, pumpkin or sunflower) if desired for topping
• demerara sugar for topping, if desired

method:

In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla until well combined. Using a piece of wax or parchment paper, form cream cheese mixture into a long log (you'll need 12 slices, one for each muffin). Place in the freezer at least half an hour before starting to mix your muffin batter.

Preheat oven to 350. 

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together gluten free all purpose flour, xanthan gum (if using) and spices. Whisk in salt, baking soda and sugar. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, oil, pumkin and remaining vanilla. Mix pumpkin mixture and dry ingredients until combined, being sure not to over mix...a few lumps are fine. 

Fill muffin cups half full. Remove cream cheese log from freezer and slice into 12 pieces. Push one piece into the batter in each muffin cup. Top with nuts and sugar, if desired.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin (not the cream cheese center) comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely. Be very careful, the cream cheese filling is very hot.

Chef's Notes:

The original recipe called for white sugar, which I try not to use any more than I have to. And vegetable oil. I would have used coconut oil but just didn't feel like melting it. I also didn't really measure it (5/8 of a cup...yeah), but eyeballed it. I should also note that the measurements above are half of the original recipe as well. The vanilla is also an addition, but if you know me at all you know I put vanilla in everything, especially since I learned how to make my own vanilla that is out of this world good. I didn't have allspice, and since the substitute for that is cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in equal parts, I just did heaping-ish measurements of those spices. 

Visit the original recipe on food.com and read through the reviews. Some people thought they were too spicy, some not spicy enough. Some added cocoa powder. Even though I "winged" it on the spices, I found it to be nicely spiced but not overpowering the pumpkin. The original recipe said to just use plain cream cheese, but many said it needed sweetening and I knew I would prefer it that way. I think next time I will mix the cream cheese with maple syrup instead of powdered sugar. I love maple, nuts and pumpkin together. 

Be sure to get that cream cheese in the freezer at least half an hour before you're going to need to slice it. I didn't, and didn't want to wait any longer so I just went ahead and cut it and it was very messy. It needs to be fairly solid, but not necessarily like an ice cube.

This could also be made with regular flour. The C. C. Dolch flour is substitutable at a 1:1 ratio so no adjustments in flour measurements should be needed.

Gluten Free Spiced Peach Buckwheat Waffles, Sans Xanthan Gum

Light, fluffy, flavorful and without gluten and xanthan gum!
Our family's favorite waffle recipe

Many gluten free recipes call for xanthan gum...at least the ones that are mimicking their evil gluten-containing twins, like cakes, cookies and breads. Since xanthan gum is derived from corn, that can be an issue for people with corn allergy. I'm considering exploring that possibility here, but just haven't been able to bring myself to that point yet. Going gluten free is challenging as it is, and to eliminate another food that is so helpful in gluten free cooking (cornstarch and tortilla chips!!) is ratcheting it up a notch too high at this moment.

As I rediscovered my love of buckwheat, I began to notice most bread-like things made with it contain xanthan gum. I have a lot on hand, thanks to a friend and a good deal at a local "dented can" grocery store, but if I don't have to use it then I'd rather not. And, since we are Waffle Lovers over here (thanks to my awesome stepson Andrew who got me a waffle maker for a gift) I was trying to find a buckwheat waffle recipe that didn't require the use of xanthan gum.

My mother in law had shared her waffle recipe with me when I got the waffle iron and I thought why not just substitute the all-purpose flour with buckwheat? It has whipped egg whites in it and baking powder so that will make them rise and be fluffy. I tried it and they turned out great, and honestly, I like them better than their evil wheat twins. Like I said, I love buckwheat!

They are a bit more labor intensive since you have to beat the egg whites until moderately stiff, but that only takes a minute or two, and the result is amazing so it's worth it. I also add vanilla, because we love vanilla too, and the aroma while they are cooking is amazing. We also like to have these any time of day, really. I'm planning on experimenting with a "savory" type of waffle for supper time, although we frequently have these waffles and scrambled eggs for "brupper". Breakfast for supper...

Best Ever Waffles (foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 c buckwheat flour (any type)
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sucanat (or sugar of your choice)
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1/2 c melted butter, coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 3/4 c milk
• 2 tsp vanilla, more or less (;

Method:

Plug in your waffle iron to preheat it. Whisk together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whisk together egg yolks, milk and vanilla. Beat egg whites until moderately stiff. Combine milk mixture and flour mixture and blend well (I just use a whisk), mix in melted butter, then fold in egg whites. Cook on well greased waffle iron until done, top as desired. 

We usually use butter and real, yummy maple syrup. We also like fresh blueberries and whipped cream...well, any kind of fruit and whipped cream. Today, I made spiced peaches to put on top, which would have been good with whipped cream...had I thought of it in time to make the whipped cream. I'm not a morning person. I'm also not a DST person. The combination has been especially brutal this year. 

Anyway...the "spiced peaches" was not made as ideally as I'd prefer (fresh peaches and juice) but I do the best I can with what I have. Here's my "recipe"....

Spiced Peaches and Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1 large can sliced peaches in heavy syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• splash of vanilla

Method:

Drain some of the heavy syrup off the peaches and whisk in the spices until well combined. Add the rest of the peaches and juice and mix well. 

If I had fresh peaches, I would have sliced them and put a little sugar on them to draw out the juice, then proceeded as above. Makes my mouth water to think about it...I absolutely ADORE fresh peaches.

Lightly spiced, no HFCS. Delicious on our waffles!

Apple Pie-itas

Do you ever just throw something together really quickly and it turns out amazingly yummy? I love it when that happens! Look what I did with a few simple ingredients today to satisfy my sweet tooth…

I’m really trying to cut sugar out of my diet. But, it’s really, really hard. Today, I had a really bad craving for something sweet and fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) I didn’t have any junky sweets laying around. We very rarely do, although on occasion I do buy my hubby cookies or there is leftover birthday cake.

My daughter had just made a quesadilla for lunch, and I started thinking about those fried cinnamon things from Taco Bell. I don’t really like them…they kind of remind me of pork rinds with cinnamon or maybe what fried paper towels would be like if you sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar. Gross, either way you look at it.

I got an idea to fry up a tortilla in some butter and sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top. Impromptu oreja de elefante. Then I got the idea to spread some homemade applesauce on that and drizzled a tiny bit of half n half (I’m unfortunately out of raw cream at the moment or that would have been even better!). I rolled it up and tooka bite and WOW was that good. Really satisfied my sweet tooth!

It could have been healthier…homemade tortilla instead of store-bought, sucanat or raw sugar instead of white, and raw cream instead of pasteurized half n half, but I think it was still infinitely more healthy than an apple pie from Mc Death’s.  Honestly, it kind of tasted like one…but better! I will be making these again with more healthy ingredients next time, but I’m glad I found a way to make something delicious, inexpensive, quick, and with minimal heat added to my kitchen on this hot, sunny day!

I quick took a picture before it was gone...click on the picture for an up close and delicious look!

APPLE PIE-ITAS


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 soft tortilla
• 1 Tb butter (or other healthy, traditional fat) for frying  I think coconut oil would be awesome!
• 1 tsp (more or less to taste) cinnamon sugar, or combine your favorite sugar and cinnamon
• 1-2 Tbs unsweetened or lightly sweetened applesauce
• drizzle of raw cream
• a bit more cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top, if desired

Makes 1 serving

METHOD:

Melt fat in cast iron skillet, add tortilla and coat well in melted fat. Flip over to coat other side, then fry each side until slightly crispy (you need to be able to roll it up). Remove from pan, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Spread applesauce on top, drizzle with cream and stir it around a bit until combined. Roll tortilla, sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar, if desired. Eat. Would also be good topped with fresh raw whipped cream, raw vanilla ice cream, yogurt or kefir!

What’s For Supper Wednesday: Tostadas de Alba

Quick, tasty and fresh...just what I love in meal!
Click on the picture for a closer look

In an effort to be more consistent with my blogging, I’m going to try to post on Wednesdays what we’re having for supper.  PLEASE feel free to leave a comment and share what you’re eating too! I love to see what other people are cooking!

And so, for the very first What’s For Supper Wednesday post, I’ll share the Mexican-y thing I whipped up that got an enthusiastic thumbs up from my toughest critic…My Husband...

I wasn’t sure what to call this dish…I guess they’re Tostadas, so for  the lack of a better name, I’ll call them Tostadas de Alba…which is a very loose translation of my first name. I love artistic license…

Supper needed to be quick and easy, and what can be easier than tortillas with something on them? I fried some ground beef and lightly seasoned it with a different blend of spices than what I usually use ( a homemade taco seasoning), which was what the Husband liked. He said he likes taco seasoning, but then ends up burping it all night. Come to think of it, so do I…and I unfortunately remember a bad night after eating too much taco salad while I was pregnant with my son. I didn’t eat anything Mexican for a long time after that. 

The tortillas were fried crispy in butter, topped with refried beans, meat, sharp cheddar cheese (if only I had some queso blanco….) and pico de gallo. The result was absolutely delicious! I just threw this together, so measurements are approximate…and feel free to substitute peppers…we’re not a spicy kind of family so it’s very mild, but I think I would have actually liked a bit more kick. My tastebuds are getting wild in their old age…

TOSTADAS DE ALBA

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
generous shake or two of Miss Tink’s House Seasoning
salt, as desired
refried beans of your choice
flour tortillas
butter or other traditional fat for frying
shredded cheese 

PICO DE GALLO INGREDIENTS:

I made this with what I had on hand so it’s not necessarily “authentic.” It sure was tasty though!

1 roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 c green pepper, diced
1-2 tbs hot yellow pepper, minced
1 tbs fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp ground coriander
salt to taste

METHOD:

Make the pico de gallo first so the flavors can blend nicely while you’re cooking the rest of the dish. Combine the vegetables, lime juice and seasonings and set aside.

Brown ground beef, season with Miss Tink’s while cooking. When cooked, add coriander, paprika and more salt/Miss Tink’s as desired.

Heat refried beans. Meanwhile, melt butter or other fat in skillet and fry tortillas on both sides until crispy. Layer beans, meat, and cheese, waiting a bit for the cheese to melt slightly before topping with pico de gallo. Makes about 3 to 5 tostadas, depending on how generously you top them.

CHEF’S NOTES:

This was super easy to make and really tasted good! I would have preferred to use fresh cilantro, however I didn’t have any on hand…and the Husband doesn’t like as much cilantro as I do anyway. The hot yellow pepper I used wasn’t very hot at all, so if you like spicy, adjust accordingly. It also would have been good with some Mexican crema, sour cream, or homemade ranch dressing…but it was still delicious without it! The different seasoning on the meat was a delightful change from the plain old taco seasoning I usually use. I will definitely be making this again.

Attempted Homicide Biscuits

Have you heard people refer to white flour as White Death Flour? That’s how I’ve come to think of it…but, my family is still rather fond of that stuff.  They eat what’s in the house…and since I’m in charge of all things food, well, they don’t eat a lot of stuff made with that White Death Flour – at least not at home.  And, truth be told, every now and again I get a hankerin’ for some biscuits or tortillas or a nice, thick hunk of white bread fresh out of the oven and kissed with butter.

I made biscuits the other night. Killer biscuits, to be exact. When that descriptor went through my mind, I immediately thought of White Death Flour…BUT, I reasoned, since these biscuits were made from scratch and had raw milk, coconut oil and butter in them…well, they were at least healthier than biscuit mix or those refrigerated cans of dough.  They couldn’t really be classified as killers, could they? Wouldn’t it just be more like attempted murder?

Whatever helps me sleep at night, right?

Strict Real Foodies are probably cringing as they read this. The ones that have banished white flour and sugar completely from their diet…and honestly, I wish I could say that’s where I’m at! I have to emphasize here the Real part of Real Foodie, for me anyway, also includes “being real” about my budget, my time, and my family…and sometimes, well, sometimes we eat stuff I really don’t want to. My family eats what I cook because they’re hungry and their choices are eat that or make your own meal. Which they would, probably, if we had ramen noodles, frozen pizza and blue boxes of mac ‘n cheese in the house.

BUT…making a meal that no one but myself will eat defeats the purpose, too. I certainly don’t have room in my budget for throwing out food, nor do I want to – that is not good stewardship of God’s blessings.  So, I compromise on occasion…and make a loaf of white bread, or pizza dough, or tortillas, or biscuits. We’re still eating healthier versions of store-bought foods, and sometimes that’s just the best we can do. As long as the majority of the time we’re eating better (or the best!) foods, we’re still coming out ahead.

Check out the killer biscuits I made:

Right before baking...click on the pic to see it bigger and you can see the layers

You know that nice looking chunk of dough up there in the first picture? Apparently, there was so much rise on  that biscuit it toppled over!  I think If I had cut them wider, say 6 biscuits instead of 9, they wouldn't have fallen over like they did. But the flaky layers are very evident!

When I was still at home, we loved "flakies" - those refrigerated biscuits with the flaky layers.  I won't buy them now, no matter how cheap they are. They just taste gross to me. Besides, I can make my own flakies  (:

It's all in the technique, the cut and the fat: Don't overwork it while mixing, then FOLD the dough over on itself 5-6 times, don't knead it like the recipes usually say. You can see evidence of the folding in this biscuit. For higher rise on biscuits, USE A SHARP KNIFE OR BISCUIT CUTTER. The right side of this biscuit was the edge of the dough, the left side was cut with a Cutco bread knife...ubersharp! I don't make round biscuits anymore but squares because a knife is sharper than a glass dipped in flour and I get much taller biscuits that way. Sometimes I trim off the edges of the dough and have darned near perfect biscuits. And the fat secret? Most recipes say cut in the fat until it resembles cornmeal, but you actually need small chunks of fat to improve rise and flakiness. You need to leave some pea-sized chunks of fat in the flour. Also make sure the fat is COLD. I also use a baking stone and preheat it in the oven while making the biscuits.

These biscuits not only looked beautiful (in spite of some oddly-shaped ones) but tasted  absolutely divine! If  I'm gonna die from eating white flour, this is the way to go...

No self-respecting biscuit would be caught dead dressed in anything but real, honest to goodness butter...at least not at MY house!

I debated on whether or not to include this recipe, since the "best" results (as far as rise goes, anyway) come from using White Death Flour. But, since I started out on this Real Food journey in baby steps, switching from canned biscuits or biscuit mix to making them from scratch, for example, I decided maybe someone else who is in that same place would like this recipe. I usually make these now with half whole wheat flour...and am journeying into the world of soaked grains...but I still fall back to this recipe when the urge for Death by Biscuit hits.

KILLER BISCUITS

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 c flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 4 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 c traditional fat (coconut oil, lard, butter or combination)
• 2/3 c milk (raw, whole fat, or buttermilk will work wonderfully)

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 450, throw in your baking stone to preheat if using one. Mix dry ingredients, cut in fat with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs, making sure to have some pea-sized chunks. Add milk and stir gently with a fork just until moistened and the dough will follow the fork around the bowl. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and gently pat into a ball, then press out and fold the dough over onto itself 5 or 6 times. I usually try to shape it into a square or rectangle during this process to eliminate handling it too much before cutting. Using a SHARP knife or biscuit cutter, cut out your biscuits. Place on stone or baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.

CHEF'S NOTES: 

It takes practice to get good at doing anything, and baking and cooking are no exceptions. Especially when learning to cook from scratch or learning traditional methods of preparing food...so give yourself some grace if they don't turn out perfectly the first time. Sometimes it's your flour, sometimes it's how you worked the dough, sometimes it's the weather (seriously...humidity will jack up a baking day, trust me!). I've been working on biscuits for over a year now and believe me, I've had some flops. But when they do turn out oh man, there's just nothing like a good homemade biscuit!

Oh Sweet Mercy…Loose Meat Sandwiches!

Growing up in the 80’s, I watched Roseanne a lot. One thing I was always curious about was the mysterious “Loose Meat” Sandwich. Several months ago, I searched for the recipe and found one. It was pretty tasty. Last night, I couldn’t think of anything that sounded good for supper. Then all of a sudden, Loose Meat dropped into my head and set my saliva glands into overdrive. I searched again for a recipe, this time finding a different one – and boy am I glad I did! This recipe blows the other one away…(Click on the picture to get a nice close-up view of this amazing sandwich!)

I have completely fallen in love with the Loose Meat Sandwich. Totally. Utterly. Head-over-heels, even. I’m eating them for breakfast right now as a matter of fact. And yes, I said ‘them’. I won’t elaborate on how many that entails…

It’s a fairly simple sandwich, although there is a technique involved and it does take a bit of time. But it is worth every second slaving over that hot stove to create this amazing little Midwestern delicacy.

They are known by several names. Maid Rite. Nu Way. Tavern Sandwiches. Apparently, they originated in  1924 at the Ye Olde Tavern in Sioux City, Iowa. I’ve never heard of them in my neck of the Midwestern woods, but I tell you…after making The Blue Mill Tavern Loosemeat Sandwich recipe I found last night on food.com, well, let’s just say I wouldn’t be opposed to spontaneously jumping in the van and driving to Iowa for lunch. Seriously, they’re THAT good! Only, I won't have to because I can make them at home.

There are a few other recipes floating around out there, but plantfreek, who posted the recipe, says:

“If you see a recipe for loosemeats that contains tomato juice-run! A loosemeat is a sloppy joe without the slop-so stay away from anything tomato-ey please!” (Be sure to check out the original recipe here and read the "About This Recipe" on the right...very informative and a great read!)

The first recipe I tried contained ground beef, onion, salt and pepper. That’s it. It was really good! Sounds kind of plain, but really, the way it’s cooked (especially if you use a cast iron skillet) and the toppings make it taste amazing.

And then…there’s The Blue Mill Tavern Loosemeat. With just a slight twist on the first recipe I found, it moved from an amazing sandwich to Sweet-Mercy-I-Have-Lived-Come-Take-Me-Now-Lord-delicious. My taste buds nearly leaped off my tongue in anticipation of delving into this sandwich...it was all I could do to keep from rushing the process and derailing perfection. Yeah, I love them that much!

Ok…I’ve extolled the virtuous taste of these sandwiches long enough. Let’s get to the meat of the matter…

The Blue Mill Tavern Loosemeat Sandwich

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound good quality ground chuck, round or sirloin
• (if using round or sirloin) 1 Tb lard
• 2 tsp salt, just enough to lightly coat the bottom of your skillet
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tb yellow prepared mustard
• 1 Tb white vinegar
• 1 Tb sugar
• water, enough to cover
• salt and pepper to taste
• hamburger buns
• dill pickle slices
• yellow prepared mustard

METHOD:

Get out a cast iron skillet. They absolutely are the best...if you don't have one, borrow one! Pre-heat skillet over medium heat. When skillet is heated thoroughly, sprinkle salt in the skillet and add ground beef.

**IMPORTANT** Using the back of a wooden spoon, crumble the meat as it cooks. It's essential that the meat is cooked in little crumbles. I don't have a wooden spoon...odd as that sounds (I'm waiting until I can get a good set of olive wood utensils)...so I used a metal spatula and kind of chopped it as it cooked, and that worked just fine. Add the onion and cook while browning the meat. Keep using the spoon or spatula to crumble the meat as it cooks.

When the meat is cooked, drain off any fat and return to the skillet. One of the comments left on this recipe said when you think the meat is done, cook it for five more minutes. Then cook it for one to two minutes more. This gives it a crispy crunchiness and tavern flavor. 

Next, add the mustard, vinegar, sugar, and enough water to barely cover the meat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until ALL the water has disappeared...about 15 to 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Loosemeats are traditionally served on steamed buns, some like them toasted. I've made them both ways and they're both delicious. I think steaming them is quicker...toss them in a steamer basket for about 20 seconds and that's it.

Put some of the meat on the bottom bun, generously top with pickles and mustard. Top off with the top of the bun. Cast off all restraint and dig in!

 CHEF'S NOTES:

Two comments that helped the most in the original posting of the recipe are what I noted above about cooking the meat until it's kind of crispy and crunchy. I'm not talking about cooking it until it's hard little pellets, but you'll start to notice the crumbles getting brown and crispy on the edges. The other comment that was helpful was regarding the simmering. The commenter stated to simmer, simmer, simmer and simmer some more...it's essential that ALL the water is cooked out. This kind of leaves a carmelized coating on the crumbles. I tasted the meat at several stages during the cooking process and truly, the flavor you're after doesn't fully develop until the last few minutes. Be patient. If you can...it's worth it!

Plantfreek also said don't mess with the recipe...at least not the first time you make it. It's a very authentic rendition of the actual Blue Mill Tavern recipe, so make it like this first to experience it then tweak it if you think it needs it. Honestly, as a habitual recipe-tweaker, it was hard not to start adding things like garlic or whatever, but after making this, I wouldn't change a thing. It's perfect as is!

Of course, if you don't like pickles or mustard, you won't like the traditional way these are served: with plenty of both. I, however, love both and the slightly sweet taste of the meat balanced out with the salty, vinegary pickles and mustard are an absolute delight to my taste buds!

This wasn't as nourishing as I aim for because I used commercially-prepared hamburger buns made with white-death flour. But, I used good-quality locally raised ground chuck, sea salt, and home-canned pickles. So, it was mostly nourishing...and sometimes, that's the best that can come out of my kitchen. If I had planned ahead, I would have made my own hamburger buns and used grass-fed beef. There's always  next time...and this is one recipe I will make as often as I can get away with! I'm hoping that  means I can make them a lot since my husband said, in response to my comment about if we ever find ourselves in Iowa I want to eat the real deal there, "we could always move to Iowa..." 

Seriously, they really are that good!

Homemade Hamburger Buns (Bread Machine)

Why make homemade buns when you can buy them so inexpensively at the store? If you read labels at all, and are put-off by ingredients that you can’t pronounce and would be hard-pressed to locate in your local grocery store, then making them yourself with ingredients that you recognize is a healthy, and satisfying option.

 

I love Money Saving Mom’s website. She recently posted a D-I-Y Experiment  list to work on this year and one of those items on her list was making homemade hamburger buns. She used a recipe a reader posted from Food.com, Homemade Hamburger Buns (Bread Machine). I had to make some adjustments in the ingredients, as my bread machine is apparently on the small size, and I used part whole wheat flour, natural sugar, and coconut oil instead of butter.

I was especially intrigued by her technique, which involves rolling the dough out and cutting it with a glass, like to make biscuits. She wasn’t especially thrilled with the shape of them after they rose, and I suggested in a comment to use a sharp biscuit cutter. I’d learned a while back that when making biscuits, you should use a very sharp cutter or knife to get maximum rise – using a dull edge presses down the dough, hindering its ability to rise.  I thought the same might work for the buns.

I conveniently needed hamburger buns for supper tonight so I thought what the heck…why not play around a bit while preparing for tonight’s meal?  I discovered that I do not, in fact, have a biscuit cutter, sharp or otherwise. I’ve always just cut them into squares. So, I rolled the dough out into a rectangle, instead of a circle and used a nice, sharp Cutco bread knife to cut them into squares. They stretched out a bit in the transfer from counter to baking stone, so I smushed them back into a more squarish shape and let them rise.  I was quite pleased with how they looked, kind of like the fancy rolls you can buy at the grocery store.  

 I was afraid they’d get monstrously big in the oven, but they didn’t. They were light and fluffy, overall, I’m very happy with these. I just need to figure out a way to make them round!


HOMEMADE HAMBURGER BUNS (BREAD MACHINE) 
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/4 c milk, slightly warmed
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 Tb butter (or coconut oil)
• 1/4 c sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 3/4 c bread flour
• 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

METHOD:

Place ingredients in bread machine according to manufacturer’s directions, set on dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough and place on floured surface. Roll dough out and cut with sharp knife or biscuit cutter. Or use a floured drinking glass for a round shape. Bake at 350, checking after 9 minutes, until golden brown and baked through.

CHEF’S NOTES:

 

I used baking stones to bake these, one a rectangular bar pan with sides and one a round pizza stone. The pan with sides took longer to bake, about 15 minutes, where the round pan only took 12.

I adjusted the recipe using the tool on the food.com recipe site, had to play around a bit to get it to a flour amount that wouldn’t exceed my bread machine’s capacity. I ended up with some weird measurements, which were quickly figured out using the conversion table I downloaded from Carolina Clipper’s site.

These buns turned out great, light and fluffy and delicious. We had them with Mexicali Chicken and Cheese Sandwiches. I think I will cut back on the sugar by about half next time, though, they were just a bit too sweet for my taste. Definitely a keeper recipe and one I look forward to making more often!

Low GI Cooking Adventure: Grassfed Beef and Italian Vegetable Skillet with Buttery Herbed Brown Rice

Ever get some news that just throws a big old wrench in your works? Chaps your khakis? And generally just makes your life a big pain in the derriere?  Yeah, 2011's just turning out to be that kind of year so far...

HELLO, I'VE GOT BAD NEWS FOR YOU

I got the wonderful news this week that my blood sugar is out of whack. Super. Just what I need...one more thing to have to manage. I'm having flashbacks to my pregnancy with my son, where I ended up having to use insulin. By the end of my pregnancy I hated food. If it weren't for the fact that I had a precious Li'l Man depending on me to keep him healthy, I think I would have just quit eating. Every waking moment of every day revolved around what went in my  mouth:  wake up, prick my finger, check my blood, write it down, figure out what I CAN eat, try to find something I WANT to eat out of that, measure this and measure that, write it down,  then two hours later it started all over again, only then I often needed to give myself a shot.  It was horrible. And now...the finger-pricker and glucose meter have returned. At least there's no insulin this time, I guess.

THERE'S NOTHING IN THIS HOUSE TO EAT, FOR REAL

Today, I spent most of the day starving hungry because there's just not much in the house that's low GI...some almonds, celery and frozen veggies. And eggs...but I have to be in the mood to eat eggs. I was so hungry nothing sounded good. I had a headache. I was very crabby. I'm still mad about all of this anyway.

So, I had to go to the grocery store and find something to make for supper that wouldn't send my blood sugar to the moon. It had to have a low Glycemic Index. It had to sound appetizing. It also had to be cheap. And, I went hungry and crabby and with both kids in tow. Not really the best idea, now that I look back on that.

COOKING ON THE FLY

Earlier in the day I had hoofed it down to the best little butcher shop I know and picked up some of that delicious grassfed beef. I know there's venison in the freezer, but I have been craving some of that wonderful beefy goodness for some time...and darn it, if I have to mess around with all this blood sugar nonsense I'm going to eat at least some of the foods I love. That marvelous meat was the basis of the meal I was trying to formulate, and I decided some brown rice would be good as it is full of fiber and doesn't have a huge impact on blood sugar.  But what else? It's hard to think when you're hungry, your head hurts, you're completely irritated, and your kids apparently don't notice that fact...or they do...

I found some red peppers marked down for 50 cents for two, grabbed a cucumber and some frozen veggies and a few other things just to have around. When I got home, this is what I came up with:

Grassfed Beef and Italian Vegetable Skillet

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground grassfed beef

16 oz package frozen Italian Blend vegetables (zucchini squash, cauliflower, carrots, Italian style green beans, baby lima beans and red bell peppers)

1 c broth (I used organic, free range chicken broth)

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed; or garlic powder to taste

sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 Tbs cornstarch + a small amount of water for thickening (optional)

METHOD:

Brown ground beef until no pink remains, season with salt and pepper while cooking; about half way through add fresh garlic. Add broth and bring to a low boil, add vegetables, stirring well. Return to a low boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are done to your liking, about 7-10 min. Combine cornstarch and water and stir into mixture to thicken, if desired. Serve with Buttery Herbed Brown Rice (recipe follows)

This is not overly seasoned in order to allow the wonderful flavor of the grassfed beef to take center stage. You could, of course, add whatever seasonings you like to it. I found that the lightly seasoned brown rice complimented this very well without overpowering that lovely meat.

BUTTERY HERBED BROWN RICE

INGREDIENTS:

2 c water

1-2 Tb butter, divided

3/4 - 1 c brown rice

sea salt, to taste

1/2 - 1 Tbs Italian Seasoning

METHOD:

In a 2 quart sauce pan, bring water, a pinch of sea salt, and half the butter to a boil. Add rice, stir well, return to boil then reduce heat and cover. Cook for 20 minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed. Add the rest of the butter and all of the Italian Seasoning, stirring well. Add more sea salt if desired.

THE VERDICT

It really turned out to be quite delicious. Our locally-raised (as in just a couple miles away) grassfed beef has the most exquisite flavor...helped also by a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. I almost hate to even put salt on it! But I try to get a little sea salt into everything to increase our mineral intake. If I were to use regular ground beef from the grocery store, I'd have added all kinds of things from my spice cabinet.  Sliced fresh red and green bell peppers and cucumbers were served along with this as well.

GLYCEMIC INDEX

As far as the GI of this meal, I don't really know exactly. The lists I've found for foods and their GI values don't say what the serving size is so until I can find that information I'll just have to take a stab at it:

• meat, of course, has zero carbs...that's a good start
• green beans, cauliflower, 15
• carrots, 16
• red peppers, 10
• baby lima beans, 32
• cucumbers, green peppers, 0
• brown rice, 50

All of these foods are considered "low GI". To me, 50 sounds kind of high, but compared to glutinous rice (my most favorite Asian food ever...Sticky Rice!) that runs from 86-98 depending on the list you look at, well, that's not so bad.  Do I add all these numbers up and average them? What does all this mean? How will this meal impact my blood sugar level? I have no idea! I have a book on the way about low GI dieting so hopefully it will clear up all these nagging little questions.

It's been about half an hour or so since I ate. I feel reasonably satisfied, although there is this underlying, nagging feeling of some little monster wanting to be fed. Sugar withdrawal I guess....it's reminiscent of when I did the Atkin's diet years ago. Which, by the way, I hated but lost 40 pounds while doing. I don't eat much sugar anymore...that's the real kicker!  And I use as much whole grains as I possibly can. I hope I don't have to do a "no carb" diet...that would not really work for me. At all.

Thanks, 2011. You stink. 

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Do you like scrambled eggs? Have you ever noticed that one morning they turn out beautifully: light, fluffy, flavorful....and the next time you make them, they're flat, rubbery and weird-tasting? Maybe you've never had problems with scrambling eggs...on the surface, it seems as though that's one of those basic kitchen skills we were all supposed to pick up from our moms or at least in the obligatory Home Ec class in school. You know, right below boiling water. 

I must admit, this easy-to-prepare dish didn't always turn out perfectly for me. I was, at least, consistent with my inconsistency.

Always in search of better ways to make the foods I prepare at home, I googled "perfect scrambled eggs" one day. Turns out there's more to it than just beating an egg and throwing it in a pan. There's actually some science involved! And, being a homeschooler I was simply delighted to learn that. Of course, now I must share my newly found knowledge with you. I'm sure your breakfast-eaters will appreciate that!

The Science Behind the Scramble

I'd like to thank Mr. Breakfast for enlightening me on the whole scrambled egg deal.  I think most people would agree that  whisking an egg vigorously will incorporate some air into there, which lends to a fluffy scrambled egg. But wait, there's more! Whisking the egg begins to break down and "unravel" the protein molecules, wherein the air you're whisking in gets trapped. Mr. Breakfast explains that "As the eggs cook, protein molecules firm-up around the air bubbles resulting in a spongy texture and hopefully full and fluffy scrambled eggs." And of course, if you overdo the whisking, you'll just completely unravel the protein molecules and there won't be any place for the air bubbles to become entrapped. You end up with flat, rubbery eggs. 

The proper whisking technique is to hold your whisk at an angle instead of vertically. This makes me think of 50's housewives in their pretty dresses, frilly aprons, pearls and heels...I'm not sure why, but it does. 

So, Let's Get Crackin'

Now that you know what's going on in the pan, let's give it a whirl.  First things first...a list of ingredients and equipment you will need:

• eggs
• milk
• butter
• salt and pepper
• bowl
• whisk or fork
• pan

As with anything, quality does count. You need some good eggs.  Like some just-laid eggs from your friend's backyard free-ranging, dirt-scratching, bug-eating chickens . Them's some good eggs. I also recommend some fresh-from-the-farm milk. This chicken here just might have laid one of the eggs I used to make these marvelously magnificent scrambled eggs:

I love my friend's chickens. They make me giggle every time I'm around them.  Cluck...cluck...cluck...Check out her blog at The Homesteading Hippy!

Mr. Breakfast also says that, according to the American Egg Board, properly beaten eggs are "frothy and evenly colored." Mr. Breakfast says after about two minutes, your eggs should look like that. If I'm only doing a couple eggs (his recipe is for six eggs), I usually achieve frothy and even-colored eggs in less than two minutes.

And, you've just got to cook in cast iron. Really. I won't cook eggs in anything else. A properly seasoned pan requires very little, if any, butter, oil or cooking spray to prevent sticking.  Plus, there's the added benefit of getting extra iron in your diet, in case fabulous flavor and non-stick cooking don't convince you.  Whatever pan you're using, you need to get it nice and hot before adding the eggs.  Not to where it's smoking, of course...Mr. Breakfast says just above medium.

Martha Stewart, of Course, Makes Perfect Eggs

Ok...pan's hot, eggs are beaten...now what? There are a few schools of thought on the best way to scramble the eggs once they've hit the pan.  Mr. Breakfast included Martha Stewart's method, and I heartily recommend it.  

If you've added butter to your pan (and I do, even with the cast iron because it just tastes so delicious!), let it melt completely then add your beaten eggs...but resist that urge to start scrambling them around in the pan. Let them begin to set first, then take your spatula and from the edges, start pushing the set part in to the middle of the pan, allowing the rest of the eggs to spill out around what you've pushed into the middle. Tilt the skillet if necessary to get the runny part evenly distributed. Continue this until there is no more runny eggs to cook. I like to keep it in one big, fluffy pile but you can break the eggs up into pieces if you like. Continue cooking until they are as done as you like, but don't overcook!  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Dig in. Be amazed at the fluffy deliciousness of the eggs you just cooked. Just like Martha Stewart does.

Then, if you're like my son...you'll ruin them with ketchup...but, to each his own. I like Bang Bang sauce on mine, to be honest with you.  Here's a recipe I put on my old blog:  Bang Bang Sauce...I'll Put That on ANYTHING!

Aioli, Aioli...Oh How I Love Thee, Aioli...

I still remember the first time I met you, Aioli...you were slathered upon the bun holding the most amazing hamburger I've ever eaten in my life...the Creswick Farms Grass Fed Beef Burger at The Electric Cheetah in Grand Rapids, Michigan. You were so creamy, so garlicky...it was love at first taste...

No matter what you might think about the French, you can't argue with the fact that they know how to cook. Aioli is thought to have originated in Provence, France although I also came across a post at CliffordAWright.com that states that the first mention of anything resembling aioli dates back to Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23-79). No matter where its origins lie, it is absolutely heavenly...providing, of course, that you like garlic. And mayonnaise.

Aioli is basically a garlic mayonnaise and can be easily transformed into many flavored varieties by adding other herbs and spices. Some recipes call for dijon mustard, which I think would kick up the spice factor...raw garlic is rather toasty on its own. There are many recipes and techniques documented out there on the web...I read several, watched a few videos, then headed to the kitchen to try out my new Christmas present...a lovely granite mortar and pestle. Which I wanted specifically to make aioli, although you can use a food processor or an immersion blender. Being a traditionalist in nature, at least when it comes to foodie type things, I of course wanted to do it the "old fashioned" way. But, a mortar and pestle are very handy for crushing spices and herbs so I'm sure I will put it to good use throughout the year.

If you've never made mayonnaise before, I must warn you that it can be kind of tricky. You have to start out adding the oil S-L-O-W-L-Y...as in drop by drop for the first tablespoon, then in a thin stream after that, constantly whisking (if using a whisk) or stirring the pestle in the mortar. I've made blender mayonnaise and it's really very tasty, especially when you have delicious, fresh, pastured eggs. This is the first time I've made mayo by hand, and honestly, it wasn't that hard.

FIRST...make sure your ingredients and utensils are all at room temperature. You'll need:

• Olive oil, about half a cup (or a combination of olive and something else if you don't like a strong olive oil flavor)
• 1egg yolk
• 1 or more cloves of garlic
• Lemon juice, about half to one teaspoon
• Coarse salt (I used Pink Himalayan), about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon
• Mortar and pestle

Next, cut the end off the garlic cloves and peel them by whacking them with the flat side of your nice big chef's knife...or whatever method you prefer for peeling garlic. I like whacking them, myself. Mince the garlic and add it to your mortar, along with a generous pinch or two of salt.

I didn't really mince the garlic, just kind of gave it a good chopping...but in retrospect I should have taken the time to mince. You can also use a garlic press...I have one, I just didn't want to wash it. The salt, by the way, helps to break down the garlic and make it into a paste so you really don't want to omit it. If you use a healthy sea salt or mineral-rich salt such as the Pink Himalayan, it's much better for your ticker than regular old table salt.

Using the pestle, begin grinding the garlic and salt together slowly until it forms a paste. This is somewhat time consuming, but if you mince your garlic or use a press it will not take as long as it did for me. You'll have to keep brushing the garlic bits back down into the mortar at first, but then it will make a nice, smoothish paste that clings to the side of the mortar.

Next, add your egg yolk. Give it a good whirl around the mortar for about a minute.

Some people say to add the lemon juice later, some now. One video I watched said the acid in the lemon juice essentially "cooks" the egg yolk. I added it at this point, next time I will try adding it later and see if it makes a difference. As far as cooking the yolk, I don't know about that but it sounds good.

Give it a good whirl around the mortar, too. The guy in the video says until it's kind of frothy.

Now we get to the tricky part...adding the oil. I know from personal experience that you absolutely do need to add it slowly at first. One video I watched, the lady had her oil in a lovely glass jug with a teeny, tiny spout so you could pour it out drip by drip. I just have my plain old oil jar, so I added just a few drops at a time until I had about a tablespoon in there, then slowly increased how much I added. You must constantly stir the pestle (or whisk) in order to create an emulsion, which is a suspension of small globules of one liquid in a second liquid with which the first will not mix.

Continue adding oil until you have a nice, creamy sauce. Some of the videos I watched the aioli was much more stiff than what I ended up with...but I liked the consistency and the flavor so I stopped. I don't know how much oil I used, to be honest with you. I just started throwing things together, like usual, but the ingredients listed above are from an actual recipe I found at Gourmet Sleuth, minus the dijon mustard.

Here I am, whirling the pestle around the mortar vigorously. It's amazing how fast it emulsifies in this little thing. I love it!

When it's at the right consistency, taste it. Add more salt if you like. Add more lemon juice (I did, to kind of cut back on the intensity of the garlic). You can also add herbs such as basil, or to make it spicier, add horseradish, ground chilis, or other hot spices. I can't wait to experiment with this!

All that's left now is to eat this creamy, garlicky wonder. I tried it with carrots (fabulous!) and some leftover French bread chunks (amazing!). It's supposed to be great for crudités, and is traditionally served with fish, meats and vegetables, depending on what region you're in. I can tell you that in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at that lovely little Electric Cheetah, it is something akin to Nirvana on a grass fed beef burger....

So, for supper tonight, I've cut some sourdough bread in half, slathered aioli on both halves, covered them with some browned venison and piled Swiss cheese on top and thrown it in the oven for about half an hour. It smells fantastic!

Sourdough Venison Aioli Melt

~~**UPDATE**~~

While the aioli I made was quite spicy fresh out of the mortar, once it was baked into the sourdough bread it was not nearly so spicy, or garlicky, actually. I've found a recipe for Aioli Garlic Bread (which also has a link to show how to make the aioli without any fancy equipment), and he cautions that if you like a more intense garlic flavor, to add more garlic when making the garlic bread. Our Sourdough Venison Aioli Melt had a lovely, but subtle, garlic flavor. I ended up putting a bit more aioli (since that was all that was left!) on top of my piece. Very delicious!