GF Ivory Teff & Fig Breakfast Muffins
Now that spring is finally here (and we have had plenty of rain and flash flooding to prove it!), I always start to crave muffins. They are so light and full of flavor. You can pair them with just about anything depending on what you add to them. A lemon muffin is great as a side to a salad, banana muffins or blueberry are excellent for snacks or dessert. Here is a hearty, not too sweet breakfast muffin that will provide plenty of energy for your mornings… and very welcome along side your favorite morning beverage!
GF Ivory Teff & Fig Breakfast Muffins
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup ivory teff flour
- ½ cup sorghum flour
- ¾ cup tapioca starch flour
- ½ cup arrowroot starch
- ¼ cup amaranth flour
- ¼ cup millet flour
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 Tbls baking powder
- 1 Tbls flax seeds, ground
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, slightly melted
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup warm coconut milk
Fig Filling:
Fig Filling!
- 10 figs, soaked in warm water and stems removed
- ¼ cup cooked teff (brown or ivory seed)
- 2 Tbls slightly melted coconut oil
- ½ lime, juice only
- ¼ cup quinoa flakes
Crumb Topping:
- ½ cup sorghum flour
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- ¼ – ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup quinoa flakes
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 4 Tbls cold coconut oil
Method:
- Fig Filling: Blend all ingredients in a food processor and set aside.
- Crumb Topping: Blend all ingredients in a food processor and set aside.
- Muffins: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tin with parchment liners.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, except for the coconut sugar. In a stand mixer, cream the coconut oil and coconut sugar together. Add the eggs and mix until fluffy.
- Add the coconut milk and dry ingredients slowly, mixing well. Stop mixer to scrape down sides and then mix again on medium speed for 1 minute. Let stand 5 minutes.
- Fill muffin tin ½ full with batter, add 1 tsp of fig filling to the center of each muffin cup and top with additional batter. Each muffin cup should be about ¾ full. Sprinkle crumb topping on top of each muffin.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes and then remove muffins from tin to a wire rack. Cool completely before serving!
Enjoy!
Gluten Free Blueberry Tart with Teff pastry crust for Easter 2013!
Happy Easter! I hope that your day was as fun as ours. We enjoyed the day with family and all the kids loved being together… especially for the egg hunt and playing with goodies in their baskets. I baked a blueberry tart this year that was a perfect end to our time together. It is free of gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, and refined sugar… and my favorite thing about this tart is that the crust is made with ivory teff flour! Here’s the recipe:
GF Blueberry Tart with Ivory Teff Pastry Crust
A slice of blueberry tart sprinkled with a dusting of organic powdered sugar (corn free!)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Ivory Teff flour
- 1/2 cup sorghum flour
- 1/4 cup Tapioca Starch flour
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 Tbls cold palm shortening, cut into small pieces
- 2 Tbls cold coconut oil
- 5-7 Tbls ice cold water mixed with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (look for the wild blueberries that are small as they have the most flavor)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 Tbls Arrowroot
- squeeze of lime juice (probably half a lime)
- small pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 tsp lime zest (optional)
- coconut milk (optional)
Method:
- Line a 8 or 9 inch tart pan (the kind with a removable bottom) with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Mix the ivory teff flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum and salt in a medium size bowl.
- Cut the palm shortening and coconut oil into the dry ingredients until a pea sized crumb develops. You can use a fork or your hands for this step.
- Add the ice cold water and stir to combine into a dough.
- Press the dough into a prepared tart pan with your hands, making sure the sides and bottom are even. Prick lightly with a fork, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate until the dough is cold.
- Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, combine the blueberries, coconut sugar, arrowroot, lime juice, zest and pinch of salt. Gently heat over low flame until a juice begins to form. You may add a tablespoon of coconut milk to help if you wish but not necessary.
- Preheat your oven to 325 and bake the cold tart shell for 10 minutes to set. Remove from the oven and pour the blueberry mixture into the tart shell. Return the tart to the oven and bake at 325 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
- Remove the tart from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Do not slice until the tart is completely cool or the blueberry filling will not set!
Happy Valentines Day! I hope you have a great day celebrating those you love. I made these fun gluten free, nut & dairy free truffles and orange cream candies for my loved ones… just sweet enough to remind them how great they are to me!! xoxo to my crew.
Orange Cream Candy Meltaways
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, slightly melted
- 1/4 cup coconut cream (also called coconut manna)
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract (sugar free)
- zest of 1/2 small orange
- 2 tsp agave syrup
- 1 Tbls coconut sugar (or more depending on desired sweetness)
- mini muffin cups (about 12)
Method:
- Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
- The mixture will be creamy but not thick.
- Pour 1 Tablespoon of the mixture into a mini muffin cup. Repeat until all the cream mixture is used up.
- Refrigerate or freeze until ready to enjoy. Serve cold as these will melt at room temperature!
Best Superbowl Appetizer: GF Asian BBQ Wings!
I hope you had a great time with friends and family this past weekend for the Superbowl. It is always a time of fun competition with friends and fun foods for our family. This year, the winning appetizer was this great BBQ chicken wing recipe that I had from years past. I adapted it to be gluten free… What a crowd pleaser it was! We served the wings with extra Asian dipping sauce, celery sticks and bacon dip. Here’s the recipe for you to enjoy as well!
GF Asian Style BBQ Chicken Wings
Ingredients:
- 1 pkg chicken wings (about 20 pieces), cut each wing at the joint for small pieces (save the tips for soup stock)
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup oil and vinegar dressing (1/4 cup olive oil, 1/8 cup vinegar, salt and pepper)
- 1 cup brown rice flour or equivalent gluten free flour blend without xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp salt, pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbls gluten free soy sauce or (our favorite is San-J GF Tamari)
- 1 Tbls sesame oil
- Zest of 1 orange
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 Tbls corn starch or arrowroot starch mixed with 1 Tbls water
- 1 Tbls honey
- red pepper flakes (optional and to taste)
- Celery sticks
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Marinate the cut wing pieces in the oil and vinegar dressing for about an hour or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Mix the gluten free flour with the salt and pepper. Then, toss the marinated chicken wing parts in the flour to coat. Place evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the wing pieces in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake an additional 20 minutes or until crispy.
- Once the wings come out of the oven, place the baking sheet on a rack to cool.
- Prepare the sauce: In a small sauce pot set over medium-low heat, combine the rice wine vinegar, sugar, garlic, GF soy sauce, sesame oil, orange zest and juice and grated ginger. Bring the mixture to a low simmer stirring frequently. Once the mixture boils, turn down the heat and add the corn starch/water mixture. Bring the sauce back to a simmer. Cook until the desired thickness and remove from the heat. Stir in the honey and pepper flakes if using. Reserve about a 1/4 cup of the sauce for dipping.
- Place the cooked wing pieces into a large bowl, add your hot sauce and toss to coat. Serve immediately with reserved sauce and celery pieces!
This last weekend we shared some game day favorite appetizers that are fun for any playoff party at our WildFlours GF Group event. We discussed how cross contamination can make it hard for those on a gluten and allergy free diet to enjoy foods that should otherwise be free from problematic proteins. Potato skins are usually off limits for those on a gluten free diet due to restaurant chefs frying the already baked skins in the same oil they use to fry other gluten containing foods. This method gives the potato skins a nice crispy texture; however, they are then contaminated with gluten proteins due to the oil being used to fry other foods such as batter dipped chicken and veggies.
Some other ideas we shared for appetizers that can be potential allergy risks are:
- pizza bites: made with gluten free pizza crusts by pressing the dough into a greased muffin tin and add your favorite dairy free cheese
- chili: believe it or not, often chili is thickened with gluten containing grains or may even contain peanut butter, so always ask for ingredients before assuming chili is safe
- chips and dip: make your own version of salsa or popular ranch dressing dips (such as Living Withouts BLT Dip); then, serve with regular potato chips, corn tortilla chips, and gluten free crackers to give a variety but keep cross contamination from gluten containing chips off the table
With Superbowl XLVII fast approaching, here is my recipe for potato skins that you can feel great about sharing with the rest of your crowd on game day!
Gluten and Dairy Free Potato Skins
Ingredients:
- 5-7 Baking potatoes, washed and dried
- 4 Tbsp of olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper
- Dash of paprika
- 1 clove garlic, crushed (or more if you prefer)
- 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (use rice parmesan cheese for dairy free)
Toppings:
- Cheese of your choice (I use Galaxy’s Cheddar Rice Shredds)
- GF Bacon, cooked until crispy and then chopped fine
- Green onions
- Tomatoes, diced
- Jalapeno Peppers, sliced thin (optional – seeds removed for less heat)
- Salsa (optional)
- Sour Cream (optional) (use Tofutti Sour Cream for dairy free)
Method:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss cleaned potatoes in 1 Tbls olive oil to coat and place on prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until tender.
- Remove potatoes from the oven and cool until easy to touch.
- When cool enough to handle, slice the potatoes in half and scoop out the centers leaving enough potato to create a “bowl” for your toppings. Place prepared potatoes, cut side up, back onto the baking sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix the remaining oil and seasonings together. Brush onto the potatoes.
- Bake the potato skins for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and add your toppings beginning with the cheese.
- Return the potato skins back to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes, just until the cheese melts and begins to bubble or brown.
- Remove from the oven and serve with sour cream and/or salsa on the side.
Our meeting this month is just weeks away from Superbowl XLVII and the fun foods that go with it! Let’s get together and share your favorite recipes for game day at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles! Game Day worthy fare usually features spicy wings, several chip/dip options, pizza, chili and more. I will have a few gluten/allergy free favorites to try… you are welcome to bring your favorite dish* to share!
To find out more, check out our meeting information at GFGroup!
I hope to see you:
Sunday, January 20th
3pm – 4:30 pm
Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles!
*Please make sure that all recipes are gluten and nut free. Recipes free from other common allergens are always welcome as well! Thank you!
Gluten Free Donuts for the New Year!
Happy New Year! I trust that you had a blessed Christmas and safe passage into 2013! My children gifted me with a donut pan and a beautiful new cutting board this Christmas. So, I decided it best to ring in the new year with some donuts. I have made donuts often, gluten and dairy free (remember the Cider Donut Holes!). I used the same recipe that I have in the past, substituting buttermilk (or coconut milk mixed with 1 Tbls apple cider vinegar), for the apple cider. These turned out really amazing in the new donut pan as you can see! I highly recommend it… no more heating oil and fiddling to keep the temperature just right. Besides, these keep a perfect shape! We ended up dusting some with powdered sugar (corn starch free) and glazing others with a coconut milk/powdered sugar glaze to keep them dairy free. 
The end of 2012 was quite busy for us. Our Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange was as awesome as ever. It is such a blessing to head home with a few dozen Christmas cookies that I did not have to make myself. If you missed it, please plan on coming next year! I am really looking forward to more meetings at Hickory Knolls Discovery Center this year. I hope you can join us this month as we plan for the Superbowl with “Big Game Fare… Gluten and Allergy Free”.
One common theme I noticed at the end of 2012 is just how many people are impacted by gluten intolerance. It has been quite incredible to see the acceptance of gluten free foods in restaurants, with chefs, at schools, and on grocery store shelves. Now more than ever, it has become so much easier to find items that are safe for those on a gluten/allergy free diet that are wholesome and really good. Sure, there are those out there that are just negative about a change in diet. I get that and have had to listen to many complaints. The biggest challenge when switching to a gluten free diet is embracing new textures and flavors without “looking back” on what food used to be like. I coach others all the time to take small steps if they can and not to expect too much. When you are really ready to make the commitment for your health, a world of new and wonderful foods await!
Recently, I read the forward to the cookbook “The Gluten-Free Table“ (by the Lagasse sisters) written by renowned chef Emeril Lagasse. His words flew off the page at me as he described his emotions upon finding out that his daughters have celiac disease and then how he began to embrace the change they must make in his own kitchen. This very well known chef wrote “I’ve seen food trends come and go during my years as a chef, but I’m here to tell you that this is no trend, folks; this is a serious reality for people living with gluten intolerance and celiac disease.” Wow! I can not tell you how many times I have tried to convey those exact words to someone struggling with this dietary change… this deal is here for keeps! His words brought a lot of hope and encouragement to me as I seek to help others. It has been my passion for ten years now… not just to feed my children and keep them healthy, not just for my own well being… but to help others find their way back into their kitchens after the reality of dietary change sets in. I am so grateful that God has used me as his vessel in this ministry to reach others in their time of need. I look forward to many more years to come!
As for 2013, I resolve to keep testing, trying and baking the best gluten and allergy free foods that I know how! May it be a great and blessed year!
Gluten Free, Grain Free Cupcake made with Ivory Teff Flour
Every child should have cake on their birthday! My youngest child had another birthday recently and we had a lot to celebrate and be thankful for… not to mention this little cupcake. This is the child that took us down the path of eating grain free (plus a whole lot more). Recently, I was contacted by the folks at the Teff Company regarding a Teff Brownie recipe that I had developed and posted on our website. If you are a regular reader, you know how much we love Teff! This little seed has brought so much joy back to our baking. Using Brown Teff makes everything we bake look like chocolate. Not a bad thing, right! Well, it is really great… unless you are making pizza or rolls. I was excited to find out that the folks at the Teff Company have Ivory Teff! I jumped at the chance to order a bag and start experimenting with my recipes. First up was this little cake just in time for cupcakes for the birthday kiddo’s classmates… everyone loved them (even without the frosting). Since the cupcakes were so successful, I immediately converted it to a layer cake for our birthday celebration at home. It is fabulous!! If you are looking for a gluten free, grain free cupcake, this is it!
When I say “grain free” please know you are using milled flours from seeds, not traditional grains. These seeds produce flours similar in texture and properties to their grain like counterparts, with often times more nutrition as is the case with Teff. These are not nut based as many traditional “grain-free” baked goods are and not considered SCD safe for those following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. The success of this cupcake has to do with the Teff. Ivory Teff varies slightly from Brown Teff when using the resulting flours for baking. I have found that Ivory Teff likes to be paired with another gluten free seed flour (such as millet, sorghum, quinoa or amaranth) for it to really shine and produce a beautiful baked product. Brown Teff would work just as well in this recipe. The difference to note with Brown Teff is that it will stand alone with minimal starch and still produce a really nice baked good, no need to combine it with another gluten free seed flour unless you want to.
Ivory Teff Coconut Cupcake
Happy Birthday, cupcake! We did not miss the frosting one bit… just unsweetened coconut flakes for “sprinkles” was all that we added to give the cakes a little something special on top. If you need frosting, any vanilla buttercream will do. If refined sugars are a problem, try making a coconut oil/agave (or honey) frosting (see the note at the bottom of last years birthday cake article on GF Pumpkin Spice Cake for further instructions… and another really great cake!) I will be trying many more recipes with Ivory Teff in the months to come and will share with you our successes. Here’s the cupcake recipe to start:
GF Coconut Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup Ivory Teff (Brown Teff will work here as well)
- 1/4 cup + 1/8 Cup Sorghum Flour (or Quinoa Flour)
- 1/4 cup Arrowroot Starch
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- scant 3/4 cup coconut sugar (or 1/2 cup regular sugar)
- 1/4 cup agave
- 2 large eggs
- 3 ounces coconut oil, slightly melted but not hot
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp GF vanilla
- unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cupcake pan with baking liners and set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, combine the first six dry ingredients and mix well to combine with a fork or whisk.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the coconut sugar, agave and eggs at medium speed for 1 minute. Add the coconut oil and 1/4 cup of the coconut milk and GF vanilla. Mix to combine.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed, slowly adding in the remaining coconut milk. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Then, beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute.
- Divide batter evenly among the lined cupcake pan cups. If desired, sprinkle the tops with unsweetened coconut flakes. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the center springs back when touched. Cupcakes will be lightly browned on top. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely before frosting.
Note: I asked the Teff Company about the risk of cross contamination with their Teff grain and flour products… they stated that while they do not have a “certified” gluten free product, they assured me that their Teff grain and flours are produced in a facility that only produces teff grain/flour. Their teff is produced on small acreages and then is cleaned and stored in small steel bins (2,500 pounds). The possibility of contamination (as in oats) is therefore not an issue. The Teff Company also sends off samples of teff to a laboratory to have it tested for gluten contamination and according to the Company gluten has not been detected in any of the samples. Testing is done approximately every six months. They have a sampler pack that gives you flours and whole grain to try and shipping is included in the cost of their product. I am very interested in the 25 lb bag of Teff flour as we use so much of this great little seed! Check them out at www.teffco.com for all that they have to offer!
Gluten Free Stuffing Casserole… a Thanksgiving leftover tradition
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving with family, friends and loved ones! We sure did. It was a relaxing weekend for a change… things didn’t seem rushed. The week before, our WildFlours Gluten Free Group meeting was all about “GF Stuffing/Dressing and Navigating the Holiday table”. If you missed the meeting, I will share my Grandma’s stuffing recipe below. It was easy to convert this traditional side dish using good quality gluten free bread. Not the kind that resembles cardboard… you need a good multi-grain/seed gluten free bread. I prefer to bake my own; however, you can also use Udi’s Gluten Free breads or a mix made at home from Breads from Anna or Pamela’s Amazing Bread. In the picture above, we made a turkey casserole assembled with leftover stuffing, turkey and vegetables (in this case, peas). Once warmed in the oven, serve with any leftover gravy and cranberry sauce. Sometimes, this easy casserole seems better than the Thanksgiving meal! Here is our traditional stuffing/dressing recipe made gluten free:
Grandma’s GF Stuffing (Dressing)
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf GF bread, cut into bite sized pieces or torn by hand
- 1 Tbls bacon grease, butter or olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 2-3 stalks celery, peeled and diced
- 1 small apple or 1/2 large apple, peeled and diced
- 2 tsp fresh sage (finely chopped), or 4 tsp dried sage
- 2 tsp fresh parsley (finely chopped), or 4 tsp dried parsley
- optional: cooked pancetta, crumbled bacon, soaked shitake mushrooms with soaking liquid, soaked cranberries
- GF Chicken or Vegetable Stock (about 1 cup)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Butter for greasing the baking dish
Method:
1. Spread your bread cubes out onto a baking sheet and toast in a 300 degree oven until well dried, or leave on the counter over night to stale.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place toasted bread cubes in a large bowl.
3. In a skillet, heat the bacon grease and add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until the veggie’s begin to soften slightly. Add the apple and any other ingredients (such as mushrooms, pancetta, crumbled bacon, cranberries). Continue to cook one minute longer, stirring frequently.
4. Add the herbs and turn off the heat. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper. Using a glass baking dish or other oven safe dish, spread the butter all over the inside of the dish and on the underside of the cover (if the dish does not have a cover, spread some butter on a piece of tinfoil cut to the size of your dish.
5. Moisten the bread cubes with about 1/8 cup of stock and toss to coat. Then add the cooked vegetable mixture to the bread and toss to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
6. Slowly pour the rest of the stock all over the bread mixture in the baking dish and cover (butter side down) tightly. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest with cover on for 5-10 minutes before serving.
