Friday Finds - Pamela's Whenever Bars

Pamela's Whenever Oat Chocolate Chip Coconut Bars have called my name many times in many different stores for a while but on a visit to Harmony Farms a couple of weeks ago I finally grabbed a box. I had really tried not to give in because I knew I'd have another Pamela's addiction. Pamela's pancake and bread mixes are always in my pantry. Everyone - gluten free or not loves them. As predicted, these are absolutely amazing. The Oat Chocolate Chip Coconut flavor is perfect. Moist, chewy oats and the perfect balance of chocolate and coconut - two of my favorite flavors.

This morning Joe had to get his wisdom teeth out and we had to leave really early. My Joe is a breakfast guy so leaving without eating wasn't easy for him and I didn't want to eat in front of him. I stuck some into my bag for Chris and I to eat after Joe went back to surgery.

Lots of coffee and one and a half bars later I'm still going strong. While the bars aren't big they are really satisfying. They're a great size to keep in your bag or backpack for those times you get stuck out longer than you expect and can't find something healthy and gluten free. I'll be picking up another box (or two) today.

And please don't forget about The Raleigh Gluten and Allergen Free Wellness Event next month. So many favorites will be there.

Monday Mix - Brit Bits!

Last night was one of those not nearly enough sleep nights for me. Nights like that generally result in carb craving days and today was no different.

So I grabbed a bag of Pamela's Pancake and Baking Mix from the top shelf of the pantry.

Pamela's mixes are something I don't use weekly because I try to focus on whole foods that are naturally gluten free, but I always keep some on hand.

When we have non-gluten free friends over these mixes are perfect for keeping everyone happy. They do not taste or feel gluten free at all. I've mentioned Pamela's a few times here.

I tried to head it off the carb cravings with a healthy breakfast of kale and eggs with a little smoked salmon on the side. Such an easy protein breakfast - it's just one egg and a large handful of kale processed/pureed together and cooked just like scrambled eggs. Yummy and indulgent, but after a while I still needed to bake. I used Joe as my excuse for a carb fix. If I'm baking for Joe then it's got to be okay, right?

Joe really enjoys English muffins and biscuits and it seemed I could combine the two for something fast, easy and tasty. The dough mixed up in moments. I added some flax for more fiber and nutrition and kept the dough on the savory side by using extra virgin olive oil. Giving each side a quick browning on a hot cast iron pan gives them the look of an English muffin but the texture isn't too far from a biscuit even with all the flax meal. Since this recipe makes just six they won't be around too long. After a quick debate we named them Brit Bits.

Brit Bits
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cast iron pan to medium heat on stove top.
Line baking sheet with parchment.
Makes six.

2 2/3 Pamela's Pancake and Baking Mix
3 Tablespoons Flax Meal
3 Tablespoons Oil (I used EVOO)
1 Cup Water

Divide dough into six portions and roll into balls, flatten slightly.

On a hot cast iron pan (mine is an over sized skillet so I could easily do three at a time) cook about a minute or two, flip and cook one or two more minutes - you just want them to have a nice golden color on each size.

Place each bit onto your parchment lined baking sheet as they are browned.

Bake approximately fifteen minutes - they'll feel pretty firm but not hard to the touch.  Let cool slightly.

Slice and toast as you would an English muffin. They were perfect with butter and jam for a mid-morning treat. Joe says they're even good plain.

Enjoy!

Comfort Food Today

Like many people today, I spent much of the day remembering what happened ten years ago. Many prayers were said today for families of those lost and for those serving our country now.

We had crepes filled with ice cream for brunch today - a new comfort food for sure. I'd never made them before but had watched the crepe maker at The Breizh Cafe. Mine were not nearly as pretty as what we had there. It didn't matter a bit - they were eaten too quickly to really notice. We were together and I cherished our time.

I used Arrowhead Mills Buckwheat Flour and adapted the recipe on the back of the package. Buckwheat flour, despite "wheat" in the name is actually gluten free. The recipe, though, called for whole wheat flour and I decided to sub Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix rather than another single gluten free flour. Because they were going to be dessert crepes I used Vanilla Coconut Milk.

Buckwheat Crepes:

2/3 Cup Buckwheat Flour

1/2 Cup Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix

1 Tablespoon Honey

2 Eggs

1 1/4 Cup Vanilla Coconut Milk.

1/4 Cup Butter, melted

Whisk everything but the butter together in a large bowl.

I used a large flat cast iron pan heated to medium hot and spread or pour a bit of melted butter on the pan between each crepe.

Using about 1/2 cup of batter for each crepe, pour into center of pan.  I spread the batter thinly out from the center with this tool until it was as thin as possible.  None were pretty, not one was perfectly round but it doesn't matter.  Just like a regular pancake, when the surface loses its shine and starts to bubble it is ready to flip.  Give it just another couple of minutes and stack them on a plate and covered with a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm as you finish.

Fill them with ice cream and drizzle with honey, fold and enjoy.

Gluten Free Deep Fried Bliss!

My sweet family realized how much gluten free onion rings meant to me at Yeah Burger and they did a very dangerous thing today.  They gifted me with my very own, brand spanking new, never used for anything gluteny deep fryer.

So now, after eating more than my age onion rings I can reflect on the experience.  

The deep fryer is wonderful and so easy to use.  It’s a Delonghi  Cool Touch so no burns from metal housing.  The basket automatically lowers to protect you from spattering burns.  It seems very easy to clean and couldn’t have been simpler to start up.

I decided to use coconut oil in the fryer because I believe it is a healthier choice for us.  I am certain there are no preservatives or anti-foaming agents or anything else we don’t want in our food.

The first test was tortilla chips.  I simply took Trader Joe’s corn tortillas and cut them into sixths.  It took less than five minutes per batch for a perfect golden brown.  On a scale of one to ten Joe gave them a ten.

The next was Bell and Evan’s chicken nuggets.  Not something we keep on hand all the time but they are really good, all natural chicken nuggets.  Joe likes them either way but felt the deep frying made the coating extra crunchy which he really enjoyed.

The big test, though, was onion rings.  A while back I found The Baking Beauties website and made note of the onion rings.  So this morning I pulled up the onion ring recipe and couldn’t wait to get started.  Onion rings - glorious onion rings!

I followed Jeanine’s recipe with two substitutions – Pamela’s  Baking and Pancake Mix for the GF All Purpose Flour and sparkling water for the milk.  Pamela’s because I love it and had it on hand and the sparkling water because we don’t drink milk.  I’ve read that sparkling water or club soda works well in this type of batter so I thought I would give it a try.

Two large onions made a ton of onion rings.  Chris took a plate to the Feks – because who doesn’t want onion rings after dinner when you’re trying to bathe two little ones??  They’re addictive and so yummy and I had a ton of them.  I did have some spicy green gazpacho and a green salad to balance out the onion rings – that's healthy, right?? 

So if you love onion rings like I love onion rings try this recipe!

Remembering Grandma Dot & Her Prune Cake

My sweet Grandma Dot was one of the best bakers I've ever met and I miss her so.  All of her different cookie bars were chewy heaven on earth and her Forgotten Meringue cookies were addictive.  Her cakes, though, were her specialty.  Her prune cake with mocha icing was The Cake but something I just wouldn't try as a child.  After all, prune cake doesn’t really sound very appealing to most kids and it sure didn't to me. Perhaps if it had been called it something different I would have tried it sooner and I know I would have loved it instantly.

Grandma loved a strong, hot cup of coffee with a piece of her cake.  My  hubby enjoys coffee as strong as Grandma did and she loved nothing more than putting on a pot of coffee and serving him a large piece of cake.  I loved that even after we moved all the way across the country every time he travelled back to California on business he would stop in and see her. There was always cake and coffee waiting for him.  It made me so homesick knowing they were together but it made me really happy, too. I know she loved those visits.

I found a copy of Grandma's recipe that she had typed up in an old recipe card tin a few weeks ago. I was thrilled.  Earlier this week I calculated revising Grandma's recipe with coconut flour, but then I noticed the Pamela’s Classic Vanilla Cake Mix at the market and realized that would probably be most like Grandma’s version.  What helped me decide to go with it were all the variations listed on the side of the package - it looked very easy to adapt and flexible.

I had originally planned to make a two layer cake like Grandma always did but realized I’d given all my cake pans away when I became gluten intolerant couldn't use them anymore.  So more cupcakes it was! 

Grandma Dot’s (Gluten Free) Prune Cupcakes

Preheat Oven to 325 - line 20 cupcake tins with papers

One Package Pamela’s Classic Vanilla Cake Mix

1/2 cup butter, softened or melted

3 eggs

1 cup prunes (cooked and chopped)

2./3 cup prune juice (liquid from cooking)

2 Tablespoons Cocoa

2 teaspoons total spices (see note)

Place all ingredients in the Kitchenaid bowl and beat on medium for two minutes and then filled 20 cupcake liners nearly full.  The heaviness of the prunes keep the cupcakes from rising too much higher.  Bake until just done - mine took 20 minutes - and let cool.

Now it's time to make the icing.  If you should happen to see this outside your kitchen window you might want to go outside and check things out. Climbing Tree with a sharp saw. Sigh. 

Grandma’s Mocha Icing

½ cup Butter, softened

3 cups  Powdered Sugar

1 Tablespoon Cocoa

4 teaspoons Strong, Hot Coffee 

Place all ingredients in the Kitchenaid bowl and beat on low until just incorporated and then at medium high for about two minutes.

I absolutely loved the familiar smell of the cake baking.  The mocha frosting is so fast and easy.  I think this will be a new tradition every April 29th.

Gluten Free Scones for Easter

Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix is a pantry staple in my kitchen.  For a little over three years I’ve been making the best pancakes with this mix by following the recipe and adding nothing more than eggs, oil and water. I always use coconut oil and melt it while the pan is heating. The pancakes come out consistently good every time and everyone I’ve made them for loves them whether they are gluten free or not.  

There are several recipes on the back of the bag and yet the only other one I’ve tried up until now is Pamela’s Chocolate Chip Cookie which is a great one.

This scone recipe has been calling me for a while.  Since Easter is approaching I was thinking about making some different brunch treats and pulled the Pamela’s bag out to experiment.  The scone recipe on the bag is very traditional and looks wonderful but I decided to play with it a bit.  My new shipment of Tropical Traditions coconut flour was still on the counter and that got me thinking.  Adding a bit of coconut flour, subbing coconut oil for butter and using So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk for dairy gave them just the right amount of coconut flavor.  Since coconut flour absorbs so much liquid I needed to up the eggs and oil.  Adding chopped crystallized ginger and chocolate chips made them sweet and special – in fact so sweet I was able to skip the sugar all together. They're light and not too filling, unlike many of the more substantial breakfast treats I usually make.  They'll be a perfect addition to an Easter brunch buffet. 

Gluten Free Scones

Preheat at 375 degrees

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

3 cups  Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix

3 Tablespoons Tropical Traditions Coconut Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

6 T Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil

1 cup So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk

3 large eggs

2/3 cup Crystallized Ginger, finely chopped

1 1/3 cup All Natural chocolate Chips

Be sure to check your ingredients to make sure everything is gluten free.

The only variable in this recipe is the temperature of the coconut oil.  If your kitchen is cool it will be solid.  If your kitchen is about 75 degrees or higher it will be soft or melted.  I've worked with both melted and soft consistencies for this recipe and they each worked fine.  Either way put all ingredients except the Crystallized Ginger and Chocolate Chips in a mixing bowl - I used my Kitchenaid Mixer.  The Kitchenaid mixes everything in less than a minute no matter what the oil consistency is.  

If your oil is hard and you're mixing by hand use the technique on the bag cutting the coconut oil into the mix as you would for a pie crust or biscuits until all ingredients are just incorporated and a only a little lumpy.  Add the ginger and chocolate chips.

Drop into large spoonfuls onto parchment paper.  I made 18 scones that took about 12 to 15 minutes to bake to a nice golden brown.

Enjoy!

Easy Gluten Free Homemade Veggie Burgers

Remember Monday’s post when I said I’d doubled the rice and lentils to make veggie burgers? Well, here they are. I love Sunshine Burgers* and usually have a box in the freezer for an almost instant lunch or dinner.  But when I’m out, I make my own.  This is one of the fastest and least expensive recipes you can make and its a great vegetarian protein combination, too.

For this recipe I had set aside approximately three cups each of the lentils and the rice. I added the chopped veggies and seasonings and used an immersion blender to get the texture I wanted. Pushing the blender down through the mixture several times the mixture was mostly pureed but still had some whole rice grains and lentils for texture. This is a really basic recipe you can change with your favorite herbs and spices.

Veggie Burgers

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line baking sheet with parchment paper

3 cups cooked brown rice

3 cups cooked lentils

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

½ cup grated carrots

¼  cup minced onion

1 clove minced garlic

Dash of salt, pepper and cayenne

Place everything but 1 Tablespoon of olive oil together and 1) blend with immersion blender or 2) blend with food processor or 3) mash with a manual potato masher.  Do not over blend or process as you want some texture.

Shape one cup spoonfuls of mixture into patties on the parchment paper. Drizzle about ½ teaspoon of olive oil on top of each patty and brush over top.  Bake until browned – about 25 minutes in my oven.

The sandwich rolls were made with a one loaf-sized package Pamela’s Bread mix.  I used the standard bread recipe and shaped it into six rolls. The dough is very sticky, so smooth it over with very wet hands to get a nice, smooth bun shape.  They also took about 25 minutes to bake.

Joe is a purist and had a plain cheese veggie burger.

Mine was topped with a roasted red pepper and eggplant spread and I added a handful of fresh baby spinach. So yummy!

*Why Sunshine Burgers?  Because they are not only gluten free but soy free and non-GMO. They're the only brand I've found that meets our needs and they just taste great, too.

Like Sunshine Burgers homemade veggie burgers can crumble easily so transfer them from baking sheet to bun with a spatula. You can purposefully crumble them when making wraps or adding them to nachos.