Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones

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I don't know about you but I often look at things longingly in bakeries. Lately it's been pumpkin almost anything that I can't eat because it's always filled with gluten. Well I finally found a recipe that I was able to translate really well to gluten-free. I made mine dairy-free and it was just as delicious. The recipe includes the variation (it's pretty straight forward).
 
As with any recipe, make it a few times and it won't be hard. The key is to make sure the cold butter or vegetable shortening is incorporated well into the dry ingredients. You can do this either with a food processor (my favorite), a pastry blender (handheld tool) or two knives. This dish is great for breakfast or as a treat with a cup of tea or coffee.

 Adapted from http://livlifetoo.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-scones.html 

Makes approximately 12-14 medium sized scones
 
6 tablespoons butter or vegetable shortening, cut into chunks

Dry Ingredients:
1 ½ cups Amy’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend
½ cup almond meal (or all gluten-free flour)
Scant ½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
Heaping ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Heaping ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons half and half or 2 ½ tablespoons almond or soy milk + ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Egg Wash:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk or milk substitute
Coarse sugar (for example, turbinado)                                    

Sugar Glaze Ingredients:
½ cup powdered sugar
¾ to 1 tablespoon milk or milk substitute

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.  Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
2. Place butter or shortening in the freezer for about 5 minutes. Measure the dry ingredients while it chills.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse about 5-10 times until dry ingredients are mixed well.
4. In a medium to large bowl, beat the eggs first, then add the milk and pumpkin. Set aside.
5. To the bowl of the food processor, add the chilled butter or shortening. Pulse 20-30 seconds or until mixture looks like grated parmesan cheese. You can also use a pastry blender to blend the butter or shortening with the dry ingredients.
6. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula. Form into a ball.
7. Place some gluten-free flour on a clean counter. Place the dough on the counter and pat into a rectangle about 1” thick.
8. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut into triangles. Transfer to the baking sheet.
9. To make the egg wash, mix egg and milk or milk substitute in a small bowl. Brush each scone with the wash. Sprinkle each scone with coarse sugar.
10. Place in oven and bake about 12-15 minutes or until scones are golden brown. Scones should be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
11. After about 3 minutes, transfer to a wire rack.
12. Once cool, prepare the sugar glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth.  If it’s too runny, add more sugar.  If too thick, add a little more milk until reaching desired consistency.  Drizzle the glaze over the top of each cooled scone and enjoy. 

5 Tips for Enjoying a Gluten-Free Expo

If you have never been to a gluten-free expo before put on by the very talented and organized people from the Gluten-Free Allergen-Free Expo, you are in for a treat. I will be attending their Dallas expo this weekend; it will be my third with them. After looking through some photos, I thought of some things that might be helpful if this is your first time:

1. Come hungry! There will be many, many samples to try. However, the one caveat is that they tend to be starchy so have a good breakfast with some protein that day. You might even want to have some (gluten-free) protein on you in case you start to fade.

2. Drink water. All of that walking around, sampling, and talking can make you thirsty.

3. Wear comfortable shoes. Did I mention there's a lot of walking? And expect to be tired at the end.

4. Bring an extra bag or two. Vendors have lots of giveaways. You never know what you might go home with (perhaps a cookbook or two??).

5. Have fun and socialize! These expos are a great time to not only meet vendors but other people who are in the same boat as you. Talking to people who have a food intolerance or sensitivity with you or a family member can really make you feel "normal". I know that some times I feel like I'm the only one out there (especially when I travel or I'm out, watching people eat bread, pizza or cookies). It's nice to know we have a community. Make the most of it. Talk to the vendors as well. It's always interesting to find out how they got started. Who knows; maybe you will meet Gluten-Freeda or Kyra from Crave Bake Shop?!

Check out these photos of past expos.

The Warm Kitchen: A Book is Born!

The Warm Kitchen: A Book is Born!: I have the pleasure to announce the birth of...my cookbook, The Warm Kitchen ! I have two children and I remember how I felt during pre...

How to make Arepas

Arepas (ah-ray-pahs) are a corn pocket which can be found on many street corners in Venezuela. I first became familiar with them when I met Adriana Lopez Vermut from Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen at the Gluten-Free Spree in San Francisco in 2009. At the time, she only had a location in Napa's Oxbow Market. Now, there are two other locations in San Francisco (Mission and Castro areas). Click on that link and scroll down to see exact locations. I wrote an article about Pica Pica as well.

She was recently featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri. He, like most people, was blown away by Pica Picas' arepas. The flavors of the arepa fillings are really amazing. I believe he deemed them "outrageous", possibly the highest triple D compliment one can receive.

A few years ago she invited me to come to her restaurant to make a special Family Chef recipe for the arepas. I chose a sweet potato and black bean-style chili which went very well with the crunchy on the outside-soft on the inside corn pocket. Watch the video here. I only made arepas once since then and decided recently I needed to try them again; practice makes perfect!

For the filling, I made a crock pot Latin-style chicken and served it with black beans, cilantro, avocado, red onion, and lime. My family loved it (especially the make-your-own part as we each like different fillings). They were delicious!

I'm going to try to make a pabellon style this weekend with a tomato-based skirt steak filling. Yes, I think about my meals 2 days in advance!

Well, here is my tutorial for you. I hope it helps to make you successful!

How to Make Arepas
Note: This is just an overview. For a recipe with amounts, visit Adriana's blog.

1. Make the dough.


2. Make sure it's the right texture.


3. Roll it into a ball first.


4. Shape into a flat circle or puck (watch the video to see a funny interaction with Adriana and I). Move from hand to hand and shape. If the dough is too wet, add more hair a pan. If its too dry, add a little water. It should not crack. Note: I make mine smaller than Adriana's. Base it on your preference.


5. Seal on a griddle with oil just until light brown.


6. Bake in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes. This helps to cook the inside.

7. Serve with your favorite fillings!


I made a crock pot chicken, Latin-style, by adding diced tomatoes, garlic, oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Watch my video here for how I make a regular one.

Gluten-Free Tour Comes to San Francisco Sep 21 and 22

The Gluten-Free Awareness Tour promotes celiac disease awareness and gluten-free food and beverage products. Each stop on the Gluten-Free Awareness Tour features presentations by celiac disease experts, chef demonstrations and dozens of gluten-free food and beverage exhibits from local and national gluten-free food and beverage manufacturers.

Besides meeting top medical experts watch live cooking demonstrations on the Rudi’s Gluten Free Bakery Stage and enjoy gluten-free food samples from dozens of local and national companies.

In 2012 over 100 gluten-free manufacturers exhibited and thousands of shoppers attended the events in cities throughout the Midwest, including Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Louisville.

The Tour is coming to San Francisco, September 21-22 from 9am to 3pm at the Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd., Bldg A in San Francisco, CA. Tickets are $15.00 and age 12 and under are free.

I will be there on Sunday, giving tips for gluten-free baking and cooking. Attendees will be able to buy my new book, The Warm Kitchen; Gluten-Free Recipes Anyone Can Make and Everyone Will Love.

Executive Chef Ravi Harryram will be giving a gluten-free cooking demonstration on September 21-22. Chef Harryram runs the kitchen at World Gardens Café in San Francisco, specializing in providing delicious and health-conscious meals which are shipped to your home.  World Gardens Cafe provides gourmet meal programs and individual meals that serve the dietary needs of clients.

Lisa Lam, a specialist in Chinese medicine and Acupuncture, will be presenting at the Gluten-Free Awareness Tour event in San Francisco on September 21-22. Lam practices Acupuncture and Chinese medicine at Blue Path Acupuncture in San Francisco.

Explaining the theory, Lisa Lam said, “Rather than chase signs and symptoms, my goal is to uncover the root cause of an ailment, employing a multi-tiered and integrative approach through means of treating the body, mind and spirit,”. Lam will be discussing the topics of demystifying Chinese medicine and celiac disease.

I hope I will see some of you there! Please pass this information along to friends.

Weeknight Gluten-Free Pizza

This recipe comes courtesy of Paolo Mascitti, founder of Cibo Verde. CiboVerde is an LA-based meal delivery system that provides customers with meals that are based on their body calculations and  geared toward helping them reach their goal weights and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I have made this before for my family but forgot how easy it is to prepare. With school back in session, I am realizing again how sometimes we just need quick and simple dinner ideas. Even if you aren't gluten-free, you can use a flour tortilla, pre-cooked shell or pita bread. Serve this as is or with your favorite protein or veggies and pair it with a salad. Dinner in 10 minutes? Sounds good to me.

Look for more "weeknight cooking strategies" tags on the blog. Remember that anyone can be "the family chef". Enjoy!


Gluten-Free Meat and Veggie Pizza
 
Gluten-free tortilla

1 oz cooked steak (diced)

1 oz yellow onions

2 oz red and green peppers (julienne cut )

2 oz pizza sauce

3 oz of fresh mozzarella cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the gluten-free tortilla on a baking sheet/pan, add marinara making sure to spread evenly on crust, followed by cheese, onions, peppers and steak.

Place baking pan with the tortilla pizza in the oven for 5 minutes at 325 degrees (just enough to allow the cheese to melt and the tortilla to crisp.)

The entire process will take no more than 10 minutes and you’re ready to eat! BON APPETIT!

Easy tamale pie: gluten-free and dairy-free

A few years ago, I made a version of tamale pie where I made tamale dough and put something in the middle (honest, I can’t remember; it might have been chili inside). I’m not sure why that went out of my rotation. More recently, I made a tamale pie as more of an experiment with black beans and salsa on the bottom and tamale dough on top. That was a huge hit.

I was in a “conversation” with another mom blogger on twitter about tamale pie and she asked if it was dairy-free too. One thing I don’t use is any cheese or butter because my daughter is sensitive to dairy. I know this would be really good with cheese inside but it's not an option for us. So, I made it a little creamy with coconut milk instead.

It’s gluten-free in the sense that it does not have any gluten ingredients. However, when I was doing some research I found that some of the masa mixtures can be contaminated either in production or delivery. If you are Celiac or intolerant, make sure the masa is “clean” as this is one potential way gluten can sneak in. I used Minsa masa for tamales.

What I like about this recipe is the method; I am the queen of technique! The filling can be anything you want. I would suggest something that is not too dry so that the filling is still moist. The filling was kind of soupy but it was perfect after being cooked. The dough is really easy and even easier to make dairy-free. Once everything is measured, it took less than 10 minutes; maybe closer to 5. After the dough is prepared, get it in the pan right away and into the oven. Since it has baking powder in it, it will start reacting once the liquid is added.

The recipe for the filling made about a cup more than I needed but I didn’t mind as I saved that for another meal for one of my kids. If you want something even quicker, see the note below in the filling instructions. And of course, enjoy!

Chicken, Corn and Black Bean Tamale Pie 
(omit chicken for a vegan version)

Filling:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cumin
About 1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons salsa or pico de gallo (I used some I had leftover from a taqueria visit)

1 cup plain unsweetened milk substitute
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
2 cups corn, cooked, fresh or frozen and thawed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro and/or 2 tablespoons salsa
Note: You can skip steps 1-4 and use about 2 cups of cooked chicken seasoned with some Mexican seasonings and/or add more salsa to the filling. Or, for a vegan version, omit the chicken, start on step 5, and add another can of black beans.

1. Make the filling. Heat a 3 quart sauté pan to medium (one that has high sides). Add oil and swirl in pan. Add chicken thighs. Sprinkle seasoning over chicken (salt, pepper, oregano, chili powder and cumin). Do not move chicken in pan.
2. After about 5 minutes, turn over and cook another few minutes.
3. Add broth and salsa (if you don’t have salsa, just add the broth), bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook about 1 hour or until tender.
4. Remove chicken and cut up into bite sized pieces. Strain broth and use for next step. Reserve what is in the strainer and add to chicken. Cool.
5. While the chicken is cooling, thicken the milk substitute. I use coconut milk from the carton, not can, for this dish. Heat up the milk until almost hot. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water. Add this to the milk and stir. Continue cooking until thickened. Cool slightly.



6. In a medium bowl, add chicken, corn, black beans, cilantro, salsa, and coconut milk. Taste the filling and make sure it’s seasoned well. If necessary, add more salt, salsa, cilantro, or spices. Set aside. It should be “wet”. Remember, you might have extra filling.

Tamale Dough
3/4 cup shortening or butter, softened
3 cups masa for tamales (some brands might not be gluten-free; always check with the manufacturer)
2 teaspoons baking power
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 13”x9” pan (I used an oval baking dish that was slightly smaller).
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the shortening or butter until fluffy and smooth.



3. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (masa, baking powder and salt). Slowly add the chicken broth and mix until fully incorporated.



4. Add the masa mixture to the shortening or butter. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or electric mixer, making sure all of the shortening is mixed in.



5. Place half of masa mixture in the bottom of the pan and spread evenly. Add enough chicken mixture to cover the masa and spread on top; reserve extra filling for another use. Top with the remaining masa mixture and spread evenly.



Top with a greased piece of foil and place in the oven. Bake 40-45 minutes covered. Dough should be cooked and mostly firm.
6. Let rest 5-10 minutes and serve.