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Slow Cooker Potato-Zucchini Soup

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, and Food on Fridays.

I’m ready. I’m ready for the transition. I’m ready to “cross over,” if you will. Not Medium or Ghost Whisperer style, just seasonal. The school bell is ringing for some local students here already and sweaters are starting to appear in the clothing stores. I know it’s still August and hot weather isn’t completely over yet, but I’m ready for fall, which is definitely my favorite time of the year. And, a definite fall thing for me is soup.

We had one day last week that was rainy and cool enough for me to make Chicken Tortilla Soup (with corn and black-eyed peas this time—little Southern touch) and the next few days are supposed to only be in the 70s. I’m headed to Seattle for the International Food Bloggers Conference where it’s even cooler—mostly 60s during the day and 50s at night. Oh, my, what an event the IFBC is going to be! Diane has outlined what we, the gluten-free bloggers, will be doing at IFBC and in Seattle, here. Just reading her post made me get more excited … and a little panicky realizing how much I need to do before I leave. So, yes, a little warming, soothing soup is in order.

A while back Dr. Rodney Ford, one of our world’s gluten-free experts who I greatly admire for so many reasons (more on Dr. Ford in a moment), shared a link on his main Facebook page to a cookbook and website called 4 Ingredients. Well, remember the “easily” part of gfe … I really liked that concept. Recipes with four ingredients would inherently be easy. I have a bunch of four-ingredient (or less) recipes here on gfe, but I’m always looking for new ideas. So, I immediately checked out the site and signed up for the newsletter to get a feel for what was being  offered. Personally, I’m a bit reluctant to order a cookbook without knowing more about it. The 4 Ingredients authors, Rachael Bermingham and Kim McCosker, live in Australia. Their cookbook is the number one bestselling cookbook there. The recipes aren’t all gluten free, but many are. Bermingham and McCosker have a few more cookbooks in development. They are seeking input on their site on which ones readers want most. Two of the selections are for gluten-free cookbooks, a gluten-free 4-ingredient cookbook and a 5-ingredient one. Head over to their site to place your vote and get a free recipe or two, if you like. I find that often recipes from another country are quite different from ones we’ve “grown up on” and can expand our horizons a bit. And, I have been intrigued by the very simple recipes these ladies share.

The latest newsletter featured a zucchini soup recipe that was actually submitted by a reader. It included zucchini, onion, chicken bouillon, and enough water (and seasonings) to cover all ingredients. I had a large zucchini on the counter and a tub of small potatoes that needed to be used. So I decided to use both to ensure a creamier soup that would be as tasty as the Baked Potato Soup here on gfe. However, this potato-based soup recipe would be dairy free as well. I was headed to work, so after completing the initial steps, I decided to throw everything in the slow cooker and let this soup slowly “develop.” The result is this savory soup that comforts me and makes my taste buds happy.

Slow Cooker Potato-Zucchini Soup (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free)
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

About 9 cups broth (I used 3 cups of vegetable broth and 6 cups of chicken broth, which I pulled from the freezer; use all vegetable broth to make this soup vegetarian/vegan)
About 6 cups of peeled, diced potatoes
One large zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced (mine was very large; I cut out the soft part with seeds and discarded)
One large sweet onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
about 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp curry powder (optional)
Sea salt and fresh grated pepper, to taste

Add broth to large slow cooker. (I used my oval, 5-qt Rival SmartPot.)

Peel and dice potatoes and add to slow cooker.

Add olive oil to large skillet. Heat to medium-high temperature. While skillet is heating, chop onions and quarter and slice zucchini thinly. Add to skillet. Stir occasionally. Add garlic about halfway through cooking. When onions are translucent and zucchini is also showing some translucency, transfer mixture to the slow cooker.

Stir curry powder, sea salt, and pepper. Cook 6 – 8 hours on low. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, use immersion blender in one area for about 15 seconds. Stir. Check appearance and taste. If you want a thicker soup, use immersion blender again. Cook additional 30 minutes.

Serve. Enjoy alone or with a nice gluten-free “bread” treat on the side—like popovers, corn muffins, cheese muffins, garlic cheese biscuits, Kate’s cheese rolls, or Kiva’s grain-free Golden Flax Bread.

Adapted from a reader-submitted recipe to the 4 Ingredients newsletter

Shirley’s Notes: If you have family members who are die-hard carnivores and must have meat, feel free to add some crumbled bacon or diced chicken towards the end of the cooking time. You could even add bacon, chicken, etc. to individual bowls and stir until heated through. This recipe makes a lot, so feel free to halve the ingredients, use a regular 4-qt slow cooker, and reduce the cooking time. If you’d prefer to cook it on the stove, I’d still recommend slow cooking at a lower heat. I do love a pot of soup simmering on the stove!

A little more on Dr. Rodney Ford … Dr. Ford hails from New Zealand. He traveled with his wife, Chris, to the U.S. to do a number of speaking engagements in November 2009. I was extremely fortunate to hear him speak twice during one week and even got to have dinner with him and his wife prior to these events. A huge group of us (some who belong to the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) of Richmond and others who are part of The Richmond Health Initiative) gathered at the local PF Chang’s to welcome Dr. and Mrs. Ford. Some attendees had met Dr. Ford previously when had visited the U.S. for a conference. I was already a fan of Dr. Ford before I met him—from his articles on celiac.com and his numerous down-to-earth, and often humorous, YouTube videos. I was fortunate to sit sort of across from him during our dinner and we chatted a bit . Almost immediately, he asked for my Twitter name and “followed me” on the spot. That was unexpected … and pretty neat!

Over the next two days, his presentations (one to the medical professionals and the other to GIG members and guests) were superior … riveting, actually. I like seeing Dr. Ford get visibility because I think that he can make a “believer” out of just about anyone. He has the medical chops for one thing—he’s a pediatrician with a background in allergies, gastroenterology, and nutrition. Dr. Ford shared case studies—with ”before” and “after” photos—of children he’s treated who did not test positive for celiac using the gold standard diagnosis of positive blood testing and positive biopsy, but were transformed on a gluten-free diet. Those innocent faces make extremely compelling cases. It’s important to note that early in his practice, Dr. Ford followed the conventional wisdom and did not place his pediatric patients on a gluten-free diet when they tested negative for celiac. However, he found that many over time did finally test positive for celiac, but, sadly, for some, the damage that had been done (e.g., short stature, developmental delays) could not always be undone. He shares some of his findings and thoughts here. 

Currently, Dr. Ford’s main push is for a gluten-free planet. That was his topic when he spoke at the GIG conference banquet in Minneapolis this summer (a presentation that was very well received!) and that’s the focus of his new Facebook page, Gluten-Free Planet. My good friend, Heidi (Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom), just happened to share a post on Dr. Ford’s mission yesterday. I told her we must have unknowingly done the Vulcan mind meld thing. She doesn’t have a husband who is a Star Trek fan, so she didn’t get the reference, but being free-spirited and positive Heidi, she eagerly bought into the idea anyway! Heidi shares her thoughts on Dr. Ford and his concept, as well as the Gluten-Free Planet YouTube videos. These videos include some of the photos showing the transformation of his patients after going gluten free. Pictures are worth a million words in these cases. Check it all out over at Heidi’s. 

Incidentally, I just found out that Dr. Ford has a new blog. Check it out here. His current post asks what we want in our world. Hmmm, I think the answer for us gluten-free folks is obvious. Is it possible to have a Gluten-Free Planet? I’d like to think so, and as the saying goes, Dream Big!

Speaking of dreaming big, have you signed up for Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger yet? We have 16 entries at this moment—that’s terrific! Of course, I’d like more … a lot more. How about 50? Go ahead, adopt someone. If you have never participated before, then all the better. We have several folks participating for the first time. There are so many amazing gluten-free bloggers! Some have been helping us out for years; others have just joined the party to share and offer another place to learn and chat. Remember … non-bloggers are welcome to participate, too. Chances are, you know some gluten-free bloggers (or other bloggers with searchable gluten-free recipes) whom you admire or have always wanted to try their recipes. Now’s the time. Make a favorite blogger’s recipe, take a photo, do a short write-up, and email it to me. (Read more here.) Nothing hard at all, and a great way to be inspired to try a new recipe and show appreciation to a blogger.

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Eating My Words with Honey-Sweetened Corn Muffins (March Muffin Madness)

This post is linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Eating Your Words, Pennywise Platter, and Simply Hot Recipes.

My friend, Diva, over at Beach Eats, recently shared her entry in a challenge called Eating Your Words. It’s actually a competition where you create your blog name, URL, etc. using food so that it’s edible—really cool idea, huh? You can read more over at the co-hosts’ blogs–Jennifer at Savor the Thyme  and Tracey at  Tangled Noodle. But, listen to this … Chef Andrew Zimmern (of Bizarre Foods fame) is the judge for this event! I actually didn’t read Diva’s post until Monday, but this was a challenge I couldn’t resist.

With today’s post for corn muffins already planned for March Muffin Madness (MMM), I had to think of a way I could use my muffins to spell out gfe.  With a little thinking, I came up with the solution below (a couple of versions/views shown). It isn’t perfect or by any means a winning entry. I really could have used more of the same-sized mini muffins, but I still think my submission is cute. Most importantly, I had fun. Hope you can see “gfe”! If you can’t, just pretend you can anyway (please … LOL). Eating Your Words actually ends today at midnight. Like I said, I don’t expect to win any prizes; there are some pretty amazing entries that have been shared so far. But, I thought I’d take part just to have some fun. Playing with food in this way is not something we often do, but we should. You might want to check back at those sites to see just how creative the entries are. I know I will; I love seeing creativity in action. Even if the edible “words” of others are not all gluten free, it still will be enjoyable to take a look at all the entries—after all, there’s no risk of cross contamination. UPDATE: Part 1 is up here at Savor the Thyme and Part 2 is up here at Tangled Noodle. They are all amazing, but I have to say that the Scrabble Cookies are the prize winner in my book. Enjoy!

Let’s get to the gfe recipe behind the food play—today’s entry for the last day of MMM—shall we? Corn products like cornmeal and corn tortillas are something we can fall back on if we’re gluten free. (Of course, always read labels, etc. to ensure products are gluten free.) Cornbread and corn muffins tend to be great comfort food for most everyone. The weather on the day of our last support group meeting was rainy and cold. When all the food was spread out on the table, we discovered that three of us had made corn muffins. There was one basket full or regular-sized muffins, and and two of mini muffins (including my muffins made from this recipe). And, guess what? I think every one of them got eaten! They tasted especially good that evening with a variety of dishes, including my black-eyed pea soup.

Depending upon how you make your corn muffins, they can be savory or sweet … or a little of each, as is the case for these muffins—they are on the sweeter side of corny. I discovered this evening that I have 8 muffin tins/pans. I know. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that. I have enough standard-sized tins to make 24 muffins, and I have five mini muffin pans … in all different sizes. All mini muffin pans are not created equal, as you probably already know from your own experience and can see from my photos. The pan below is my healthiest and prettiest pan. It’s made of cast iron and was a gift from a dear friend at my bridal shower. Yes, that was decades ago, but cast iron pans rarely need to be replaced. Although they may need to be re-”seasoned” from time to time; and they can crack if not handled properly. Cast iron pots and pans also add a tiny amount of iron to the foods baked in them, which is a great thing for most folks. (However, if you have hemachromatosis, you’ll want to steer clear of using cast iron bakeware.)

Corn Muffins
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

1 cup gluten-free flour*
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup cornmeal
½ cup butter (dairy or non-dairy), melted
1 large (or extra large) egg
½ cup honey (or agave nectar or granulated sugar; with granulated sugar, the muffins may be a little more crumbly)
¾ cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease muffin cups.

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in cornmeal.

Stir butter, egg, honey, and milk into cornmeal mixture. Stir until just moistened and any flour or cornmeal chunks are broken up.

Fill greased muffin tins and bake for 15 – 20 minutes.

*I can’t always tolerate many of the healthier, gluten-free flours; e.g., sorghum, buckwheat. Therefore, my gluten-free flour mix is 3 parts Asian white rice flour (which is very finely ground) and 2 parts cornstarch. I gently mix three one-lb bags of the Asian white rice flour and two one-lb boxes of cornstarch in a very large bowl and then store the mix in several airtight containers. It’s a very economical mix that works well in most recipes. No refrigeration is needed.

Shirley’s Notes:  These muffins can be a tad crumbly, especially when made with granulated sugar (and, incidentally, adding xanthan gum does not change that), but we actually don’t mind. For one thing, they are just so tasty, but more importantly, the fact is, Mr. GFE and I often crumble them right into our chili or soup. There’s no need for expensive (or homemade) gluten-free crackers!

What else is going on?

Amy’s (Simply Sugar & Gluten Free) excellent post on getting the gluten out  went up yesterday as part of her weekly Slightly Indulgent roundup. She offers so many great resources and tips on transitioning to the gluten-free lifestyle. Frankly, I am always amazed at everything that Amy does for our gluten-free community and the blogosphere in general. Don’t miss this really worthwhile discussion/resource post. The links and comments are extremely helpful as well and worth a read. You can read all here. Amy’s post is part of the spring cleaning Get the Junk Out! blog carnival being hosted by Katie at Kitchen Stewardship. Amy also did a guest post on getting the gluten out at Katie’s site. Be sure to check out the other weekly themes for this carnival, too.

Amy’s also the host of the Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! blog carnival this month. (For those who don’t know, Go Ahead Honey is the fabulous invention of our beautiful friend in the U.K., Naomi Devlin. Naomi’s gluten-free blog is Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried.) Amy selected guiltless pleasures as the theme and almost 3 dozen bloggers accepted the challenge. I scrolled through the entries quickly this morning and was blown away by the diversity and appeal of them all. I can’t wait to put my feet up and give them (and all the blogs who submitted them) a proper look. Be sure to check them out here!

Last, when Diane (The W.H.O.L.E. Gang) shared her monthly meal plan the other day, she also offered some thoughts and challenges in regard to the new show, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. The food blogosphere is abuzz about this show and for good reason. I think we can all learn from the show and improve our eating habits with increased awareness. Read Diane’s post here. As a follow up to that post, she offered the Great Gluten-Free Pasta Challenge here. I’m game, how about you? Remember Diane is the one who gave us the fabulous easy gluten-free, dairy-free whipped cream recipe (which incidentally I just made, and it is indeed easy and fabulous). These challenges could lead to some exquisite new recipes added to our repertoires!

Make a muffin! (I’ve shared Marvelous Cheese Muffins, “Sweet” Milk-Nut Muffins, and now Honey-Sweetened Corn Muffins this week, but there are others on my site, too.) See how creative folks can get with “Eating My Words,” be wowed by the Go Ahead Honey! guiltless gluten-free pleasures, read about getting gluten and other junk out of your life, accept some challenges (maybe making pasta). Most of all, enjoy … happy Wednesday! 

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

“Sweet” Milk-Nut Muffins for March Muffin Madness

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, and Cutting Back on Sugar.

Last week, I saw a post that Ari had linked up to the Slightly Indulgent Tuesday roundup (at Amy’s Slightly Sugar and Gluten-Free) from her blog, The Frugally Rich Life. The description was “Sweet Milk—An alternative to even honey or agave.” I immediately checked out Ari’s post. She had written briefly on making “sweet” milk and using it to sweeten baked goods. I had heard the term “sweet” milk used before, but not in this context. Some very old cookbooks I’ve used often referred to regular, whole dairy milk, as sweet milk. That term was used to distinguish it from buttermilk. I’ve also seen sweetened condensed milk referenced as “sweet” milk. However, the “sweet” milk Ari wrote about was made by soaking raisins in milk for a period of time. The milk is then drained off and the raisins are set aside/discarded. The “sweet” milk is then used to sweeten baked goods in lieu of sugar. I was intrigued by this concept to say the least.

One of the recipes I planned to share for these three days of March Muffin Madness was a very basic sweet muffin that I had made previously with black walnuts or pecans. The recipe called for both milk and sugar so I decided to try it using the “sweet” milk only, replacing both the milk and the sugar. The version Ari used called for reconstituted non-fat dry milk. However, I wanted to make the recipe dairy free and bake the muffins the next day, so I soaked my raisins in coconut milk overnight (actually about 20 hours). The “sweet” milk appeared thickened, had a nice ivory color, and actually smelled a bit sweet. After draining, the raisins appeared flat, but still tasted slightly sweet. Once I mixed the ingredients though, it was clear that while the sweet milk might adequately replace the sugar, it could not replace both the sugar and the milk. More liquid was needed to make a good batter. So I added another ½ cup of full fat coconut milk right out of the can. The batter seemed just right then.

Coming out of the oven, these muffins were a lovely, golden brown. (They seem to be actually glowing in these photos!) I broke one open. I took one bite … and then another … and another. I was critiquing as I went. The muffin tasted good, but very simple. I asked Mr. GFE for his opinion, not giving him too much data, just responding “nuts” when he asked “What’s in ‘em?” His appraisal … “They’re good, honey. A little plain tasting maybe, but good.” That was a perfectly acceptable response to me as he had no idea the muffin didn’t contain either sugar or honey. And, really I had to agree with his assessment.

When you first taste these, you are not impressed the way you might be with some muffin recipes (like my ABC Muffins, “Bran” Muffins, or Banana Maple-Nut Muffins, for example). Neither the flavors nor the texture jumps out at you. But, then as you finish one, you realize that you’ve found it very satisfying. In some ways, the low-key sweetness reminds me of tea biscuits. In fact, I love eating one of these while sipping on a cup of tea. Incidentally, I did tell Mr. GFE about the sweet milk method; he was surprised how well it worked.

I wouldn’t say this recipe is top notch yet, but the muffins are good and I think this is a really clever concept. I plan to experiment with it much more. I wanted to go ahead and share it to see if you, my gfe readers, will take this recipe—or the concept—and play around with it and see what you think. A few other important things to add … I read more on the “sweet” milk concept and mine was “short changed” a bit. Some folks say that you have to soak the raisins in the milk for 2 – 3 days to get the maximum sweetness. I will definitely try the longer period next time. Of course, adding some fruit to these muffins would also add sweetness and some moisture. In my notes below, I actually recommend adding a small amount of mashed banana if one is using a thinner milk. 

“Sweet” Milk-Nut Muffins (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free)
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

1 ½ cup gf flour mix*
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup coconut oil, liquefied (or oil of your choice)
1 extra large egg
½ cup “sweet” milk (i.e., raisin-sweetened coconut milk; or other non-dairy or dairy milk—see my notes below)
½ cup coconut milk (full fat; or other non-dairy or dairy milk—see my notes below)
½ – 1 cup chopped nuts of your choice (e.g., pecans, walnuts, black walnuts)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease muffin tins.

Mix first three ingredients in large bowl

Make well and add coconut oil, egg, “sweet” milk, coconut milk, and nuts.

Mix until ingredients are moistened and any large chunks of flour mix are broken up.

Fill muffin tins about ¾ full.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Makes one dozen.

*As I’ve mentioned before, I can’t tolerate many of the healthier, gluten-free flours; e.g., sorghum, buckwheat. Therefore, my gluten-free flour mix is 3 parts Asian white rice flour and 2 parts cornstarch. I gently mix three one-lb bags of the Asian white rice flour and two one-lb boxes of cornstarch in a very large bowl and then store the mix in several airtight containers (like large glass jars). No refrigeration is needed. But feel free to use whichever flour mix you use most often for baking. If you’re not gluten free, you may use all-purpose flour.

Shirley’s Notes: “Sweet” milk should be prepared beforehand. Soak ¾ cup to 1 cup of raisins in milk (one cup) at least overnight or for as long as 3 days. Shake, drain, and measure amount needed for recipe. If you want to use another type of milk, dairy or a thinner non-dairy (e.g., rice milk, almond milk) or dairy milk, I’d suggest adding about ¼ cup of fruit puree for added moisture. Mashed bananas would be great in this role. As I said above, they’d also add some sweetness (which is true of other fruits as well). I’d also like to make these with olive oil to see if that adds a hint of richness to the flavor. The nuts used can also affect the sweetness of the recipe. Pecans, for example, offer a bit of their own sweetness.

I’ll be anxious to hear what you think of this sweetening concept. Perhaps some of you have even used “sweet” milk before. Let us know! Tomorrow, March Muffin Madness will wrap up with a classic muffin that could be categorized as either sweet or savory, or both.

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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