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Top Ten Posts (Plus Two) in Year One

One of Key West’s cuter street “performers”

I’ve been trying to write this post since I returned from Key West, but I’m having “re-entry” problems. You know the issues you have when you come home from vacation and you just can’t get into the home-work-every day life groove again? This transition is not being helped at all by the weather. Only a few days ago I was in Key West wearing short sleeves and skirts, and walking bare legged in sandals. Now I’ve got the wood stove roaring, I’m sitting here in a thick turtleneck sweater and pajama pants, with big fuzzy socks on. Plus, I’m under a Scottish wool blanket (properly called a rug I’m told), and I’m still freezing. It really wasn’t that cold here before we left. What happened?

Anyway … while we were away, a significant milestone passed here at gfe. I celebrated my one-year anniversary of blogging. It still sounds funny to even say I am a blogger. But, on December 30 of last year, I wrote my very first post, Waiting, and nervously hit the Publish button. After months of planning and pondering starting my blog, I had actually done it! That was a great moment. I’m still proud of that post, this blog, and the gfe mission. Just over a year later, it’s 95 posts (rats, why didn’t I plan ahead so I could have had an even 100?) and 2,900 comments later. Okay, about half of those comments are mine (as Mr. GFE always says, I really do like to have the last word), but even that number makes me happy. I love chatting with my gfe readers. 

From the comments readers leave and the emails I receive, I know that there are many who find the typical guidance on eating gluten free to be sorely lacking for their needs. Some initially are not even sure why they feel that way; they just know the traditional gluten-free approach is not working for them. This blog will continue with a focus on real food that is naturally gluten free (and recipes made using real gluten-free food), some mainstream processed foods that are gluten free, and few gluten-free specialty foods. Discussions will continue on who should get tested for gluten issues, who should consider a gluten-free diet, how to live gluten free with grace and ease, and everything in that general realm. The approach can keep our gluten-free lives simpler, less expensive, and, most importantly, healthier. But, if you’re a regular gfe reader, you already know about the gfe approach, so let’s turn the focus to you. Thank you for being here at gfe. I appreciate your readership, subscriptions, and I greatly appreciate all of you who take the time to comment and email me. It’s both heartening and humbling to know that gfe is truly helping you to live gluten free easily. Any blogger will tell you that the feedback we receive makes a huge difference in being sure that we’re going down the right path. Just knowing that someone is listening—i.e., someone cares and finds what you, the blogger, are sharing is of value—well, that’s huge! So, again, thank you so very much for being here! Really, my only regret this year with gfe is that I have not been able to share all the recipes, information, and discussions that I would have liked. I am never short of ideas and words (sometimes there are about 10 posts at a time rattling around in my head), but I am often short of time to properly share them all. So now you know I have enough material to last a few more years!

Many of my blogger buddies are posting 2009 wrap-ups and 2010 “launch” posts. I have really enjoyed reading them. Some have shared their Top 10 recipes of the year. Karina, the Gluten-Free Goddess, shared her Top 10 here and has graciously invited others to leave a link to their gluten-free top 10 post in comments. She’ll update her post to include them all! Check them all out. (Some of gfe’s favorite bloggers already have their lists included.) Iris, of The Daily Dietribe, even included a recipe shared here at gfe, Crustless Pecan Pie, in her list of favorite 2009 recipes—thanks, Iris! I like that she also listed the top 10 recipes that she wants to try this year, too. Who doesn’t have a list like that? Write it down, make it happen, right?

Here are my Top 12 Posts (10 Recipe Posts Plus 2 Discussion Posts) from Year One at gfe. Of course, tomorrow or next week, I might choose a different set depending on my mood, the weather, etc. (You’ll notice that I couldn’t bring myself to include an ice cream recipe, even though I purchased an ice cream maker this summer and made some amazing ice cream and sherbet, like POMerdoodle and  Honeydew.) In no particular order, the top posts are as follows.

Top 10 Recipe Posts:

~Crustless Pumpkin Pie—Every bit as good as any pumpkin pie with a crust. Some folks say they like it better because it’s not as “wet” as other pumpkin pies. I get that.

~Flourless Pizza—The crust is made from eggs and cheese, then topped like a regular pizza. It’s a well-loved recipe. One of my son’s favorite.

~Flourless Chocolate Cake—Still the cake that can take any event up several notches. No unusual ingredients required. No separating of eggs or folding in of egg whites. Heavenly death by chocolate. (Those who don’t do sugar or dairy will want to check out the Flourless Chocolate Banana Honey Walnut Cake instead.)

~Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies—Not the recipe that’s everywhere on the interwebs. These cookies contain brown sugar versus white, plus baking soda and vanilla extract. These three ingredients makes a huge difference in flavor and texture. These are my “go-to” quick cookies, which everyone loves.

~Crustless Apple Pie—A recipe that will make anyone a baked apple lover, as well as a tribute to my mom on Mother’s Day.

~Popovers (titled Better than Sliced Bread for a reason)—Popovers, muffins, and biscuits will always have my heart … and stomach. Everyone loves these popovers.

~Volcano Pancake—This one is in my Valentine’s Day party post, so you can skim until you get to the recipe. It’s one that everyone erupts over. Sorry, but it’s true—in a good way. People are always telling me that they make this recipe for special breakfasts, dinners, or just a decadent afternoon snack.

~Special Turkey Breast—Unusual ingredients to make a very tasty turkey breast in your slow cooker. By the way, I also liked Erin Elberson’s (Gluten Free Fitness) take on this recipe.

~Surprise Stuffing—The easiest way I’ve found to make gluten-free stuffing. Those who’ve tried it have found it very tasty. It can happily serve the whole family or you can adjust to make enough for one or two. By the way, I can’t wait to tell you what I made with my leftover stuffing.

~Go Ahead Honey It’s Gluten Free for July—Make Me A Happy Camper—I’m a big fan of Naomi’s (Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried) gluten-free blog carnival, so it was a great treat to host last summer. We had quite the event on our riverside property in the mountains. You’ll find a wide variety of recipes in the roundup!

Plus Two Discussion Posts:

~Stop the Madness!—This post still captures my feelings on one of the biggest benefits of eating gfe. Sadly, the madness continues in my opinion.  This post inspired some lively discussion in the comments section. I’m sure the discussion isn’t over, and I welcome comments, but ask you to consider the gfe approach to stop the madness.

~Educate, Not Eviscerate—Another discussion post. I still believe we have a long way to go in this area to ensure that our needs our best met when dining out.

To continue with this year’s plans for gfe, certainly there will be more of the same type of simple recipes that satisfy everyone in the family. My recipes will always be gluten free, but I’ll continue to share many that will be dairy free as well. Hopefully, there will be more recipes that are refined sugar free (certainly one of my own goals for healthier eating), soy free, and more. So many readers have those needs. As a support group leader, I get to actually “field test” these recipes while allowing my members with additional intolerances to still enjoy favorite dishes and baked goods. (I love that.) And, of course, there will be more discussion posts. Some of the other posts that I have wanted to share (and have not had an opportunity to yet) are ones presenting information from some great speakers that I have heard this year. I’ll plan to catch up on those. I won’t worry that I won’t be able to do them justice. I’ll just put out as much information from these individuals as I can, as best I can.

Heads up … there will be some housekeeping type changes here at gfe. I’ll be adding a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, accessible as a “tab” below the gfe header. (Most of you who read gfe regularly will know the answers to those questions before you even read them.) I’ve already updated my blog listings on the side bar. Some of my favorite bloggers have moved on to other endeavors, or their blogs have not been updated for a long time. I feel it’s my responsibility to my readers to provide links that are current. If your blog is in that inactive state and I’m a fan, I’ll gladly reactivate the link once I see that you are posting again. (Hope you understand. I would expect you to do the same if I went on hiatus.) I’ll be going back to earlier posts and tweaking them as needed (e.g., ensure that all recipes on gfe are printable). Unfortunately, these changes may trigger them to go out via my feed again. So, I’ll apologize ahead of time in case that happens.

Again, thanks for a very exciting and fulfilling year here at gfe. I’m looking forward to spending 2010 with you all!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Pot Pie (Vegan or Turkey)

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Friday Foodie Fix—Turkey, Friday Foodie Fix–Carrots, Friday Foodie Fix–Coconut Milk, and Pennywise Platter.  

It wasn’t long after I posted my recipe for Crustless Apple Pie back in May that I thought I could use the same “pour-over” batter concept to make an easy pot pie. But, it was May, then I got distracted … soon it was summer and I was out of the pot pie mood. However, some gfe readers had thought the same thing about the possible pot pie idea and emailed me to ask if I had a simple conversion recipe. Conversion recipe, because the batter poured over the apple pie calls for a cup of sugar—which would definitely not be a good choice for a pot pie batter. I had to reply that I’d had the idea on the back burner for a while, but hadn’t come up with a solution yet. I had actually made one pot pie using the method, but had not been really pleased with the results. The topping had been too thick and “doughy.”

When Jessica asked me the same question in a lovely email she sent the other day, I decided the timing was right to seriously address this question/need. I had plenty of turkey left over from my Traditional Turkey Breast and Special Turkey Breast. So I looked online for some simple ideas that might inspire me. There were many pot pies topped with standard, “roll-out” pie crusts, even gluten-free versions, and many of them did look wonderful. But, they weren’t what I wanted. Do I need to mention it was right after Thanksgiving? Not only was I looking for an easy topping, but I also didn’t want too much “heaviness” or mega calories. Other recipes called for a biscuit-type topping, which I wasn’t interested in either. Finally, I found a promising turkey pot pie recipe (with a “pour-over” crust) at the Gluten-Free-Diet-Help site.    First, I halved the recipe (we certainly didn’t need a 9 x 13 pan full of pot pie for just the two of us). Second, I decreased some ingredients, cut some ingredients, increased others,  and streamlined the recipe. In the end, I was really pleased with the results and Mr. GFE gave his hearty approval, too. I’ll probably tweak the recipe for the crust topping if I make it again because it was pretty thin (and looked somewhat like a cracked desert as you’ll see). I think I’d like to try a more traditional crust as far as thickness next time. However, the filling was thick and luscious, so a light crust (again, timed right after Thanksgiving) seemed just right.
I used coconut milk, which did not make the pot pie have a coconut taste, but did provide a slightly discernible, yet pleasant sweetness. (The original recipe actually called for some sugar, but that was one of the things I omitted.) The herbs and seasonings (parsley, thyme, oregano, sea salt, and peppercorn medley) used also ensured that the pot pie did not come out sweet, but rather was the very definition of savory in my opinion. Last, here’s the funny thing … I got so caught up in how beautiful the vegetables looked and how nicely the whole mixture thickened, that I completely forgot to add the turkey! Accidents can often yield some wonderful results—in this case, a lovely vegan pot pie if one uses vegetable broth  in the recipe. Because we wanted to use up our leftover turkey, I just diced some turkey on each of our plates and served the pot pie over it. This method worked just fine, so consider this idea as a way to easily accommodate vegans and carnivores at the same pot pie meal.

Pot Pie (Turkey or Vegan)
(Click here for a print version of this recipe.)

Filling:

1 medium onion, diced coarsely

2 large carrots, peeled and cut to your liking (e.g., diced, sliced and halved)

2 large potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch chunks (I used Russet potatoes; I washed them, but didn’t peel them)

1 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp ground thyme

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp peppercorn medley, ground

2 1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth (for vegan version)

1 cup frozen baby peas

1 cup baby lima beans

1 ½ cups cooked turkey meat, diced or cut into small pieces (optional; chicken could be used also or omit both for vegan version)

cooking oil, divided—3 tbsp cooking oil, 2 tbsp cooking oil (I used olive oil)

1/3 cup gluten-free flour mix (or sweet rice flour or potato flour)

1 cup milk or milk substitute (I used full-fat coconut milk)

Crust:

¾ cup gluten-free flour mix*

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup milk or non-dairy milk (I used full-fat coconut milk)

Directions:

In large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons oil and add the onions, carrots, potatoes, parsley, thyme, oregano, sea salt, and pepper. Allow to cook on medium-low or medium heat until vegetables are softened.

Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Allow it to simmer about 2 minutes, then add peas and lima beans and cook until tender.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan, mix the 1/3 cup flour and 2 tbsp oil until blended, and heat on medium-low a minute or two until thickened. Add the milk gradually to make a white sauce. When the mixture is almost thickened, add to the vegetable mixture. Stir in turkey, if desired. When all is thickened nicely, pour into a greased casserole dish or pie plate. (I used a glass deep-dish pie plate.)

In same saucepan, whisk together crust ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, and milk. Pour over top of filling in casserole dish or pie plate.  Even out the topping with a spatula, not quite going to the edge of the dish (leaving this space allows venting, if needed). Place pot pie into preheated oven and bake for 30 – 45 minutes, until crust is lightly browned.

*I use my all-purpose gluten-free flour mix, but you can use whichever flour you prefer for baked goods. (If you are not gluten free, use your “standard” all-purpose flour.) 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 glass jars or Tupperware). No refrigeration is needed.

Recipe adapted from gluten-free-diet-help.com

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Thanksgiving–The GFE Way

This post is linked to What can I eat that’s gluten free? at The Gluten-Free Homemaker. 

With Thanksgiving on Thursday here in the U.S., I thought I’d do a quick roundup for folks who are still not sure what dishes they’d like to make. Of course, these dishes are all gluten free, but many are free of other allergens (or adaptable in that regard—notes included). These gfe recipes may be made without certain ingredients that folks have come to expect in foods, but they are never short on taste. These are recipes that everyone will love! Oh, and they are gluten free easily, gfe—meaning they are naturally gluten free or easily made gluten free by a simple substitution or two.

Some folks balk at anything green on the table for Thanksgiving (other than the ubiquitous green bean casserole, which Mr. GFE adores and I’ve made gluten free several times), but serve up this Great Salad and folks who never eat salad will be sampling it, and enjoying it. Trust me … I’ve seen it happen numerous times.

If you serve a turkey breast (or even a small turkey or roaster chicken), my super easy Traditional Turkey Breast (two ingredients—one is the turkey breast) and Special Turkey Breast recipes, both cooked in the slow cooker, are wonderful options. Son popped in for a visit yesterday and ended up taking the rest of the Special Turkey Breast home with him. He initially declined my offer saying he didn’t want to cut us short, but when I packed him up for him, he said “that turkey is so good!” That was after I’d fixed him a plate.

Special Turkey Breast

Another main dish option is Susie’s Crab Casserole–a real treat for the seafood lovers.

Then there’s stuffing, or dressing as some folks call it—Surprise Stuffing. I confirmed that wonderful stuffing can be made using tortilla chips. Now there’s no need to find the perfect gluten-free bread or make bread in preparation to make stuffing/dressing. (Note: This recipe is linked to the Slightly Indulgent roundup over at Amy’s Simply Sugar & Gluten Free blog. You’ll want to see her homemade, healthy ketchup recipe! By the way, the Slightly Indulgent roundup is moving to Tuesdays next week.)

 Even with stuffing on the table, folks often want a “bread” as well. My personal favorites are popovers and cornbread:

Desserts can be made gfe by focusing on flourless cakes and crustless pies. You won’t believe it, but you and others won’t even miss the flour or the crusts. There’s the classic Flourless Chocolate Cake (no special ingredients like almond flour or even separation of eggs required for this one) and Mediterranean Chocolate Cake (a classic chocolate cake flavor, also naturally dairy free). There’s even Flourless Chocolate Banana Honey Walnut Cake for those who are gluten free, dairy free, grain free, and refined sugar free. This latter flourless cake gives you enough chocolate and sweetness, but doesn’t leave you wanting more.

For the crustless pies, usually only a small amount of gluten-free flour is needed. Take your pick: pumpkin, coconut, or apple. Most likely you can use the concepts in these recipes to adapt your own favorite pie recipe to crustless and gfe.
 

Do you have guests staying over? Consider making one or more of the following for a very special breakfast: Banana Maple-Nut Muffins, Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole, or Volcano Pancake. Your guests will be so grateful and none of these breakfast dishes are hard to make. The muffins and casserole can be made ahead, and the puff pancake (which also can be made into a cheesy side dish) comes together in minutes. It’s a visual delight and huge crowd pleaser! Some friends recently confessed that they make this on a whim all the time–just as a decadent afternoon treat. (They are not gluten free, so they just use standard all-purpose flour.)

If you are still looking for more recipe ideas, please look at Diane’s (The W.H.O.L.E. Gang) summary of the Progressive Dinner Party we held last week. There are 15 fabulous recipes in all—from drinks to desserts—courtesy of myself and seven other top-notch bloggers: Diane (the “Engergizer battery” originator of this dinner party roundup), Stephanie (A Year of Slow Cooking), Karen (Cook4Seasons), Ali (The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen), Shauna (Gluten-Free Girl and The Chef), Jean (Gluten-Free Organics and More), and Seamaiden (The Book of Yum). Their recipes will wow you with flavor and beauty, but not necessarily difficulty—I love that! Plus, they’re all gluten free, but look for other allergen accommodations as well. Head over to The W.H.O.L.E. Gang  … Diane has all the individual links right in her post for you! Plus, you’ll get to see her Thanksgiving menu plan … what the heck is Spatchcock Turkey anyway? Diane will tell you. If you’re planning to cook a whole turkey, this recipe might be a Thanksgiving blessing you didn’t expect.

Have a wonderful gfe Thanksgiving all! Best,

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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