Sweet Zucchini Bread (Gluten-Free Option)

This is the recipe I use for the zucchini bread I've been making for the dances ever since our vegetable CSA started delivering massive amounts of squash. This is adapted from the Joy of Cooking, which is absolutely my favorite cookbook ever. If you don't have one, you should go buy one right now, like even before you finish reading this article. I have modified it to be gluten-free, and I also like to use Craisins, which were not in the original recipe.

Sweet Zucchini Bread

Prepare the zucchini:

• Layer 3 sheets of paper towels on a plate. 
• Using a food processor grating disk or a hand-grater, shred a zucchini. 
• Put the shredded zucchini on the paper towels, and flatten the shreds. Then place 3 more layered paper towels on top of the zucchini. Set a dinner plate or something flat and moderately heavy on top of the zucchini to help drain the excess moisture. Go away and do something fun for about an hour or so while it's drying out. This is a good time exercise, go take a shower, do your hair, or listen to some really awesome music. Don't get on social media. The election coverage will just depress you.

Make the bread:

• Preheat the oven to 350*F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
• Whisk together:
• 1 1/2 C gluten-free baking flour (I usually use Bob's Red Mill all-purpose GF flour.)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• Blend well in a large bowl:
• 3/4 C sugar (or brown sugar)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 C light olive oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Stir in the dry ingredients. Blend with a few swift strokes:
• 2 C grated zucchini (I have never once actually measured the following)
• 3/4 C walnuts
• 3/4 C Craisins 
• Scrape the batter into the greased pan. Bake until the bread pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before unmolding completely on the rack. 

Gluten-free pancakes

Gluten-free pancakes with peanut butter and maple syrup

People who know my love for breakfast carbohydrates, and especially for post-dance pancakes, often ask which gluten-free pancake and waffle mix I use. My personal preference is to never use a GF mix if I can avoid it. They are rather expensive considering you only get one use out of them, and I feel like I have no control over the ingredients. I prefer to work with a GF flour blend and use a traditional pancake/waffle recipe.

When I do this, my favorite flour blend is Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose GF flour, because I feel that it substitutes fairly evenly for regular flour. Some of the other GF blends I’ve tried must have too much xanthan gum, because they get way too thick to pour, and I either have to remember to use less flour than the normal recipe calls for, or add more liquid at the end (which is undesirable because you are wasting the precious time during which the baking soda/powder is burning up its leavening action).

I have previously posted recipes for paleo pancakes and gluten-free waffles (which you can also use for pancakes), but here is another batter option.

This recipe serves two, and is what I prefer to use for late-night breakfasting. Sometimes I add in about a teaspoon unsweetened, dehydrated coconut for a more tropical flavor.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet

Blend together and set aside:

1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

Sprinkling of cinnamon

In a large bowl, beat

2 eggs

Blend in to eggs

2 tsp sugar, honey, or agave nectar

2 tbs melted butter, coconut oil or vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk (or a ½ cup plain yogurt + ½ cup milk)

¼ tsp gluten-free vanilla extract

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring just long enough to mix together. Bake on a lightly greased griddle at 375-degrees, or in a skillet over medium-low heat. Turn each cake once, when the bubbles that pop on the top no longer refill.

Top as desired. I like mine with sliced bananas, agave nectar and chopped pecans. Or as in the picture above, with peanut butter and pure maple syrup.

Gluten-free batter, mixed and ready to pour

The large bubbles on the surface will
stay open when the pancake is ready to flip

Finished gluten-free pancake

Luscious GF Quiche

Spinach, red pepper, onion and feta quiche

This is a luscious, crumbly-crust, whole-egg, cheesy and satisfying quiche that works great with a wide variety of fillings, is very forgiving of mistreatment, and can be cooked ahead of time. It's a nice dish to take for a lunch, brunch, breakfast or tea. It holds up relatively well, but the exposed parts of the crust will shatter easily, so pack it protectively in a pie box if you are taking it somewhere.

I strongly recommend using the food processor for this crust, but you can also use a pastry blender to cut in the fat.

For the crust
You can use Bob's Red Mill gluten-free pie crust mix OR, you can make your own pie crust with the following recipe (makes two pie crusts. If you are only making one quiche, halve the recipe).

2 1/2 cups white rice flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
15 tablespoons cold butter (that's two sticks minus one tablespoon). Cut each stick of butter into about 16 cubes

6 tablespoons ice water

In the bowl of a food processor with the cutting blade at the bottom, combine the rice flour, salt and butter cubes. Pulse about 10-15 times until the mixture takes on the texture of small pebbles or coarse sand.

Pour 6 tablespoons of ice water into the food processor bowl, one tablespoon at a time.

Pulse the mixture until it comes together in a ball.

Turn out the ball of dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper. Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate for half an hour.

Divide the dough into two equal parts. Shape each into a disk about five inches in diameter. Working with one disk at a time, place the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll it out until it's about 10 inches in diameter, or large enough to cover your pie plate.

Peel off one sheet of plastic wrap, and place the dough exposed-side down in a pie plate. Remove the other sheet of plastic wrap and fit the crust into the pan. Flute the edges with your fingers. Prick the bottom of the crust about 15 times with a fork, and precook the crust in a 425F oven for about 15 minutes. (Note: I would ordinarily line the pie shells with tin foil and fill with pie weights or beans when I pre bake, but the foil tends to stick to a GF crust. If you do line the crust with foil, be sure to grease it first)

For the quiche
You can fill a quiche with just about anything, but below are a few suggestions. If you are using fresh vegetables, be sure to cook them first or they will shed their water into the egg mixture, preventing it from setting properly.

Lay the filling in the bottom of the crust, then pour the egg mixture on top.

• Spinach, red pepper, onion and feta cheese: Sautee one small diced onion and a small diced red pepper until the onions turn translucent. Add about 1 cup fresh chopped spinach and cook until the spinach wilts. Pour the vegetables into the bottom of the crust. Add about 1/8-1/4 cup feta cheese.



Ham & Cheese Quiche

• Ham and cheddar: dice about 1/3 cup ham and place in the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle on about 1/8-1/4 cup cheddar.

For the egg filling:

In a large bowl, whisk together 4 eggs, 2 cups of milk (or half and half, or cream) and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the filling in the pie crust.

Bake

Pop the quiche into a 350F oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Gluten-free coconut banana bread with nuts or chocolate chips

A few weeks ago, I made a banana bread that did not manage to bake all the way before the kids were scheduled to leave for an overnight trip. The next morning, at 7am, all three of them were plowing through the front door to get to the banana-ey goodness. My husband and I had eaten some while they were away, but they ate the remainder of the loaf in about four minutes.

Left: Chocolate chip/coconut
Right: Walnut/coconut

Due to everyone’s conflicting food aversions and preferences in my house, I like to make a double-batch of banana bread (two loaves), and make one banana-nut and the other banana-chocolate chip. (The kids will not eat nuts. My husband claims he doesn’t like chocolate)

I made this recipe with gluten-free flour, and I added a little unsweetened dehydrated shredded coconut. (Not the sugar-coated shredded coconut you usually see atop coconut cream pies.) It gives the bread a slightly tropical flavor without being overly sweet. If you don’t like coconut, skip that step. It still works.

I have made this with both butter and coconut oil. Both are delicious. If you use coconut oil, it should be in its solid form (not liquid). The oil liquefies at warmer temperatures. To get liquid oil to harden up again, measure the desired quantity and put it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

At the last step of this recipe, you decide whether to add nuts or chocolate chips, or both. 

This recipe makes one loaf. To make two, double all ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350F

Grease the bottom of one loaf pan

>These are the dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, mix together

1 ½ cups Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free baking flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

¼ tsp xanthan gum (optional)

>These are the wet ingredients

In another medium bowl, combine

2 mashed bananas

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp gluten free vanilla

Using a mixer (or your really strong arms), beat together until creamy

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter (3/4 stick) or solid coconut oil

Take turns adding wet and dry ingredients to the sugar/butter mixture, using about 1/3 of each at a time until everything is well blended.

Add

½ cup chopped nuts (I like walnuts or pecans in this)

or

½ cup dark chocolate chips

or both

Stir just long enough to combine.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Finished GF banana breads. Left: chocolate chip. Right: walnut.
I did not split the batter quite evenly on these,
so the one on the left took longer to cook.

Bake at 350F for about an hour, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Allow the finished bread to cool for about 10 minutes (Very important. Hot bread tends to give you trouble coming out of the pan. And it’s hard to manage a 350-degree pan).

Run a metal spatula between the sides of the loaf and the interior of the pan.

Turn the pan out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool as long as the other people in your house will let you before they climb over you to get to the bread. (The cooler it is, the more cleanly it will slice).

Gluten-Free Cornbread

We use this cornbread as an accompaniment for chili and any type of barbecue. It's also a key part of our cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving (the recipe for which is coming soon).

Cornbread with butter & honey

Gluten-Free Cornbread
1 1/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
3/4 cup gluten-free corn meal
1/4 tsp Xanthan gum (optional: The dough will be thinner without it, but it still works)
1/4 cup sugar (or honey or agave nectar)*
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (or regular plain yogurt)**
2/3 cup milk**
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (or melted butter)
2 whole eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400F.
Grease an 8- or 9-inch pan. (I use a 9-inch round stoneware pan for this).
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
In another medium bowl, combine the liquid ingredients.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, stir well, and pour the batter into the greased stoneware pan.
Allow the batter to sit for 3-4 minutes before baking.
Bake at 400F for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm, with butter and honey or all-fruit preserves.

Use the leftovers for cornbread stuffing.

Notes:


I specify Bob's gluten-free flour because each company uses a different mix. I find that some of the brands soak up too much liquid, requiring changes to the recipe.



*For the sweetener, you can use either regular sugar, honey or agave nectar. The liquid sweeteners make the batter thinner and the final product a little crunchier, but it works. You can vary the amount of sweetener based on your personal preference. If you like a sweeter cornbread, use 1/3 cup. If you are accustomed to "Southern" cornbread, try using 1/2 cup sugar.

About the liquid:
**In this recipe, I use a combination of Greek yogurt and milk. Alternatively, you could omit the yogurt + milk and use 1 cup of buttermilk. Buttermilk works great, but I do not always have it on hand.
For the lactose-intolerant, omit the yogurt + milk and instead use 1 cup of almond or soy milk + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Mix and let sit 5 minutes before using. The texture will change with this variation.

Homemade gluten-free apple pie with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pie Crust

I recently received a “hot off the press” package of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pie Crust. I have been waiting for inspiration to arrive ever since. Today, I made a homemade apple pie and the reviews from the family were: “Ultra-delicious” and “I was A-ok with the pie-crust.” I am the only GF person in the house, and I do like it when even the wheat-eaters enjoy what I’m making.

Bob was generous with this crust: it filled out the pan nicely. The finished product wasn’t really flaky like traditional wheat crusts; it was more crumbly, like shortbread. But it did shatter at the touch of the fork, it wasn’t dry, heavy, doughy or soggy, and it tasted delicious. I think it would make a great base for any pie. I expect to try it as a quiche crust next.

Comments & Notes:

• The recipe on the bag calls for 20 tbsp of fat (a mix of butter and shortening)--not exactly health food. You wouldn’t want to eat like this every day, but it’s okay for a special occasion, and when you have a lot of people to share it with.
• After adding the ice water to the mix, the dough will need to be mixed with your hand (not a wooden spoon) to get it to come together.
• Do roll out the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap. As a rice-flour-based mix, this dough is very crumbly and it would never survive rolling and direct contact with both the pin and work surface. The plastic makes it neat and easy to work and place in the pan. 

Recipe

Rolling the dough

Pie Crust

1 bag Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pie Crust Mix

12 tbsp butter

8 tbsp shortening or coconut oil

Prepare the crust per package directions. Separate dough into two disks, wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill for one hour.

Roll each half of the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap until it’s about 10 inches in diameter.

Peel off the top sheet of plastic wrap and gently invert the bottom crust into a 9-inch pie pan, then gently remove the second sheet of plastic wrap.

Roll out the second half of the crust to about 9.5-10 inches in diameter. Remove the top sheet of plastic and cut four steam vents in the crust (each about 1.5 inches long and near the center).

Prepared bottom crust

Preheat the oven to 425F and prepare the filling.

Filling

6 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

½ cup sugar

2 tbsp gluten-free cornstarch

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tbsp butter, cut into 4 cubes

Sugar for sprinkling

Place the sliced apples in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Mix well. Pour the fruit into the prepared bottom crust in the pie pan, compressing the fruit slightly with a wooden spoon, and mounding the apples higher in the center.

Drop the 4 cubes of butter on top of the apples.

Handling gently by the one remaining sheet of plastic, place the second crust on top of the pie and remove the plastic wrap. Cut off any excess, overhanging crust and crimp the edges with the tines of a fork. Dust the top crust of the pie with sugar.

Ready for the oven

Bake the pie in a 425F oven for 30 minutes, and then lower the heat to 350F and bake for another 30 minutes. The pie is done when the crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling up.

Serve warm, maybe even with ice cream if you're feeling really naughty.

Decimated.

Homemade Gluten-Free Waffles

Waffles are a weekend tradition in my house. When I was growing up, we used to make pancakes every Sunday. I learned that recipe when I was seven years old. Many years later, my kids developed a preference for waffles, which are basically the same thing, but with syrup pockets. I have made waffles almost every weekend for probably 15 years.

After going gluten free, the thought of a waffle-less existence depressed me almost as much as a future without pizza. I experimented with many waffle and pancake recipes, but this one, a combination of techniques from two different versions of Joy of Cooking and The Wooden Spook Bread Book, is our hands-down favorite. It makes more than enough waffles for five hungry people.

Preheat a waffle iron. Whisk together in a large bowl:

1 ¾ cups Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour

¾ tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon Bob’s Red Mill xanthan gum

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Separate 4 eggs.

Using the wire blade of an electric mixer, beat the four egg whites until soft peaks form.

Thoroughly blend in another large bowl

4 egg yolks

¼ cup butter (1/2 stick)

½ cup Greek yogurt

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla

Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture and blend, then gently fold in the egg whites. The batter should be thick but still pourable. If it is too thick and doughy, gently blend in milk to thin it to pouring consistency.

Follow your manufacturer’s instructions for the amount of batter to pour into the machine and baking time. For our one-at-a-time Cuisinart waffle iron, I pour about ½ cup of batter in a soup ladle, then spread the batter around with the back of the ladle before closing the lid.

We top our waffles with nut butter and pure maple syrup, but sliced bananas and pecans are yummy, too. The topping possibilities are endless!