Carefreeglutenfree - Carefree Gluten Free

"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness."                             - Jane Austen

All-American Apple Pie

Gluten Free Pie Crust*

Filling: 2/3 c. sugar ½ tsp. cinnamon 2 Tbsp. water 2 Tbsp. lemon juice ¼ tsp. nutmeg 2 Tbsp. margarine 5-6 medium sliced apples

Crumb Topping: ½ c. firmly packed brown sugar ½ c. softened margarine 1 c. Gluten Free all-purpose flour*

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. To Make Pie Crust: Follow package directions. 

3. To Make Filling: In large bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss with apples. Add water and lemon juice. Toss until evenly coated and spoon into unbaked pie crust. Dot with butter.

4. To Make Crumb Topping: Using a pastry cutter, mix topping ingredients until crumbly in texture. Sprinkle over apples. 

5. Place pie on a cookie sheet, covered with aluminum foil, to catch juices that may spill over.  Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Top with ice cream and serve.

*I used Gluten Free Pantry's perfect pie crust mix and all-purpose flour for this recipe.

Cook's Tip: This recipe can be made into a delicious gluten free apple crisp by omitting the crust.

{"Spicy Hot Chili Pepper Poster" via RabbitduckWorkshop}

Meatless Chili Mac

Ingredients:

2 (15 oz) cans dark red kidney beans, undrained

1 cup mild salsa

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 oz. Gluten Free elbow macaroni

Directions:

1. In slow cooker, combine the beans, salsa, and spices.  Stir well to combine.  Cook over low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  (You may also opt to cook over medium-low heat on the stove top for 20-30 minutes.) 

2. When ready to serve, cook and drain macaroni according to package directions.  Add the drained noodles to the chili mixture in the slow cooker.  Stir to coat the noodles and combine well.  Top with dairy-free cheese or sour cream.  Serve.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Recipe from the blog Life as a Lofthouse

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

4 Tbsp ketchup

1/2 cup vinegar

1 Tbsp Gluten Free soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

1. Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. 

2. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs.  Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through.

3. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. 

4. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.  

Granny's Chocolate Cobbler

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman:

1 cup Gluten Free All-purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

¼ teaspoons Salt

7 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder, Divided

1-¼ cup Sugar, Divided

½ cups Milk

⅓ cups Melted Butter

1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

½ cups Light Brown Sugar, Packed

1-½ cup Hot Tap Water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. First stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons of the cocoa, and 3/4 cup of the white sugar. Reserve the remaining cocoa and sugar.

3. Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla to the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

4. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8-inch baking dish. I prefer my small oval Corning Ware glass dish.

5. In a separate small bowl, mix the remaining white sugar (it should be 1/2 cup), the brown sugar, and remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter.

6. Pour the hot tap water over all. DO NOT STIR!

7. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the center is set.

8. Let stand for a few minutes if you can hold yourself back. Serve with homemade ice cream using the gooey sauce to spoon over all.

"Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first."

- Ernestine Ulmer

In honor of National Doughnut Day

Baked Doughnuts

Recipe adapted from the blog Iowa Girl Eats

1 cup Gluten Free all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

6 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons buttermilk

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

For the glaze:

1/2 cup or more powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Water

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Add buttermilk, egg, vanilla and butter. Whisk to combine.

2. Transfer dough to a ziplock bag. Snip off a corner of the bag and pipe dough evenly into a 6-cup doughnut pan. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until dough is set (it won’t be golden brown, but should be springy.)

3. In a separate bowl, mix together powdered sugar and vanilla. Begin adding water 1 teaspoon at a time. Stir until desired thickness of glaze is achieved. Glaze doughnuts while warm or cool.

Citrus Berry Cake

This light and fresh cake has all the bright flavors of summer.  Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cups Gluten Free all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup soy milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 cup non-dairy butter, melted

Egg replacer equal to 1 egg

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

Topping:

1-1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups non-dairy whipped topping

2 teaspoons orange juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9-inch round baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, make the egg replacer according to package directions.  Add the melted butter, orange juice, orange peel, and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the soy milk and lemon juice.  Let sit for at least 5 minutes.  Add to the egg mixture.

4. In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together.  Add in the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.  Fold in the strawberries.  Pour batter into the prepared pan.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack; remove paper. Cool completely.

6. For topping, in a small bowl, toss strawberries with lemon juice and sugar. Refrigerate until serving.

7. In another bowl, mix whipped topping and orange juice; spread over cake. Drain strawberries; arrange over top. Yield: 8 servings.

  *For tips on how to make your own non-dairy whipped topping, follow this great step-by-step tutorial.