I'm not German, but I play German in real life: Apple Strudel

Daring Baker's Challenge May 2009: Apple Strudel

Bright copper kettles, crisp apple strudel, doorbells and sleighbells and schnitzel with noodles...! I couldn't really help it. Compliments of Daring Bakers Challenge, I have had Julie Andrews singing "My Favorite Things" in my head all month, it seems.

There is one problem with this whole thing - strudel, a paper-thin pastry filled with fruit and nuts - depends exclusively on the properties of gluten, the same protein that makes tummies hurt around here. I have read the results of several other gluten free daring bakers today as they discussed their apple strudel, and I'm not feeling so discouraged anymore.

As my crust, I chose Kate's recipe for Gluten Free Croissants on her website, Gluten Free Gobsmacked. The croissant dough is flaky (you should see the picture she has with her recipe!), and has that same pull-apart-in-layers texture as gluten-filled croissants. The secret is shredded, frozen butter rolled between the layers. I have to admit - freezing a stick of butter and grating it was really fun. I'm not sure how else to describe it. It was just so unusual that I found it very satisfying.

After sprinkling grated butter over the rolled-out pasty, it's important to use the wax paper underneath to fold it in thirds, like a business letter. In my case, it would have been easier if I had used more sweet rice flour under the dough before rolling it out. Kate mentions in her recipe that she used 1 1/2 cups of sweet rice flour for the rolling out of the dough.


After folding into thirds, roll out the dough as thin as possible again. I discovered one challenge - I no longer own a rolling pin. When we went gluten free last summer, that was one thing I tossed (I think I gave it to my parents) without looking back. But, I haven't replaced it yet. I poked around my kitchen looking for a suitable replacement. I thought of using a refrigerated bottle of Martinellis, which would keep the dough colder, but the condensation could have added extra water to the dough and made it too sticky. I settled on a blue Nalgene water bottle, rubbed it down with sweet rice flour, and rolled away. It obviously would have been thinner if I had the proper equipment.


Having never made an apple strudel, I prepared a lower-sugar version of the recipe chosen by the Daring Bakers. I was a little put off by using bread crumbs, because of the bumped-up glycemic factor of the store-bought Ener-G bread crumbs in my cupboard. But, I still tossed them in melting butter and added them to the strudel. Beyond that, my simple filling involved cinnamon, sugar, and a very thinly sliced Granny Smith apple (none of these were exact measurements, but I wanted the sweetness to be very subtle).

I again used the wax paper to assist me in folding the dough up to make the final strudel. It was getting warm in the kitchen, and I needed to get to work, so this is the part when I forgot about my patience. I was trying to slide the strudel off the wax paper onto my silicon baking mat, and it wouldn't come off the wax paper (once again, should have used more sweet rice flour). My boss called me and...ahem...gave me instructions on something I was already familiar with, and I threw patience out the front door. Sadly, my strudel tore across the bottom, but into the oven it went.


It was baked at 400 for 30 minutes, even though I think I could have gone for 25 minutes. It got a little overdone where the edges broke. Sadly, if I had slowed down and figured out how to take it off the wax paper, it would have been beautiful!


I found that the crust was really delicious, and the buttered bread crumbs really added to it. I don't really agree that the crust was strudel-like, because it didn't quite get thin enough. It may be possible with Kate's croissant recipe, but only if you own a rolling pin!

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Beef Fajitas

The light in my kitchen is out. It's some sort of electrical problem, not just a light bulb problem, and so I'm going to ask my landlord to get someone to fix it. Meanwhile, we've been cookin' by moonlight. (Not quite).

Since my apartment is rather open, the living room lamps and the pantry overhead light are able to shed some light on my current culinary adventure. It does make me feel like I'm up in the middle of the night making a snack though.

The other night, we made some delicious beef fajitas from marinated flank steak. I purchased a huge piece of steak on sale, and marinated it in two portions for fajitas. That will save you money at the grocery store - buy meat on sale, prepare it, and freeze it. Then when the time comes for midnight snacking, you'll be all set!

Until the light gets fixed, my beef fajitas don't look so good in the light I used.

Moonlight Beef Fajitas
1 pound beef flank steak

marinated in:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cilantro (1/4 cup fresh cilantro would be so delicious)

1 onion, julienned
1 bell pepper, julienned
black pepper
smoked paprika
shredded cheese
cooked rice
corn tortillas


Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a freezer bag, shake up, and add the meat. Put it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, then it can be put in the freezer.

When it's time to be eatin' fajitas, defrost the meat (or take it out of the fridge). Slice into thin strips, slicing opposite the grain of the meat. In a hot pan, cook the onions and peppers for about 5 minutes, or until they are soft. Take them out of the pan and put them aside. Then, add meat and marinade to the pan, sprinkle with pepper and paprika, and cook until the meat is done (about another 5 minutes).

Served hot in warmed corn tortillas, with rice, cheese, avocado, and salsa.

Review: Tasty Bite Bombay Potatoes

Recently, the boy spent 4 days at a swordfighting competition. For those in the competition, meals were provided with their gate fee. For the boy, meals came in boxes and pouches, and were prepared in the microwave. That's not to say that he didn't enjoy his meals - in fact, on the last day, one of his friends who was also in charge of preparing group meals, prepared a lovely bowl of cold berries with honey for him.

We sent him along with all sorts of things to eat, but one new thing we tried was the Tasty Bite Bombay Potatoes. He prepared it in his bowl in the microwave, over a pouch of microwave rice, and a can of chicken (yeah, he's not vegan, even though the bombay potatoes are!)

He described the flavor as "intense enough that I didn't feel like I was eating microwaved food. It was like I actually attended the feast!" It was a success for him, and we'll be buying more for our other travel adventures.

Growing tomatoes!

Last weekend, I planted my four tomato plants on my back porch in pots. Last year, I purchased the pots, but couldn't find tomato stakes anywhere.

This summer, I headed to Mill Creek Gardens and bought 4 tomato stakes, and I planted my tomatoes! Last summer my harvest was pretty good - about 15 tomatoes - but this year, we're going for the gold.

Three plants are beefsteak tomatoes, and one plant is an "ace." Come August we'll be eating delicious pizza with fresh tomatoes and basil (I'm growing that too).

A week later, I have five little flowers! Yay for summer!

Cucumber Apple Slaw with Honey Balsamic Dressing

Hot. It's hot around here.

Tonight we're thinking we'll dine on the deliciousness of Evergood Kielbasa (gluten free!), prepared to bursting on the grill, and some chicken covered in barbecue sauce. Along with this will be some cooked, but cold, bite-sized red potatoes, well-seasoned.

Cooking gluten free during the summer is going to be a stretch. Since we regularly have almond poppy seed muffins or peanut butter bars on hand, I think I'll do my baking late at night, when my screen door can smack against the door frame in the cool night breezes.

I threw together this salad tonight to go with our barbecue meal. I just can't stand to turn on the oven.

Cucumber Apple Slaw with Honey Balsamic Dressing

1 cucumber, shredded
1 tart apple, shredded

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey

slivered almonds

With a vegetable peeler, shred the cucumber. Place it on a paper towel for 10 minutes to drain. Shred apple. In a bowl, combine balsamic vinegar and honey and stir. Pour over vegetables, and toss. Top with almonds and a pinch of salt.

Peanut Butter Bars

We have been so incredibly busy. Busy enough that we've been eating the same old meals. Not that we don't like our menu, but the days are warm and sunny, and the evenings are cool and full of life. We wish we were outside, exploring the city.

Since he was diagnosed with celiac disease at the end of last summer, we were just developing the first few meals that he could eat and which tasted tolerably during the summer months. Our menu really evolved over the fall and winter, and now spring has fully bloomed. The tree that shades my front door from the evening light exploded into the gloriously-shaped red maple leaves, proclaiming that summer has arrived. The white puffy dandelion heads spot across the lawn, mowed in rows, but already with new growth. A light breeze whisks away the white fluff.

The menu we've been eating is a "winter menu." Hearty stews, chowders and soups, sloppy joes, complex curries heavy with meat. We don't have much of a summer menu - particularly one that won't heat up the kitchen. The tiny, one bedroom apartment holds the kitchen at its core, radiating the inviting heat of fresh corn muffins in February. In July, the stale air in the un-air-conditioned evenings in my kitchen makes it difficult for either of us to be interested in eating. We used to remedy this by hitting the town, exploring hole-in-the-wall joints. Greasy burgers and thick shakes. Cafe patios with tempering breezes.

Now, our days have come. We need to add to the barbecue repertoire. Maybe I'll convince him to like salads. But, the undressed presence of colorful vegetables might be overwhelming. We'll take this step by step.

He's going on a camping trip this weekend, for a swordfighting competition. I'll be preparing his menu, and I'm going to pack a stack of these peanut butter bars. There'll even be another swordfighter there with celiac, and I think the boy is excited to share some of our home-cookin'.

Here's to summer. I hope we find the flavors to love summer.

Peanut Butter Bars

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup quinoa flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup gluten free oatmeal (these don't work well with an oat substitute, like quinoa flakes)
1/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After mixing all of these ingredients together, pour into a prepared 9 x 13" pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

For peanut butter-chocolate bars: Pour chocolate chips over the top of the hot bars, and wait 2 minutes. The chips will be soft, and can be spread with a spoon. These are so delicious!

Once the bars have cooled, cut into squares and share :).

Looking forward to peanut butter bars!

Last night, I made some peanut butter bars. My camera wasn't saving the images I took, so I didn't post my recipe yet. They are very delicious (boy-approved!), and tonight I'll give my camera a few slaps around, and then we'll be back in business.

We had a tremendously busy week last week.

Both of us had big projects at work, and we even had some crockpot Taco Soup on Wednesday, when I went to a musical with a friend, and he was working out.

Back to life :).

Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger: Ant's Pizza

Once again, I have joined my friends to adopt a gluten free blogger and explore their recipes. I chose Kerrie's mouth-watering pizza, created by her husband, Ant. Kerrie, of Gluten Free in the Shaolin, seems to have endless interesting products to try, and some delicious home cookin'. (I'm intrigued by the pizza rustica, though it will have to be another day that I try it.)

Topped with pepperoni, ham, sweet bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheese.
We've even had friends over for pizza, and they love this!

The one recipe that drew me in, in the early months of gluten free living 'round here, was Ant's gluten free pizza. Ant, her husband, worked in a pizzeria, and they live on Staten Island. We, here in Salt Lake, had explored all the best restaurant attempts at New York style pizza, and knew all the best places to hit (and those not to!)

Then, gluten free. We needed pizza. Something cheesy, that could be covered with salty meats and sweet bell peppers. A crust that had some chew, some crisp, and didn't taste like sawdust.

Just before toppings!

This crust, and pizza, have become a household staple, and we owe it to Kerrie and her fantastic gluten free blogging.

Please check out the rest of Kerrie's gluten free adventures, and you can even have exclusive access to the pizza crust recipe.