Baked Acorn Squash

Baked Acorn Squash

1 medium acorn squash
2 tablespoons butter
cinnamon
brown sugar
ground ginger

Take your beautiful acorn squash (a winter squash variety - but in the stores all year round, mostly in shades of green, shaped like an acorn), and slice it in half from stem to the pointy end. Scrape out seeds and fibers and put them aside. Set the two halves into a baking dish, and place a dab of butter in the middle. Sprinkle with ginger, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Then, bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until the squash is tender.

Then, cozy up on the couch with half of a squash, in a bowl, and spoon the tender squash into your hungry mouth. These are also great to put in the oven at the beginning of your meal preparation, and then you will have it ready when the rest of the meal is ready!

Squash is full of fiber (approximately 40% of your daily value for 1 cup of squash), and just tastes like fall. I actually rinsed the seeds after I put the squash in the oven, and I'm drying them so that I can eventually use them as pepitas (pumpkin seeds) to make Kate's Pepita-Powered Bread. It looks so delicious!

You can find other Slightly Indulgent Monday foods at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free.

Gluten Free Menu Plan: September 28, 2009

My co-op order included: peaches, pears, Gala apples, onions, potatoes, fresh sweet corn, spaghetti squash, a few acorn squash, bell peppers of all shapes and colors, tomatoes, and 2 basil plants. All the foods were local (Utah and Idaho) this month.

Based on my newly-acquired squash, I used this excellent squash primer with pictures, descriptions, seasons, and recipes for using squash!

This week's menu plan roundup is put together by Gluten Free Goodness, and the details are at Cheryl's Gluten Free Menu Swap Headquarters. She chose vegetarian meals. While we are big meat eaters, this week with the arrival of a beautiful basil plant, we'll go vegetarian for pizza. It's one of our favorite topping combinations.

Other great menus are at OrgJunkie.

Gluten Free Menu Plan of the Week: September 28, 2009

Monday: hamburgers on the grill. apple crisp for dessert.

Tuesday: out to dinner with a few friends for me. But, I'll be making chicken drummies with fresh corn on the cob for the boy. It's his workout night...

Wednesday: chicken enchiladas and fruit

Thursday: beef stew (crockpot - a busy day for me)

Friday: Pizza night - with sun dried tomato and fresh basil toppings. We used to eat this at Guido's in Boise. Seriously good. How vegetarian of us!

Gluten Free Squash-Zucchini Cranberry Muffins Recipe

I was on the phone with my dear mom the other day. We adore each other. Maybe it's just flattering to spend time with someone else with a ridiculous sense of humor.

"I'm thinking about making some zucchini lasagne, but I don't have any zucchini. Should I really go out and buy some when it's totally the season for it?"

"Seriously? I'm sure if you just step out your front door and say the word 'zucchini,' people will just start throwing them at you. Really, I'm sure a neighbor would love to give them to you. Just wait."

"Hmmrph."

I don't like waiting for things. I also knew buying zucchini was a silly idea.

The day the boy and I went to the zoo, I came home to find a bag hanging on my front door. Sure enough, the garden fairy had visited. Then she visited my office. And my friend's house. And my neighbors' house. And therefore, I ended up with a counterful of beautiful, local produce. Combining the shredded squash and zucchini is a great way to use the squash. Squash itself is a little too stiff to be the only component to these muffins, plus the beautiful colors make for stunning breakfast.

Squash-Zucchini Cranberry Muffins

1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons total: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk these dry ingredients together in a bowl until they become "one flour."

Then add in:

1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 - 3 cups zucchini and summer squash, grated
1/3 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped (if you prefer, you can rehydrate them a bit with some water and lemon juice)

Stir until completely combined. Prepare a muffin tin with baking cups, and spoon batter in until they are 3/4 full. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Allow to cool after baking (I'm serious - they're much better when they're room temperature!) This makes 12 muffins.

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'Tis the season for a whole lotta great produce from the garden. Here are some other great gluten free ways to use zucchini from fellow bloggers.

Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins by yours truly
A Year of Slow Cooking: End of Summer Harvest Soup Slow Cooker Recipe
Pesto Zucchini Tomato Gratin Karina's Kitchen: Gluten-Free Recipes
Zucchini Crust Pizza Flatbread at Book of Yum
Carrot Zucchini Muffins by Gluten Free Mommy
Closet Cooking: Herbed Zucchini and Feta Quiche with a Brown Rice Crust by Closet Cooking
Mary Hunt's Zucchini Curry Soup at Godairyfree.org
Zucchini Stuffed with Pinenuts and Herbed Basmati Rice Recipe from FatFree Vegan Kitchen
Baked Eggplant Zucchini Spaghetti from Gluten Free Mommy
Light Zucchini Hummus by Wasabimon
Low Carb Gluten Free Pizza (with a Zucchini Crust) made by The Gluti Girls

[how to re-warm gluten free muffins]

xanthan gum

My gluten free kitchen reached a milestone this week: we came to the end of our first bag of xanthan gum. Last August, I bought a 16 ounce bag at Against the Grain. It was Blue Chip brand, and lasted for 13 months. That initial $10.99 I spent helped to bind probably 60 batches of muffins, 40 pizza crusts, some cookies, and a few loaves of bread. Not to mention a collection of interesting "experiments" that have come out of this kitchen. [As a note, the Bob's Red Mill bags of xanthan gum are 8 ounces, half the size of this bag, and more expensive!]

I just thought it was curious. I discovered how long it takes to use a bag of xanthan gum - the same bag that makes you cringe a little bit when you put it in the cart because of the price. Not cheap. But to those of you who have hesitated to buy it, that's a lot of baking made better by this amazing substance.

And, to keep your xanthan gum safe and fresh, keep it tightly sealed in a bag in the fridge or freezer. I use one of those "airtight" canisters, with the seal around the edges.

As a bit of history, xanthan gum was invented/discovered in the 1960s, and its primary purpose is to increase the viscosity of a substance. It is used in salad dressings and sauces, toothpaste, pouring concrete underwater (cool!), and even for the making of fake blood!

Next time you wonder just how long that pricey bag will last, just know that if you bake as much as me, it will last at least a year! Well worth the price! How long has your xanthan gum been around?

Gluten Free Menu Plan: September 21, 2009

It was a success, menu planning that is. There were at least three nights last week that instead of fretting about dinner, I just made sure all the eaters were ok with the selection and started cooking. Thank goodness. One more load off my mind.

Our gluten free menu plan for the week. It's hosted this week by Celiacs in the House with the theme ingredient of pumpkins. I love pumpkin - it makes everything taste richer. That's why last year's pumpkin chili for the crockpot has made it on the menu again - totally soul-warming! Cheryl has the rules and schedule for Gluten Free Menu Swap. Check out lots of other great menus at Orgjunkie.

Monday: Karina's Easy Chicken and Balsamic Peppers served with rice

Tuesday: (our busy night) Crockpot Pumpkin Chili

Wednesday: Asian Barbecue Chicken with rice and veggies

Thursday: McCormick tacos with tomatoes from the garden!

Friday: Pizza night with friends :), including garden tomatoes and ham for toppings

Saturday: eating out with friends at the Five Guys burgers in Boise. We're going to a wedding, and we'll need food before it starts! We're also picking up our monthly co-op food.

Gummy Candy Car Racers

These are different than Jell-o, they're actually gummy candy!

Gummy Cars, as in Gummy Bears!

1 package unflavored gelatin
1 small package flavored Jell-o (mine were strawberry!)
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup ice cold water (or more, as needed)

In a microwave safe liquid measuring cup, stir together dry gelatin, Jell-o, and sugar. Pour in cold water and stir.

Let the mixture sit for a few minutes. The mixture will become gloopy and thick, you may want to add more water if it becomes thicker than frosting.

Microwave for about 1 minute, or until it begins to foam up. Remove from microwave, and carefully pour into each mold. If you are using really small molds, like actual gummy bear molds, use an eyedropper to fill. If you are doing this with kids, be careful, since the liquid will be hot when it comes out of the microwave!

Put the molds into the freezer for at least 10 minutes, up to overnight. I ended up with about 1 cup of mix to pour into my mold (or 5 cars). These are shelf-stable, but they are tasty when they been stored in the fridge in a bag or air-tight container.

These are so fun to play with and share! I took my plate to a girls night game party.

You should check out Lauren's version at Celiac Teen - she made her own "worms" for Worms & Dirt!

Gluten Free Cranberry Toffee Bars Recipe

These were inspired by my Gold Medal Flour Holiday Cookies booklet. Yes, it's one of those mini paperback recipe books you find next to the gum in the checkout line. I bought it in college, and since it has bright pictures and a whole section on mouse and penguin-shaped cookies, I thought it was a keeper.

I'm launching into the coming seasons, combining dried cranberries with the rich, brown-sugary flavor that makes these bars taste like toffee. They're so simple, with surprisingly few ingredients for a gluten free recipe. You can find more tastiness on the weekly Slightly Indulgent Mondays.

Cranberry Toffee Bars
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped finely
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 ounces milk chocolate, broken into pieces; or chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped or sliced almonds

Beat brown sugar, butter, vanilla and the egg yolk in a large bowl. Stir in the flours, salt, xanthan gum and cranberries. With your fingers or a flat spatula, press the mixture into an 8 x 8 greased baking pan.

Bake it for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. The crust will be soft and a little wrinkly looking, and should not brown very much. Pour chocolate or chocolate chips onto the crust and leave for a few minutes. The chocolate will melt, then spread it all over using a flat spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with almonds and leave it to cool completely. I cut mine very small, into 36 pieces.

These would be perfect as a treat to take with you to work or give to the neighbors. They're pretty rich little guys.

Gluten Free Menu Plan of the Week: September 14, 2009

I'm giving it a try again. Yep, menu planning. This week's host for Gluten Free Menu Swap is La Cocina de Michelle, and she chose quinoa as the ingredient of the week.

Gluten Free Meal Plan (dinners)

Monday: I'm having a huge fruit craving. We'll be having some sort of invented zucchini creation and watermelon. I'll probably have a berry smoothie in the morning with grapefruit added. I feel like I could eat a whole orchard right now.

Tuesday: Risotto with garlic chicken, fresh peppers and bacon. And a huge salad.

Wednesday: I really want to try out Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Recipe on A Year of Slowcooking, served with quinoa "fried rice." It looks so crunchy because you sear the chicken and then put it in there with the sauce. Besides, this is our busy night, and it will be nice to have something to come home to.

Thursday: Grilling out - kielbasa, and chicken brushed with BBQ sauce.

Friday: Pizza Night! with some fresh garden tomatoes from the back porch, and fresh oregano


We'll also be using quinoa this week in a batch of Peanut Butter Bars to be packed to school and for after-school snacks.

Stagg Chili pulled a fast one on me

Stagg chili has some delicious varieties, and many of them are gluten free.

We unfortunately encountered one that wasn't, and shoveled it in before reading the label. Boo.

Stagg now has 12 varieties, and our local Smith's seems to carry all of them except for "Classic," the one we used to go for. So I picked up "Country Brand," described as "Mild Chili with Sweet Bell Peppers." 4 cans, in the cart.

Before today, two of these had been eaten. We opened the third this afternoon. I had the bowl, filled to the brim with chili, only waiting to be heated, and leaned against the counter. Beans, tomatoes, wheat flour enriched with niacin... I read aloud to myself as I listened to the hum of the microwave. Wait a minute! Wheat flour?

Zing. We'd been had. Complacency bit us again.

Moral of the story: Read the label.

Stagg gluten free flavors (all of which say Gluten Free after the ingredients list):
Classic Stagg
Vegetable Garden 4-bean chili
Silverado Beef
Ranch House Chicken Chili with beans
Chunkero
White Chili, Chicken Chili with beans
Dynamite Hot
Steak House Chili No Beans
Fiesta Grill Chili with Beans

Stagg flavors WITH gluten (don't eat these ones...):
Country Brand: Mild with Sweet Bell Peppers
Turkey Ranchero
Laredo Chili with Beans

Gluten Free at Ikea (Draper, Utah)

A favorite treat of ours is Ikea's Daim candy. They are sold in bags of individually wrapped goodness, and actually made by Kraft foods. (The foods sold at the store are not on the website).

We discovered on our last trip to Ikea that there is a book near the food products (past the registers) with product information about all the foods. You can look through the binder for your favorite Swedish delicacy, and it includes allergen information.

Lucky for us, Daim candy includes milk, almonds and soy. We brought home a bag. I can only seem to find about half a bag on the counter today, though.

Review: Gluten Free at P.F. Changs

Our anniversary date ended up at P.F. Changs. Located in Salt Lake City's thriving district near the Gateway, it was packed on a Tuesday night. But, we were seated quickly.

We discovered that the gluten free menu has now been integrated into the restaurant's regular menu, located on the back page. As we scanned the menu, it even included an interesting disclaimer, with details about the gluten free preparation of the "PF Chang" sauce. This sauce is served on the Singapore Street Noodles, and possibly other dishes (that I didn't notice.) You can also prepare for your visit by viewing their gluten free menu online.

In the end, we decided to start with a cup of delicious Egg Drop Soup ($2.95). For entrees, we chose Chang's Spicy Chicken ($12.95) and Philip's Better Lemon Chicken ($12.95). Each came with a small bowl of white rice (or brown, your choice). In the past we have shared an entree of fried rice to go with our dinners.

The server also brought gluten free soy sauce (San-J wheat free) to the table, where it was mixed with spicy pepper sauce and mustard.

At the end of our meal, we shared one of the Flourless Chocolate Domes, served with pristine fresh berries, raspberry sauce, and mint leaves. It was a well-balanced end to our wonderful meal.

We decided that eating out for Chinese food is worth the cost, since I'm not stellar at preparing it. It is such a treat to have a place to go that takes great care with preparing gluten free food, and accomodating our requests. The servers were knowledgeable, and on one of our previous visits, the gluten free food was served on different shaped plates! We don't know if this was true tonight, since it was just the two of us, and everything we ordered was gluten free.

Overall, we definitely enjoyed our meal. It was safe and conscientiously prepared, even for a sensitive celiac. High five, P.F. Changs!


P.F. Changs
174 W 300 S
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1913
(801) 539-0500

Our Labor Day Menu

For Labor Day, we're having some folks over. We plan to grill up some easy and Quick BBQ pork ribs, and serve them with some corn muffins, hummus, and a salad. I think someone mentioned a watermelon.

For dessert, toasted coconut ice cream. We'll watch the neighbor kids play across the street, sit on the porch with our feet up, and watch the sun go down.

What will you be doing for Labor Day?

Gluten Free Oatmeal Ranger Cookies Recipe

We're celebrating an anniversary soon.

This one is close to my heart, even though the one-year-mark of gluten free has been close to my heart, too. This one is about us. Just us. We're probably going to the zoo, and possibly to a local attraction in Park City called the Alpine Slide (leftover from the 2002 Olympics, it's a track that you can sled down!), and probably out to eat (P.F. Changs sounds good). Oh boy!

One of the things that has held us strong is our interest in making the other one happy. Our holiday and birthday giving is laced with perky ears, listening for the other to mention something that's "too expensive" or "I wish had one of those..." Those are the best gifts. Last year, the boy got an office chair, and he was grinning for a week. It's because at 6 feet 2 inches tall, the average office chair (particularly one from the thrift store), isn't designed for a tired lower back and longer legs.

Years ago, I sat on the front porch of my Provo house. I quietly dialed the number for the boy's mother, and asked her to tell me about ranger cookies. The boy had talked about these - filled with almonds, packed with fibrous oatmeal and sweetened with brown sugar. They even had olive oil in them. She gave me the recipe, which I scribbled in red pen on the back of an envelope. I still have that envelope, which I've now folded into a zip bag because it's filthy, and covered in gluten, for that matter. It holds a piece of his childhood, though, that I wanted to bake up for him. I could hear the care in his mom's voice as she described how to prepare them "just so."

These are perfect for a backpack, a pocket, a lunch, a napkin.

Oatmeal Ranger Cookies

In a stand mixer, or with your own muscles, cream together:

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar

Then add:

2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a separate bowl, combine the flours and other ingredients. Then, whisk them by hand until they become totally incorporated. That way you don't end up with random clumps of flax seed, or gummy balls of xanthan gum. It's better this way, I promise.

2/3 cup sweet rice flour
2/3 cup quinoa flour
1/3 cup teff flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/4 cup flax seed
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Add the dry ingredients into the mixer, and then add, slower this time, the following:

2 cups gluten free oats (I get mine from Blue Chip Group. They sure cost a pretty penny though.)
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I've used almonds, walnuts or peanuts. Try what you like.)

These bake up the best if you use a silicon baking mat. It helps to keep them from spreading. Also, be sure that your oven has completely heated up. (Maybe it's just me that gets lazy about preheating, and throws a cold pan into a cold oven, and has to keep baking...) Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until they brown and delicious. You'll end up with about 3 dozen cookies.

Then, hug the son or daughter of your favorite mother.

Other food bloggers that have whipped up some amazing gluten free oatmeal cookies:

Kate's recipe for Aunt Selma's Best Ever Cookies
Shauna's recipe for Oatmeal Cookies, Again
Karina's Kitchen: Gluten-Free Recipes: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by Karina
A Gluten Free Guide's GF Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies (ooh, I love cranberries!)
Wheat Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by Baking Bites
Recipe for a Gluten Free Life by Mrs. G.F.: Oatmeal Date Chocolate Cookies ~ Heart Smart and Gluten Free by Mrs. G.F.
There are some tasty ones on the GoDairyFree.org website called Gluten Free, Vegan and Nut Free Oatmeal Cookies
Hey, That Tastes Good! made some Hey, that tastes good!: Oatmeal cookies
Gluten a Go Go's Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies