Gluten Free Granola

February 18, 2015 by Housewife's Whimsy in Gluten Free, Recipes

I love having granola with yogurt for breakfast or even as a snack during the day. When I decided to start avoiding gluten I looked for gluten free granolas. Unfortunately I haven’t actually found one that I enjoyed. I found the texture of most of the ones I tried to be pretty unappetizing.I’ve been making this granola recipe for several years and Alex and I have really come to love it. It only took a few adaptations to make it gluten free, the biggest being purchasing gluten free rolled oats. I found a 2lb bag of gluten free rolled oats at Trader Joes the last time I was there and they made an excellent base for this recipe. I used the applesauce I canned at the end of last summer. When I make it I put it in a container with just enough for this recipe. Also, my applesauce has no added sugar so that is a bonus when it comes to making this.This granola has a light apple cinnamon taste and makes a lovely pairing with greek yogurt. It also goes well on its own if you prefer it as a healthy snack. If you like you can add some dried fruit after the granola has cooked and before you store it. The granola will store well in an airtight container for several weeks to a month.

GF Apple Cinnamon Granola4 ½ Cup GF Rolled Oats1 Cup Raw Slivered Almonds¼ Cup Whole Flaxseed2 Tablespoons Ground Flaxseed Meal1 ½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon1 Teaspoon Salt¾ Cup Applesauce2 Tablespoons Olive Oil¼ Cup Honey1/3 Cup Brown Rice Syrup¾ Cup Brown SugarPreheat the oven to 325, and grease a cookie sheet.

In a large bowl combine the oats, almonds, flax, ground flax, cinnamon and salt. Stir together.

In another bowl mix together the applesauce, honey, oil, rice syrup and brown sugar.

Once thoroughly combined mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until everything is wet.Spread onto the cookie sheet.

Bake for 30-40 minutes stirring every 15 minutes. Make sure to break up any clumps while the mixture is still warm.

Once you remove the granola from the oven it will continue to dry and get crisp. Store in an airtight container.

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:7]

Source: Adapted from The Joy of Baking

Kale and Wild Rice Salad

February 17, 2015 by Housewife's Whimsy in Gluten Free, Recipes

I had some wild rice left over this week when I made wild rice soup, so I decided to see what other type of side dish I could put it in. Since we also have an abundance of kale on hand I decided to see if I could combine them both. I found an excellent looking recipe from Iowa Girl Eats that combined all the basic ingredients. I didn’t have some of what she called for on hand so I adapted the recipe to fit our tastes and what I had in the kitchen. We also tried the dressing on the original recipe but it didn’t really fit with what we enjoy.This is a nice light side dish that will go along with just about anything you might want to serve it with. It is a nice combination of sweet and savory. If you prefer you could substitute honey for the brown sugar, the combination simply gives you a more complex flavor combination.

Kale and Wild Rice Salad4 Cups Kale2 Medium Red Potatoes, Chopped2 Sweet Peppers, Chopped½ Medium Onion, Chopped1.5 Cups Wild Rice, Cooked2 Tablespoons Butter2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar1 Tablespoon HoneyWhite PepperSea SaltWash the kale thoroughly, and cook the wild rice.

Put the kale in a large skillet and cover with water. Boil for 4-5 minutes until the kale is soft. When the kale is cool enough to handle squeeze the excess water, crumble, and set aside.

Melt the butter in the skillet, add the chopped potatoes, onion, sweet peppers, honey and brown sugar.

Cook until the potatoes are soft and the onions translucent.

Add the wild rice and kale, cook until warmed through.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Sauteed Kale

February 16, 2015 by Housewife's Whimsy in Gluten Free, Recipes

Kale was on sale at the store this last week and I decided that we needed to try it. Neither Alex nor I had ever had it and I’ve read so many good things about it. There have definitely been some interesting recipes on the internet, it seems like kale goes with all manner of odd foods. I found that kale tastes a lot like spinach to me, which is good because spinach is one of the few green foods that I actually kind of enjoy.This recipe is a fantastic way to eat kale. It has a distinct garlic and onion flavor that lends itself to being quite tasty. I chose to saute the kale in extra virgin olive oil, but you can use whatever you have on hand. You want to make sure and “bloom” the flavors in the oil before you add the kale. This will give you a more full bodied flavor without the kale becoming too soft.

Sauteed Kale:2 Cups Shredded Kale3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil5 Cloves Garlic Minced1 Green Onion ChoppedSea SaltWhite Pepper

Wash your kale and shred it into medium sized chunks. Soak the kale if it is especially gritty.

Spread the EVOO in a large skillet and add the minced garlic and green onion.Let simmer until the oil has fully absorbed the garlic and onion flavor, about 4-5 minutes.

Add the kale and constantly turn until the kale is soft about 1-2 minutes.Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from: The Pioneer Woman

Potato Soup

December 26, 2014 by Housewife's Whimsy in Recipes, Soups

Alex and I love to have a different soup every Sunday night during the winter. This is one of our favorite recipes to enjoy. It makes a fantastic and hearty soup. This is a great recipe to make when you have leftover ham lying around. This recipe is from my Mother, originally from my Aunt I believe. I have made a couple of changes depending on what I have on hand when I go to make this. This pairs well with a nice crusty bread. Our favorites are and Italian or Flax Seed made in our bread maker. This would also be great with leftover rolls from your Christmas celebration.Typically I use water when making this recipe, but the last few times I’ve made it I’ve had leftover chicken stock from other soups in my fridge. I find that adding the chicken stock give the soup a more complex flavor and would suggest it if you have some on hand.The best veggies to use in this recipe (the ones my mother always uses) are the frozen California Blend veggies. These should be diced before they are put in the soup. However, I don’t always have those veggies on hand. When I photographed making this I had a bag of frozen mixed veggies in the freezer so I used that. Alex said he really enjoyed that since he got a wider variety of veggies.I have also cooked carrots and celery in the pot with the potatoes and removed them all before pureeing it. Then added them back in along with broccoli, corn or green beans. You can use whatever veggies your family prefers or that you have on hand. Just make sure that if you are using frozen veggies you don’t put them in the soup frozen.

Potato Soup:4 Cups cubed Potatoes2 ½ Cups Chicken Stock (or Water)1 Small Onion3 Tablespoons Butter3oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese1 Cup California Blend Veggies (diced)Ham, CubedSalt, Pepper, Garlic and Paprika to taste

Bring the potatoes, onion, butter and chicken stock to a boil in a large stockpot.Boil for approximately 10 minutes until the potatoes are soft and the onions are translucent.