Today I’m working on the cornbread for my Stuffing. ( if your from the South, we call it Dressing) The Stuffing or Dressing recipe I use calls for 2 pans of corn bread, which equals about 12 cups of crumbled corn bread. So I double the recipe below.   I try to make my corn bread early, That way when it’s time to make my dressing for Thanksgiving, all I have to do is add it to the recipe.

Gluten Free Corn Meal Mix1–24 oz. bag of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Stone Ground Whole Grain Corn Meal2- 24 oz. bag of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Corn FlourMix well with whisk, in a large mixing bowl, and pour in air tight container. Be sure and label container.The reason I like to use the mix of corn flour and cornmeal, is because the GF corn meal is coarser than regular cornmeal. So when you add the corn flour it just evens it out. If you like the grit of the corn, then just use the cornmeal. ( I have a thing about texture. I don’t even like regular pears because of the grit!)If you like the finer grind of the Corn Flour, just use the Corn Flour alone instead of adding the Whole Grain Corn MealGluten Free Corn Bread2 Cups GF Corn Meal/Corn Flour Mix (2 bags Bobs Red Mill Corn Flour, 1 bag Bobs Red Mill Corn Meal)½ Teaspoon Salt2 Teaspoon GF Baking Powder½ Teaspoon Baking Soda1 Tablespoon Sugar¾ Stick of softened Salted Butter (6 Tablespoons or 3/8 cup of oil)1 Cup Water or Milk2 Eggs BeatenIn large mixing bowl whisk together dry ingredients, then add butter, water and eggs. Mix well and pour into a greased, 9 – 10 inch skillet, or baking dish. Bake at 350* for 25 – 30 minutes, or until set and browned around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool.

Green Avocado Lemon Cookies

MARCH 14, 2017 / JANET MONK / EDIT

Fun for St. Patrick’s Day,  Green Avocado Lemon Cookies

2 Avocados ( about 1 ½ Cups)

3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Thyme Leaves

2 Cups GF All Purpose Flour ( I use, Better Batter, or Tom Sawyer GF and Betty Crocker GF Flour Mixed)

2 Teaspoons GF Baking Powder

1/2 Cup GF 100% Corn Starch ( I use Argo)

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

2 Eggs beaten ( or 1/3 cup egg whites)

1  1/4 Cups Pure Organic Agave Nectar

2 Cups Gluten Free White Chocolate Chips

In food processor blend avocados, lemon juice, and thyme leaves. In mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda. Pour flour mixture into food processor with avocado mixture, add eggs, agave nectar and blend on high speed until well mixed and smooth. Pour batter into mixing bowl and fold in white chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 15- 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 325*F.

When ready to bake cover cookie sheet with parchment paper, and spoon cookie dough onto cookie sheet and bake for 14 – 16 minutes. When cookies are brown on top they are done. Remove from oven and let cool. (optional sprinkle with more fresh thyme leaves.)

I want to apologise to everyone for not posting any new recipes. My Mom had a couple of falls recently, so I’ve been a little busy.

May everyone have a Blessed Year!

NOVEMBER 27, 2017 / JANET MONK / EDIT

Turkey with Fruit Salad (or Chicken Salad)

This is a great way to use up that left over Turkey!

2 ½ Cups cooked and cubed Turkey (or about 2 large cooked chicken breast)

1/3 Cup finely chopped red onion

1 Small apple, about 1 to 1 ¼ cups chopped apple with the peeling

1 to 1 ¼ Cups quartered and sliced seedless grapes

2/3 Cup chopped pecans

2/3 Cup Gluten Free mayonnaise ( I use Hellman’s Real mayo)

In medium bowl add cooked and cubed Turkey ( or chicken). Wash and cut up fruit and onion adding this to meat, along with pecans. Then pour in mayo and mix well. Serve in lettuce wrap or on your favorite Gluten Free bread for a great tasting sandwich. Enjoy!

by Janet Monk

Gluten Free Thanksgiving Stuffing/Dressing

2 Sticks of Salted Butter

2 Medium Onions Chopped (about 4 cups)

2 Cloves of Garlic Crushed

2 Tablespoons Additive Free Dried Celery Flacks

2- 14 oz. Cans of 100% Chicken Broth (Swanson’s)

1 ½ Teaspoons Salt

1 Teaspoon Pure Ground Black Pepper

1 Container of Frozen GF Cream of Chicken Soup (See Recipe in previous post)

¼ Cup Pure Additive Free Ground Sage

2- 10 inch Pans of Baked GF Corn Bread (See recipe in previous post) (this should make about 12 cups when crumbled)

4 Cups Gluten Free Croutons ( See recipe in previous post)

2 Eggs beaten.

1 Cup of Turkey Drippings (if you like your dressing Really moist you can add another ¼ to ½ cup)

In large sauce pan melt butter, and add onions, garlic, and celery, sauté until onions are translucent. Add chicken broth, salt, pepper, GF chicken soup and sage, until soup melts do not boil. In large mixing bowl, crumble cornbread and add croutons. Pour onion and broth mixture over bread, (make sure broth & drippings is not too hot to cook eggs) add beaten eggs and turkey drippings. Mix well and add to turkey roasting pan. (as per directions above) Or if you would rather not stuff the turkey with dressing, you can always bake the dressing independently, at 325* for 40 – 45 minutes. This will fill 2,  greased 9×13 pans, and will feed a large gathering for the holidays.

When I make dressing for us during the year, not on any holiday. I half the recipe and buy a small 1 – 1 ½ pound turkey breast, thaw it, wash it well and slice it into about ½ inch x 2 inch shreds and add it to the onion and chicken broth mixture to cook. Only when you add the frozen GF cream of chicken soup, go ahead and add the whole container. Then you must let the mixture come to a boil to help cook the turkey pieces. Let this cool before adding to bread and both beaten eggs. Bake as above in one greased 9x 13 pan.

Jan’s Gluten Free Pecan Pie

JANUARY 23, 2017 / JANET MONK / EDIT

Happy National Pie Day!

Jan’s Gluten Free Pecan Pie

1/2 Cup packed Brown Sugar

3 Tablespoons All purpose Gluten Free Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

3 Large Eggs

3Tablespoons Softened Butter ( or butter substitute)

1 Cup Corn Syrup ( you can use light or dark)

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

2 Cups Pecan Halves ( I like to reserve 1 cup to decorate the top)

1- 9 inch unbaked Gluten Free Pie shell

Preheat oven to 350*

In small bowl whisk together sugar, GF flour, and salt. In separate large bowl, beat eggs, butter, and corn syrup together, adding in flour mixture and vanilla. Fold in 1 Cup pecans, then pour mixture into pie shell. Arrange the remaining pecans in a circular pattern around pie. Cover outer edge of pie crust with a pie shield or foil to keep crust from over browning.  Place in oven and bake 45 minutes. Remove pie shield the last 10 minutes of baking time. Remove from oven and let cool before serving

Jan’s Gluten Free Pie Crust Recipe

NOVEMBER 17, 2014 / JANET MONK / EDIT

Gluten Free Flour Mix for Pie Crust

( Note: I have made this with other Gluten Free flours. It will hold together as long as the dough is very cold ) Better Batter does interchange well with this recipe.

I keep this made up, only in a larger amount, & in the freezer, it makes prep. time go so much faster.

2 Cups Gluten Free Tom Sawyer Flour

1 Cup Argo corn starch

1 Cup Gluten Free Betty Crocker rice flour blend

Mix well in large bowl & store in a gallon freezer bag. Be sure & label the bag. If you cook Gluten Free, like I do, labeling is important. Note: if you use Betty Crocker Rice flour alone, then you must add 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum, per 2 cups .

Gluten Free Pie Crust

1 egg

¼ cup oil

4 0z. Cream cheese ( I use Philadelphia cream cheese)

1 Cup Gluten Free Flour Pie Crust Mix (Tom Sawyer, Betty Crocker & Corn Starch)

Place all ingredients in a food processor on high until blended. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. (You can leave this in the fridge overnight if it is sealed). Roll out onto floured (with GF flour) surface to desired thickness and place in pie pan, flute the edges, and fill with pie filling, or for cream pies bake shell at 350* F. for  25-30 min. or until golden brown. ( I like to roll mine out on floured wax paper, using a glass rolling pen filled with ice water.)To place dough in pie pan, move rolling pen to edge of dough and using the waxed paper flip edge of dough over rolling pen, turning the rolling pen so that dough is loosely wrapped around it. Then lift dough to pie plate and gentle place in pan. If dough becomes too warm to work with, return to refrigerator until cool.

This will make 1 pie shell. To make pie with a top crust, you must double the recipe. When working with a top crust, after rolling it out on floured wax paper, it helps a lot to return it back to the fridge, or freezer until it is cold,(not frozen). The dough is so much easier to work with, if it is really cold.

This dough will also freeze well. I just flatten the dough out to about 4 inches around and wrap it in floured wax paper, folding it over on all sides, forming a square package. Then place it in a zip lock freezer bag, and freeze. When ready to use just open the zip lock bag about half way and microwave about 25 – 30 seconds, and roll out. I like to keep the wax paper on it to roll out, you will probably need to add a little more flour before you roll it out.

Gluten Free Preservative Free Cream of Chicken Soup

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 / JANET MONK / EDIT

Gluten Free Slow Cooker Cream of Chicken SoupI Use this for Stuffing, Chicken and Dumplings, Green Bean Casserole, etc. 3 Pounds Chicken Breast (I buy a 3 lb. bag of additive free frozen chicken breast and just let it thaw in the fridge overnight)1 stick Salted Butter3 – 14.5 oz. Cans of Swanson 100% natural Chicken Broth (with no MSG)2 Teaspoons Salt1/3 Cup Argo Gluten Free Corn Starch    Wash chicken breasts, and place in crockpot whole. Chunk up the butter and place on top of chicken, sprinkle with salt, then pour in the cans of broth. Set crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. In that amount of time, chicken breast will be completely cooked and tender. Turn crock pot up on high heat, and dip out some of the liquid into a small mixing bowl, add corn starch, and whisk together. Add this back to crockpot, leaving the lid off, for 10 – 15 minutes. When liquid starts to thicken turn off heat. Using a potato masher, mash all of the chicken breast and it will shred the chicken into small pieces. Let cool, and dip out about 1 ¾ cups into 5 small plastic storage containers, dividing equally. Label and date, and freeze until ready to use. This will make enough to equal about 5 – 14 oz. cans.For those of us that cannot eat a can of soup boughten from the grocery store, this recipe will be a staple for the Holidays. It is real food no chemicals, no preservatives, & and it is much better tasting than what you can buy in the store. Hope you enjoy it!*Please note if you buy chicken that already has broth added, this adds salt and sodium to your soup and can possibly be too salty. *

NOVEMBER 4, 2017 / JANET MONK / EDIT

Gluten Free Corn Bread

Today I’m working on the cornbread for my Stuffing. ( if your from the South, we call it Dressing) The Stuffing or Dressing recipe I use calls for 2 pans of corn bread, which equals about 12 cups of crumbled corn bread. So I double the recipe below.   I try to make my corn bread early, measure it out and put it into bags and freeze it. That way when it’s time to make my dressing for Thanksgiving, all I have to do is add it to the recipe.

Gluten Free Corn Meal Mix

1–24 oz. bag of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Stone Ground Whole Grain Corn Meal

2- 24 oz. bag of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Corn Flour

Mix well with whisk, in a large mixing bowl, and pour in air tight container. Be sure and label container.

The reason I like to use the mix of corn flour and cornmeal, is because the GF corn meal is coarser than regular cornmeal. So when you add the corn flour it just evens it out. If you like the grit of the corn, then just use the cornmeal. ( I have a thing about texture. I don’t even like regular pears because of the grit!)

If you like the finer grind of the Corn Flour, just use the Corn Flour alone instead of adding the Whole Grain Corn Meal

Gluten Free Corn Bread

2 Cups GF Corn Meal/Corn Flour Mix (2 bags Bobs Red Mill Corn Flour, 1 bag Bobs Red Mill Corn Meal)

½ Teaspoon Salt

2 Teaspoon GF Baking Powder

½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Tablespoon Sugar

¾ Stick of softened Salted Butter (6 Tablespoons or 3/8 cup of oil)

1 Cup Water or Milk

2 Eggs Beaten

In large mixing bowl whisk together dry ingredients, then add butter, water and eggs. Mix well and pour into a greased, 9 – 10 inch skillet, or baking dish. Bake at 350* for 25 – 30 minutes, or until set and browned around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool.

Gluten Free Croutons

NOVEMBER 16, 2014 / JANET MONK / EDIT

Gluten Free Croutons

Preheat oven to 400*

Gluten Free bread

1 Teaspoon additive free garlic powder

1 Teaspoon salt

Per 2 ½  Cups cubed bread

I use leftover Gluten Free bread if I can, and I like to save the ends for croutons also. But if you need several cups at a time, one 9×4 inch loaf will make about 4- 5 cups of baked croutons. To cut each slice into small crouton size squares, I usually stack the slices of bread, then cut so it goes faster. And spread the little squares on a cookie sheet, or baking pan one layer thick.  Sprinkle on garlic powder and salt, and bake. About 20 – 25 minutes or until crisp. Make sure to check them at about 15 minutes, they will need to be stirred. When done, let them cool, and store in an air tight container in the freezer until needed.  To use in a salad, take out what you need and microwave about ten seconds. Or save them for stuffing.

My dressing (or stuffing) recipe calls for 4 cups of croutons. My baking pans will hold 2 ½ cups of cubed bread at a time, which equals (after shrinkage) 2 cups of croutons. So after baked and cooled the 2 ½ cups will shrink to about 2 cups.

Everyone have a safe and happy 4th.