Thursday, August 30, 2012

Gluten Free Vegetarian Pot Pie

 Filling
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
  • 2 cups sliced yellow onions (2 onions)
  • Optional- 1 fennel bulb, top and core removed, thinly sliced crosswise
  • 1/2 cup gluten free flour
  • 1 1/2 cups butternut squash soup + 1 cup water  OR  2 1/2 cups Chicken Stock if you are not Vegetarian
  • Optional - a Pinch of saffron threads
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream or Almond Milk
  • 1 1/2 cups large-diced potatoes (1/2 pound)
  • 1 1/2 cups asparagus tips
  • 1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced carrots (4 carrots)
  • 1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced butternut squash
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions (1/2 pound)
  • 1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
  • Fresh Rosemary
  • Fresh or dried Sage and Thyme to taste

Crust
  • 3 cups Gluten Free flour. I used half Domata flour brand and half Betty Crocker GF Bisquick because these brands already have baking powder in them. IF you use a GF flour with no added baking powder, THEN, you have to add 1 teaspoon baking powder for this crust.
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • half stick of cold unsalted butter, diced
  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water



Directions

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fennel and saute until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the butternut squash soup OR Chicken stock, Pernod, saffron, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the heavy cream or Almond Milk and season to taste. 

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Lift out with a sieve. Add the asparagus, carrots, and squash to the pot and cook in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Add the potatoes, mixed vegetables, onions, and parsley to the sauce and then add the rosemary, sage and thyme. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour and salt (and baking powder if your GF flour doesn't already have it) in the bowl or a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

 You can take a 8 inch or 9 inch pie pan. Divide the dough into halves and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the sides, pressing it to make it stick and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Sarah's Birthday Cake




Chocolate cake layered with strawberry sauce and whipped cream

My sister asked for a lighter gluten free chocolate cake for her Birthday this year. I decided to use a Gluten Free mix this time. I used Pamela's which is a company that makes gluten free baking mixes.
I added an extra egg to the recipe, so that the cake would be fluffier. I also baked it for 10 minutes longer than directed.
I used two 8 inch round cake pans and greased them with coconut oil.
After the cake cooled down, I divided each layer into two, using dental floss so as to get a smooth cut.
Then, I made strawberry sauce to put into between the 4 cake layers.
Strawberry Sauce
2 cups frozen or fresh strawberries. If frozen, thaw in microwave oven.
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice.
Bring all of these to a boil in a heavy sauce pan

After strawberries are boiled down, turn heat down to simmer and Add about 2 tablespoons of corn starch that is already mixed with cold water. 

Let the strawberry sauce completely cool down before spreading it on the cake layers.

Then, I made whipped cream and spread that onto top of the strawberry sauce. The final layer of cake has strawberry sauce and then I frosted the cake with the rest of the heavy whipping cream.

Heavy whipping cream: 
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of powdered sugar 
 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract 
Bowl used to mix these and beaters have to be cold before making this.