Thanksgiving-GF Corn Bread (for stuffing)

GF Flour Blend:
3/4 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup potato or cornstarch
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup corn flour (tried bean flour option last time-garfava- and made the cornbread brown instead of yellow)

Corn Bread
2 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 cups GF flour blend
2/3 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp xanthan gum
2 tsp salt
4 large eggs
2 cups milk (I used almond)
2/3 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 9x13 metal pan and set aside.
In large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Make a well in the center.
In another bowl, beat eggs, milk, and oil until well blended. Add liquid mixture all at once to dry mixture, stirring until just moistened. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until top is firm and edges are lightly browned.

From "Cooking Free" by Carol Fenster

Thanksgiving-GF stuffing

Sausage, cranberry, and corn bread stuffing (from epicurious.com)
NOTE: prepare the day before Thanksgiving and warm up the day of!

1 loaf of corn bread (use mix or GF northern cornbread recipe)
1 1/3 cups pecans
2 leeks (about 2/3 pound; white and pale green parts only) (or 1 small onion, chopped)
2 celery ribs
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter (smart balance)
1/3 pound GF sweet Italian sausage (about 3 links)
1 1/3 cups fresh or unthawed frozen cranberries
1/4 cup sugar (not splenda) (proportionally more than original recipe, but I think it needs it)
1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
1 1/3 cups GF chicken broth


Preheat oven to 325° F.
Cut corn bread into 1/2-inch cubes and in large shallow baking pan bake in middle of oven until just dry, about 20 minutes. Transfer corn bread to a large bowl and in pan toast pecans in oven until insides are golden, 10 to 20 minutes.
Halve leeks lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. In a bowl of cold water wash leeks well and lift from water into a sieve to drain. Chop celery. In a 12-inch skillet cook leeks and celery in butter with salt and pepper to taste over moderately low heat, stirring, until leeks are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove sausage from casings and break into small pieces. Add sausage to leek mixture and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until sausage is cooked through.
In a small heavy saucepan cook cranberries with sugar over moderately high heat, stirring, 5 minutes, or until some begin to burst. Chop parsley.
To bowl of corn bread add pecans, sausage mixture, cranberries, parsley, broth, and salt and pepper to taste and toss together. Cool stuffing completely. Stuffing may be made up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring stuffing to room temperature before proceeding.
For cooking all or part of stuffing outside poultry:In a shallow baking dish bake stuffing in preheated 325° F. oven 1 hour (for moist stuffing, bake covered entire time; for less moist stuffing with a slightly crisp top, uncover halfway through baking time. My experience says to keep the foil on the whole time.)

Thanksgiving-Marshmallow or Streusel Sweet Potatoes

6 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter (smart balance)
3/4 cup brown sugar (was 2 cups white sugar)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (was 1 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (was 1 tsp)
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract (was 1 tbsp)
salt to taste
about 2 cups miniature marshmallows
OR
Pecan Streusel Topping:
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup featherlight GF mix (1 part each cornstarch, tapioca flour, and rice flour, +1/16 part potato starch flour: 1 tbsp if 1 part=1 cup)
1/3 cup butter (shortening)
1 cup chopped pecans

Peel sweet potatoes, cut in half length-wise, then into 2-inch segments. Boil for 15 minutes, or until still firm. Drain and return to pan. While they are cooking, combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan until butter is melted. Pour sauce into sweet potatoes. Stir, mashing half and leaving the rest as bite-size chunks. Pour into a 9x13. Top with Pecan Streusel if desired. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 F. If using marshmallows instead, top with marshmallows at this point and return to oven until marshmallows are toasted, about 3 minutes.

Thanksgiving-Pan-Broiled Asparagus

2 bunches asparagus
olive oil
salt
pepper

Rinse asparagus and cut off bottom inch. Place in large flat dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Cook over medium heat with lid on until softened, stirring occasionally. Take lid off, and finish cooking to desired firmness, stirring occasionally.

Thanksgiving-GF biscuits

GF flour mix:
1 cup rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch flour
1/6 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 cups GF flour mix
3 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
rounded 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter (shortening)
3/4 cup buttermilk (almond milk+lemon juice-try 2/3 cup of this mixture-dough was too wet)

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Cut shortening into mixture. Stir milk in with fork. Flour counter. Turn dough onto counter, knead a few times. Roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes (snowman cookie cutter) and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 19-21 minutes. Yield 9 biscuits.

Thanksgiving-Cranberry Cream Salad

NOTE: Start preparing the night before!

1 pkg fresh cranberries
1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup whipping cream (or 8 oz cool-whip (fat-free)-I used though it contained small amount of sodium caseinate-milk)
4-6 oz. small marshmallows
2 bananas, sliced (optional: I don't because leftovers with bananas get mushy)
2/3 cup crushed walnuts

Use food processor to chop cranberries (pretty fine). Add drained pineapple and sugar. Let stand stand 4 hours or overnight in refrigerator. Whip whipping cream in separate bowl. Fold whipping cream or cool-whip into cranberry mixture. Then fol in marshmallows, bananas, and nuts if desired.

Thanksgiving-DF mashed potatoes

3 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced (one heaping tbsp)
1/2 tbsp dried rosemary, minced with garlic
5 lbs yukon gold potatoes, chopped
about 2 cups chicken broth (to right consistency)

Cook garlic and rosemary in olive oil over medium heat until garlic is softened (earlier in the day for Thanksgiving). Boil potatoes until soft. Beat with beaters, oil mixture, and chicken broth to desired consistency.

Thanksgiving-Cranberry Orange Relish

NOTE: Prepare the day before!

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and drained
1 large orange
3/4 cup sugar, or to taste

Cut orange into quarters, then in half again. Pulse all in a food processor until desired consistency.

Italian and Pork Sausage Seasonings

Italian Sausage Seasoning-try for cornbread stuffing in 2009

1/4 cup dry red wine, chilled (1 tbsp red wine vinegar plus water to equal 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon anise seed
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (should probably skimp for kids)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (should probably skimp for kids)
1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/8 teaspoon coriander seed, coarsely cracked (or 1/8 tsp ground coriander)
1/8 teaspoon ground mace (opt.)
2 pounds extra-lean ground turkey breast
1 pound lean ground pork

Pour the chilled red wine vinegar mixture into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar and salt until dissolved. Sprinkle in the garlic powder, oregano, black pepper, paprika, fennel seed, anise seed, parsley flakes, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, minced onion, coriander seed, and mace. Mix in the turkey breast and pork with your hands. Mix thoroughly so the seasonings are evenly distributed in the meat mixture. Use as desired, or to make patties, use following instructions.

Line two or three baking sheets with plastic wrap. Roll the meat mixture into 1/4 cup balls, flatten to 1/2 inch thick, and place in a single layer on the baking sheet. Cover with another layer of plastic, and freeze until solid. Once solid, place patties into a resealable plastic bag to store.

Pork Sausage Seasoning
Note: not a "sweet sausage" seasoning. Try to find a better seasoning for the cornbread stuffing.

For 1 pound of ground turkey or pork:
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (opt)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2-1 tsp. paprika
1/2 - 1 tsp. oregano
1/2 - 1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. fennel (optional)

Mix. Use immediately or flatten on saran wrap, score, freeze partially, break apart, finish freezing. Cook in skillet till done.

Thanksgiving

It's that time of year again! And that means it's time to do some serious searching on delicious gluten-free and dairy-free recipes. Here's the plan (for me to help solidify everything, but you're welcome to keep reading):

• Turkey: (Butterball frozen)
• Mashed potatoes: (yukon golds), olive oil, roasted garlic, chicken broth
• Candied sweet potatoes: (sweet potatoes, cinnamon, nutmeg, smart balance light margarine, brown sugar, marshmallows)
• Corn bread stuffing: (sausage, pecans, onion, celery, smart balance light margarine, (or Fleischman's, or Mothers?) fresh cranberries, GF cornbread, chicken broth, parsley)
• Cranberry relish: (cranberries, orange)
• Jellied cranberry sauce
• Cranberry whipped salad: (cranberries, pineapple, marshmallows, cool-whip, walnuts)
  
• Oven-broiled asparagus: (olive oil, salt and pepper, asparagus)
• GF biscuits: (with smart balance butter and honey)
  
• GF dutch apple pie: (crumb topping with GF rolled oats, GF flour mix, and shortening, GF pie crust bought at Hiller's)
  
• GF dutch cherry pie: (crumb topping with GF rolled oats, GF flour mix, and shortening, GF pie crust bought at Hiller's)
• Normal pumpkin pie: (the kids can't have the milk, and would prefer the fruit pies)
• Vanilla Ice Cream: (for the dairy-lovers)
  
• Beverage: water
  

Jonathan, the tickle monster

We were babysitting a friend the other day, and Jonathan was having a great time chasing her around with tickle fingers. They were having a great time!

The rest of our life this week has revolved around produce... I went shopping Monday night and went to Randazzo's (a great produce store), made my semi-annual Aldi's trip (a cheap canned goods store, now conveniently located only 20 minutes away instead of 40!), and also IKEA and Target... The car was full. I bought 5 bushels of apples, 50 lbs of plums, and at least a dozen cases of canned food, along with other more miscellaneous stuff. Oh, and the plums were only $4 total!!! They were moving them out, though they were still in GREAT condition!

So this week Josh and I spent many evenings over hot stoves, cooking pflaumenmuss (plum butter), apple butter, and applesauce, along with trying a load of canned plums to see what they taste like. We canned over 70 quarts of produce! I was pretty excited to be done. But boy do I feel prepared for the winter. We've got our food storage!

Hooray for homemade applesauce!!!