Gluten Free Churros for Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger

This is my first Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger event I've participated in and I've had fun with it.  Kalinda at Wheat-Free Meat-Free is hosting the event this month. I chose Heidi from Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom because her blog is definitely one that I follow and has been so helpful since our diet change a year ago.  She has tons of kid-friendly foods and because her family has multiple intolerances like mine, I don't have to figure out substitutes.  She has her recipes organized so you can easily find recipes that are dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, etc. Which makes it so much easier for those of us who have extra restrictions. 

I decided to make her Gluten Free Churros because (1) they looked absolutely divine (2) I've really missed churros and (3) These are dairy-free and soy-free!

 Before our diet change I never would have thought to make something like this, I would have assumed it was too hard...but, my word, these came together so fast and were quite easy to make.  The dough, of course, is quite sticky to work with, so I did find that it helped to pipe the churros out onto smaller pieces of parchment paper that could then be used to transfer the churros to the hot oil. I was basically picking up a piece of parchment paper that held 2 or 3 churros and turning it over and letting the churros drop into the oil.

These were amazing freshly rolled in the cinnamon sugar, but if you don't finish them all in one sitting (because you actually have self control, unlike me), then reheat them in the oven at 350F until they are hot.

Thanks, Heidi, for such fantastic recipes on your website!

Weekly Menu (11/27/11-12/3/11)

Weekly Menu (11/27/11-12/3/11)

 

Sunday:

Breakfast: Pumpkin Pie Smoothie, cereal, banana chocolate chip muffins

Lunch:

• Ham Sandwiches (we use Udi's bread)
• Lays Potato Chips
• apple slices

Dinner

• Barbecue Chicken
• Homemade Rolls (I have some in the freezer, that I'll thaw and heat in the oven for a few minutes)
• Baked Potatoes (a sweet potato for me, I just like 'em better)
• Green Beans and Yellow Squash Saute
• Clementines (my boys absolute favorite type of orange, mainly because it's there size)

Monday:

Breakfast: French Toast (using Udi's bread) and an Oroblanco (mix between a grapefruit and a pomelo) for me

Lunch:  

• School Lunch:
  • Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich (with Udi's bread)
  • chips
  • clementine
  • Milk
  • Pumpkin Bar

Dinner:   

• Chili Dogs using Udi's Hotdog Buns and the Pioneer Woman's Chili (I make a big batch and freeze it)
• Lay's potato chips
• Apple Slices, Carrot Stick, and Almond Butter

Tuesday: 

Breakfast: Cereal and Milk

Lunch:

• School Lunch:

• Grilled Cheese Sandwich
• Lay's potato chips
• Clementine
• Pumpkin Bar
• Milk
  

Dinner: 

• Pork Tamales
• Chili Beans
• Basmati Rice
• Nachos (we use Daiya Cheddar Shreds for the non-dairy ones)
• Carrot sticks, apple slices, and almond butter

Wednesday:

Breakfast: 

• Cereal and Milk
  

Lunch:

• Schar Crispbread with Cheese Slices and Pepperoni
• Lay's potato chips
• Clementine
• Fruit Snack

Dinner:

• Chicken Nuggets
  
• Oven fries
• Sweet potato fries
• carrot sticks and pear slices with almond butter

Thursday:

Breakfast:

• French Toast and clementines

Lunch: 

• Ham Sandwich on Udi's bread
• Lay's potato chips
• Clementine
• Fruit Snak

Dinner:

• One-eyed Sandwiches
• Sausage
• Hashbrowns
• Bananas

Friday: 

Breakfast:

• Cereal and milk

Lunch:

• Schar Crispbread with Cheese Slices and Pepperoni
• Chips
• Clementine
• Milk

Dinner:

• Pizza (everyone gets their own pizza and we top it how we like: tons of veggies and no cheese for me, Daiya cheese for me little one, and pepperoni and cheese for my hubby and older son)
• Carrot sticks and Apple slices with Almond butter
• Clementines

Saturday

Breakfast:

• Cereal and Smoothies

Lunch:

• Sandwiches
• Chips 
• Clementines

Dinner: 

• Crepes with fillings: peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut butter, jam, bananas, ham, eggs...basically whatever they want to fill them with
• carrot sticks and almond butter

Coconut Cream Pie

I made the pies this year for our family's Thanksgiving feast (at least for those of us that have restricted diets). So, I asked my sister what pie she would like to have, and I knew the answer before she gave it to me:  Coconut Cream Pie.  Her family absolutely loves coconut, and of course, coconut cream pie.  I absolutely love it, too, but my little family absolutely hates coconut (funny thing, because we have a lot of coconut in our diet, I guess I just disguise it well).  So, I was thrilled to make this pie and share it with my sister and her family and I hope they get to make it often, because I'll only get to make it when I can find someone to share it with.

Coconut Cream Pie

1  8-9" pie shell, baked (instructions are below, for baking the pie shell, also the recipe for the pie crusts makes 3 single crust pies...I make a full batch and freeze what I don't need)
1 can coconut milk (I use Thai Kitchen)
1 1/4 cup So Delicious Original Coconut Milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup GF flour blend
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons dairy-free margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions
Have the baked pie shell ready.  To bake my pie crust, prep it as outline here. Once prepped and in the pie tin, prick the bottom ~8 times with a fork.  Cover it with a double layer of aluminum foil and bake at 450F for 8 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 5-6 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow it to cool on a cooling rack.

In a saucepan, scald the coconut milk and non-dairy milk.  In another saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt.  Gradually whisk in the scalded milk.

Cook for medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Cover and cook for two more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into the beaten yolks, to temper them, then add the yolks into the hot mixture.  Cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add in the margarine, vanilla, and coconut shreds.  Let the mixture sit until lukewarm.

When the mixture has cooled, pour the mixture into the pie shell.  Allow to chill in the fridge before serving with your non-dairy whipped cream.

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Weekly Menu (11/20/11-11/26/11)

Weekly Menu (11/20/11-11/26/11)

Sunday:

Breakfast: Cereal and banana chocolate chip muffins

Lunch:

• Sandwiches (we use Udi's bread)
• Lays Potato Chips
• apple slices

Dinner

• Chili
• Homemade Rolls
• Baked Potatoes (sweet potato for me, I just like 'em better)
• Green Beans
• Orange Slices

Monday:

Breakfast: One-eyed sandwiches (basically toast and a fried egg), and an Oroblanco (mix between a grapefruit and a pomelo) for me

Lunch:  

• School Lunch:
  • Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich
  • chips
  • apple
  • Milk
  • Brownie (I freeze my cookies, so they can be packed into lunches...by lunchtime they are thawed and perfect)

Dinner:   

• Pork Tamales
• Chili Beans
• Basmati Rice
• Nachos (we use Daiya Cheddar Shreds for the non-dairy ones)
• Carrot Sticks and almond butter

Tuesday: 

Breakfast: Cereal and Milk

Lunch:

• School Lunch:

• Grilled Cheese Sandwich
• Lay's potato chips
• apple
• Fruit Snacks

Dinner: 

• Hamburgers with Udi's buns
• Oven fries
• Fried Green Beans (or just steamed green beans, depending on my mood)
• carrot sticks and apple slices with almond butter

Wednesday: School is out and I'll be prepping stuffing and pies for Thanksgiving.

Breakfast: 

• Double Chocolate Banana Muffins and Cereal
  

Lunch:

• Tomato Soup
• Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, with Udi bread and Daiya Cheese
• Lay's potato chips
• carrot sticks and apple slices with almond butter

Dinner:

• Waffles
• Bacon
• Scrambled Eggs
• Orange Slices

Thursday:

Breakfast:

• French Toast and orange slices

Lunch: 

• Thanksgiving!  We'll be at my parent's, we'll be eating all the usuals: turkey, sweet potato caserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, stuffing, pies, etc.  For ideas you can look at this post or this post.

Dinner:

• Leftover thanksgiving food, of course!

Friday:  If we end up not going to my mother-in-law's, this is what we'll be doing:

Breakfast:

• Cereal and milk

Lunch:

• Turkey sandwiches (hopefully, if we get leftovers) using sweet potato biscuits, because I've been craving them. :)
• Leftover sides, at least the stuffing, since I'm making it. :)
• Pear Slices

Dinner:

• Turkey and Green Chili Gorditas (if we don't have left over turkey, we'll just use chicken)
• pineapple 
• carrot sticks

Saturday

Breakfast:

• Cereal and Smoothies

Lunch:

• Sandwiches
• Chips 
• Bananas

Dinner: 

• Mashed Potato Cakes with Turkey and gravy
• Rolls
• Salad and carrot sticks
• pear slices

Thanksgiving Ideas

As Thanksgiving approaches, I thought I would pass along some ideas for food. Last year, I had Thanksgiving at home and made everything, and it was fantastic. Here is last year's menu.  This year we'll be at my Mom's and I'm bringing stuffing and pies. So, it'll probably be Grandma Tolman's Stuffing and at least pumpkin pie, razzleberry pie, and either banana cream pie or caramel apple pie.

Turkey is basic, and easy to do, just make sure you have a gluten-free turkey.  Some companies inject flavorings into the bird, or have gravy packets in the bird...so check and make sure it's safe.

For sides, I have several great recipes:

Bacon and Turnips

Green Bean and Mushroom Saute

Maple Acorn Squash

Roasted Cauliflower

Sweet Potato Casserole

Thanksgiving Stuffing

Dinner Rolls

For mashed potatoes, I boil cubed potatoes, then just eyeball the margarine, non-dairy milk, salt and pepper to add.

For gravy, you can either use rice flour and make a roux, and add in drippings and chicken stock to make the gravy, or add cornstarch to the drippings.
For dessert:

Pie Crust

Banana Cream Pie

Caramel Apple Pie

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Citrus Pumpkin Frosting

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Pumpkin Hazelnut Cake with Spiced Yogurt Frosting

Pumpkin Pie

Raspberry Peach Crisp (or apple, peach, or any other fruit crisp, for that matter)

Razzleberry Pie