Apple Slab

Apple Slab.  Not the most romantic name for a dessert but you won't care what it's called once you get your first bite.  I made this for the the first time at Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! It's sweet, a bit tangy and full of apple goodness. 

Ingredients

Pie Crust

Use your favorite pie crust recipe.  I made a double batch of Gluten Free Pie Crust and it worked out just perfect for the size of my pan. 

Filling

8 oz. gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 1 cup)

1 tablespoon quick cooking tapioca

3/4 cup sugar (1 cup if apples are really tart)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (about the juice of one lemon)
4 - 5 Tablespoons cornstarch (depending on how juicy the apples are)
8 Granny Smith or other good baking apple

Glaze

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar (aka powdered sugar)

1/3 cup boiled cider (which you can buy or make yourself pretty inexpensively .  I added a cinnamon stick to the cider while it cooked.)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Enough milk or cream to make the mixture "drizzable".

Directions

Take your pie dough and split it into two parts about 60% and 40%.  Shape each piece of crust into a rectangle; you’re going to be rolling them into rectangles, so might as well give yourself a head start.

Take the larger piece of pastry and put it on a floured work surface (if your using a gluten dough) if it's GF place between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper to roll out.  Start to roll it into an 11” x 15” rectangle.  Lay the dough into the bottom of an ungreased 9"x13" pan. The dough should come up the sides of the pan.  Don't worry about ragged edges, they'll disappear under the top crust.

Messy, huh? That’s OK. Patch up the holes by pushing the pastry together with your fingers, or adding a pinch from the excess on the sides. Push the pastry up the sides of the pan a bit, to make a shallow pastry container for the apples.

In a separate bowl, add the tapioca to the gingersnap crumbs and mix well.  Dump the lot into your dish with the pie dough in it to make an even shallow layer. This will help to absorb the apples’ juice and keep the crust from becoming soggy. 

Put the crust in the fridge while you get the apples ready. And start preheating your oven to 350°F.

Combine in small bowl: sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest. In another small bowl combine melted butter and vanilla. Mix first bowl with second now. In third bowl combine lemon juice and cornstarch until thick. Now mix with other ingredients. Set aside. Try not to eat too much of this.

Next, we’re going to peel, core, and slice about 5 large or 6 to 7 medium baking apples. An apple peeler/corer/slicer makes this task fast and EASY.  In a large bowl combine the apples with spice mixture. Mix so that all fruit is thoroughly coated.  Lay the apples over the cookie crumbs. 

Roll the remaining piece of pastry into a 9” x 13” rectangle. Flop the top crust over the apples. Yes, apples will poke through. Seal the edges of the two crusts as well as you can. There’ll be places where they don’t quite meet. That’s OK. Just before baking, slash it 6 or 8 times to allow steam to escape. You can apply an egg wash at this point or for a vegan option brush on a mix of veganaise & (soy or coconut) creamer to give the crust a beautiful golden brown color. Put the slab in the preheated 350°F oven, and bake it for an hour or until you see sugary apple gel bubble up through the venting slits. 

No beauty queen, but icing will help its looks.  Remove it from the oven; it’ll be golden brown. Cool the slab completely before glazing.

Here’s a wonderfully tasty glaze: Combine 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 1/3 cup boiled cider, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, a small pinch of salt, and enough milk or cream to make the mixture “drizzlable.”

Don’t have boiled cider? Use plain milk or cream, maple syrup, honey, or thawed apple juice concentrate. Start with 1/4 cup of any of these; if you’ve made this kind of icing before, you know it’s easier to add more liquid, than to try to take it away. Add enough liquid to make the glaze pourable. Drizzle the glaze artfully atop the slab.

Cut. Serve. Enjoy!

Original recipe that I altered.

Spicy Cranberry Chutney

There can never be too much cranberry sauce at our table. Our family is split over the light sweet cranberry orange version that my mom makes and this deep spicy rich version that pairs amazingly well with the robust flavors of a sage infused turkey.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups fresh cranberries
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and diced small
1/2 cup celery, diced small
1 cup yellow onion, diced small
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 cup Thompson raisins

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients, except the raisins, into a large (3 quart) sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for approximately 20-30 minutes or until berries pop.

Simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes to allow mixture to reduce and thicken.

Remove from heat, stir in the raisins and allow raisins to plump. Serve warm or chilled.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 45 minutes
SERVES: 12-16

Tiffany's Taco Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbl. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
3 - 4 stalks of celery, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, diced
1 1/2 lbs. of the leanest ground beef you can find

4 14 oz. cans of beef broth
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of pinto beans with juice
1 can of garbanzo beans with juice
1 can of hominy, drained (optional)
1 package taco seasoning

GARNISH WITH:

Grated cheddar cheese
avocado
lime wedges
sour cream
tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS:

In a large stock pot saute the onion, bell peppers, celery and garlic for five minutes in a little bit of olive oil then stir in the meat and cook over medium hight heat until the meat is cooked (no longer red).
Reduce the heat to medium and add in the broth, tomatoes, corn, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, hominy and taco seasoning.
Simmer the ingredients until all the veggies are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
Serve the soup with grated cheese, avocado, lime, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Hot Apple Cider with Ginger and Cardamom

A lovely seasonal treat that's delicious with dessert.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lemon
1/4 cup sugar
6 quarter sized pieces of crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped
20 cardamom pods
15 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks, each broken in half
8 cups unfiltered apple cider

DIRECTIONS:

Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (yellow part only) in strips from lemon. Heat heavy large pot over medium heat. Add lemon peel, ginger, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add cider and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer mixture 15 minutes. Strain into mugs and serve.

8 servings / Bon Appetite

Apple Crisp

I like a lot of Streusel Topping on my apple crisp, and this recipe has lots! There’s plenty, even if you use a shallow pan. If you like less topping, halve the streusel recipe. This is also a nice sweet treat for breakfast!



STREUSEL TOPPING
½ cup shortening (or butter at room temp)
¾ cup sugar
½ cup potato starch
¾ cup cornstarch
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp xanthan gum
¼ cup milk (or less - add last otherwise it can lose it’s “crumble” and turn to sticky dough)
1 tsp cinnamon

APPLES
5-6 medium apples, peeled, cored, chopped (about five cups)
1½ TBL cornstarch
2 TBL sugar (use a bit more for tart apples)
¼ tsp cinnamon
(I also add a splash of lemon juice and up the spice)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375°. In medium bowl, combine all Streusel Topping ingredients. Mix to form small clumpy pieces. If you overmix, you may simply break off small pieces of the topping to form small pieces. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine apples, cornstarch, sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat well. Put apple mixture into lightly greased pie plate or 1½ quart casserole. Top with streusel mixture.

Bake 35-40 minutes until apples are tender and streusel is browned.

NOTE TO SELF:
Next time try adding cranberries and walnuts with a little bit of lemon zest to the apple mixture before baking. A teaspoon of tapioca is good too to help keep it thick and not get too watery.

Yields: Serves six

Source: Roben Ryberg's The Gluten Free Kitchen

Blueberry Lime Jam

Yeild: about 6 half-pints

4 1/2 cups blueberries
1 package (1.75oz) powdered pectin
5 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
1/3 cup lime juice

Crush blueberries one layer at a time. Combine crushed blueberries and powdered pectin in a large sauce-pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in grated lime peel and lime juice. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Source: Ball Blue Book of preserving

It's as Easy as Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup sugar (1 cup if apples are really tart)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (about the juice of one lemon)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch (depending on how juicy the apples are)
8 Granny Smith or other good baking apple

One package ready made crust or your own crust recipe
1 egg (or 1 TBL veganaise and 1 TBL Silk Soy Creamer whisked)
1 dash of nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350*

Combine in small bowl: sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, 2 Tbl of the quick-cooking tapioca and lemon zest. In another small bowl combine melted butter and vanilla. Mix first bowl with second now. In third bowl combine lemon juice and cornstarch until thick. Now mix with other ingredients. Set aside. Try not to eat too much of this.

Take apples and peel them. Then half and quarter them, discard the core. Slice into wedges. In a large bowl combine the apples with spice mixture. Mix so that all fruit is thoroughly coated.

Grease a glass pie pan and prepare crust according to directions. Dust the inside bottom of crust with last TBL of quick-cooking tapioca. Fill crust with apple mixture. Place and seal upper crust to lower crust. Cut holes in the top crust to vent steam while baking.

Break egg and whisk with a little bit of water or use veganaise and creamer mix to brush on pie crust for glaze. Sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg.

Bake for 1 hour or until the pie is golden brown. Great warm with melted caramel and vanilla ice cream!!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Another family classic who's origins are lost to time. We have this every year on St. Patty's Day.

INGREDIENTS:
3 lbs. corned beef (Look for the lean "round" cut not the brisket which tends to be a lot fattier.)
2 tsp peppercorns or 1/4 tsp ground pepper
12 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
8 potatoes, peeled and quartered
8 carrots, halved lengthwise
1 medium head cabbage, cut into 6 wedges

DIRECTIONS:
In large saucepan, cover corned beef with water. Add peppercorns, cloves and bay leaves. Simmer covered; 3 to 3 1/2 hours till tender. Add potatoes and carrots. Simmer; 15 minutes longer. Add cabbage; cook 15 minutes or until vegetable are tender. Remove bay leaves. Cut meat into pieces. Serve with cooking liquid and vegetables

NOTES:
If corned beef is packaged with spice package, omit peppercorns, clove and bay leaf. Alternately you can use about two tablespoons of pre-mixed pickling spice that can be purchased from the herb/spice section of your grocery store.

Serves 6 to 8

Rice with Peas and Mint

This is a lovely unexpected side dish to take to pot lucks and picnics. The mint gives it a light fresh taste perfect for summer get-togethers. I rarely come home with any left.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cooked rice
2 Tbl unsalted butter (or substitute like Earth Balance)
1 shallot, minced (about 2 Tbl worth)
Zest of one lemon
1 lb fresh peas, shelled, or 2 cups frozen peas
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbl freshly chopped mint

DIRECTIONS:

Cook rice according to package directions. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add shallot and lemon zest, and saute until translucent.

Add peas and cook until bright green and tender, adding a little water if shallots brown before peas are done.

Add cooked rice, season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Remove from heat and stir in mint.

Can be eaten warm or chilled.

Source: This was originally a Martha Stewart recipe but it called for Orzo which traditionally is made from semolina, so obviously, it's off limits for me. It's easily subbed out with a cup of cooked rice.

Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon and Asparagus

One of my all time favorite quick dishes when I'm expecting to have to feed a large number of house guests and would rather spend time visiting then cooking.

Packages of cut-up chicken in the supermarket often have 8 pieces. For even cooking we cut the breast pieces in half crosswise, making a total of 10 pieces.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds new potatoes halved (or fingerling potatoes whole)
3 TBL olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 package cut up whole chicken (about 3 lbs)
1 bunch asparagus (1lb) trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
6 springs fresh thyme

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 475. Toss potatoes in 2TBL olive oil. Place potatoes on a roasting pan or high sided baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast tossing once, until potatoes are golden, 25 minutes.

2. Place chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes.

3. Toss asparagus, lemon wedges and thyme in remaining TBL of olive oil. Scatter around chicken. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, 5 - 15 minutes. Serve chicken, vegetables and lemon drizzled with pan juices.

OPTION: Other spices maybe used at anytime to "change it up" a bit. I like chives with the potatoes and paprika on the chicken too...

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Everyday Food - Issue # 41

Greek-Style Slow Cooker Meatballs and Artichokes

This Mediterranean-inspired main dish is brimming with a medley of tastes: savory lemon, pungent oregano and tender artichoke hearts. I loved this recipe but thought it could've easily been doubled - two people ate 1/2 of this in one sitting! It's super easy and yummy!

Ingredients
1 sprays cooking spray
1 pound uncooked ground turkey breast
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1 tsp ground sage
8 small uncooked new potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled
12 oz frozen or canned artichokes, hearts
1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup canned chicken broth
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions
Coat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray.

Season turkey with salt and sage; shape into 1-inch balls. Add turkey to skillet and brown on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes; remove and place in 4- to 5-quart slow cooker. Add broth to hot empty pan to release the browning. Then add to the slow cooker.

Add potatoes, oregano, and pepper; cover and cook on high heat for 3 hours. Add artichoke hearts and continue cooking for 2 to 3 more hours.

About 15 minutes before serving, spoon cornstarch into a cup. Add 1 tablespoon of the slow cooker liquid and lemon juice; stir well. Stir into slow cooker, cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes more. Yields about 1 2/3 cups per serving.

Servings | 6
Preparation Time | 20 min
Cooking Time | 360 min
Weight Watchers

Canadian Pork Tourtière

This is a recipe my from my mother's side of the family. It was her maternal grandmother's. This kind of pie is known as pâté à la viande (literally, meat pie) in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region from which my ancestors hail. My mother would regale us with tales of her large French Canadian family coming home after midnight mass on Christmas and eating this dish and drinking Port wine till the wee hours of the morning while the children ran around and played under the table. Our family makes it every year on Christmas Eve still. It is the continuing tradition of the region to this day.

PIE CRUST

Follow directions for your favorite pie crust recipe
1 tsp flour
1 egg (or a combination of Vegenaise and soy creamer whisked together to make a thick cream)
1 TBL water

FILLING

1 1/2 lb ground pork
3/4 lb ground veal*
1/2 tsp. salt
2 TBL sage leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 dash nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp allspice
1 dash pepper
1 large onion, chopped (3/4 cup)
2 cups mashed potatoes

*This is how it appears in the original recipe. You can sub out the veal with regular lean ground beef for the same taste.

GARNISHES

Pickle relish
Honey mustard

DIRECTIONS:

Make sure you have mashed potatoes on hand or start a pot boiling for potatoes while you cook the meat.

In a large skillet combine pork, veal (or ground beef), salt, sage, garlic, nutmeg and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Add chopped onion. Simmer until all moisture has steamed out of the pan. Remove from heat, drain out excess oil/fat. Stir in mashed potato and let cool.

Prepare pie crust according to directions for a two crust pie. Heat oven to 425*. Spoon filling into crust lined pie dish. Cover with second crust. Slit crust in several place to vent.

Beat egg with water; brush egg mixture over top of crust to make a nice glaze. Or use a combination of Vegenaise and soy creamer whisked together to make a thick cream to bush onto crust to make a nice glaze. Bake at 425* for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with port, pickle relish and mustard.

Serves 6 to 8

Creole Seasoning Mix

Make your own Creole seasoning mix to add spice to stews and soups.
Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. white pepper
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. dried marjoram leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Preparation:

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Stir into mayonnaise, yogurt or sour cream for a vegetable dip, or sprinkle over oven fries. You can also use this in soups and stews.

Mom's Apple Pie in a Jar - aka Apple Jam

If you're a fan of apple pie - and who isn't? - you will love this luscious apple jam. Serve it on bread or use it more creatively in mini-tarts or as a dessert topping. You're certain to receive rave reviews for its good taste.

3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries (I used dried cranberries)
6 cups chopped peeled Granny Smith or other tart apples (I used Jonathan)
Grated zest and juice of one lemon
1 (1.75oz) regular powdered fruit pectin
9 cups granulated sugar (yeah, that'd be NINE. *craaazy*)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1. Prepare canner, jars and lids
2. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse raisins until finely chopped. Set aside.
3. In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan combine apples and lemon zest and juice. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occionally, until apples begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in pectin until dissolved. Stir in raisins. Return to high heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. Skim off foam.
4. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Remove airbubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot jam. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.
5. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

Source: Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving - 400 delicious and creative recipes for today.

Mary's Turkey Chili

Here is an easy and wonderful turkey chili recipe. Bake up a quick batch of corn bread to go with and you have a great meal! This was a recipe given to me by my friend Mary. I'm not sure if she concocted it herself or got it from somewhere but I've never had anyone turn this down. It's a flavorful and mild chili that perfect for a cool day.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed
1 T. paprika
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 T. chili powder
1 lb ground turkey
1 (28oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 to 4 cups chicken broth (depending on how soupy you like your chili)
1 small can of tomato paste
1 T. dried leaf oregano
2 tsp. dried leaf basil
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. kosher salt*
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 T sugar
1 can pinto beans**
1 can red beans**
1 can black beans**
1 can corn**

DIRECTIONS:

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, paprika, red pepper, cumin and chili powder. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add turkey, increase heat to high and cook until meat is cooked through. Place cooked spiced meat into a crock pot with all remaining ingredients. Cook on low for about six hours. Serve hot. Not only is this an easy way to cook chili, the flavors blend together wonderfully and the house smells great!

*If you only have regular table salt, reduce amount to 1 tsp.
** Or substitute in four cans of any type of your favorite beans.

Saucy Pork Chops

These are super easy to make pork chops in a rich tomato sauce. Again, this is a family classic. It was my mother's recipe and we always called it the "P Meal" when we were kids because we inevitably always had it with Peas and Potatoes (mashed). It's good for kids and grown-ups alike.

INGREDIENTS
4 - 6 Pork chops
3 TBL butter
1 medium red onion, sliced
¼ cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 TBL worcestershire sauce
2 TBL soy sauce
8 oz can tomato paste

DIRECTIONS
400° - Cook pork chops in a glass baking dish for 15 minutes. 7 minutes or so for each side to drain off fat.

While pork chops have started baking make sauce:

Sauté butter with red onion, brown sugar and a pinch of salt until onion is soft. Add and simmer balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and tomato paste.

Turn oven down to 350° and pour sauce over pork chops. Cook for half an hour or until thermometer reads 160°.

Yields: 4 - 6 servings

Time to make: 45 min

English Muffins

1 ½ cups Bread Flour Mix
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp dough enhancer (optional)
½ tsp. salt
1 T. sugar
1 pkt. Yeast
¾ cup plus 1 T. water, heated to 110 degrees
1 tsp. canola oil

Mix yeast, sugar and water, set aside. Lightly grease a six-bun hamburger bun pan (each bun form is about 4 ½ inches in diameter). Dust with corn meal or rice flour. Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl of electric mixer. Pour water mixture and canola oil into mixing bowl, mix until just blended. Scrape bowl and beaters, then beat at high speed for 2 minutes.

Spoon dough into prepared pan and spread it out to the edges with a table knife or off-set spatula. Carefully smooth and flatten top of the buns with a table knife. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes. Muffins should approximately double in height.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees while muffins are rising. Place rack in center of oven. Bake muffins for 15 minutes. They should be very light in color and cooked through. Remove from pan and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Open each muffin by piercing it with a fork around the edges. Carefully pull apart and toast to desired crispness.

Bread Flour Mix for English Muffins

Bread Flour Mix

1/3 part millet flour	2 cups	2/3 cups	1/2 cup
1/6 part sorghum flour	1 cup	1/3 cup	1/4 cup
1/6 part cornstarch	1 cup	1/3 cup	1/4 cup
1/6 part potato starch	1 cup	1/3 cup	1/4 cup
1/6 part tapioca starch	1 cup	1/3 cup	1/4 cup
.	6 cups	2 cups	1 1/2 cups

Source: Gluten-Free Baking Classics by Annalise G. Roberts

Spicy Autumn Ham

This is the ham we often make for holidays, with so many activities and demand for the oven this is a great recipe that’s super tasty and easy to prepare. It’s not overly spicy but rich, flavorful and easy to make.

INGREDIENTS
1 TBL whole cloves
4 - 5 lb. picnic ham
1 teaspoon whole or ½ teaspoon ground all spice
2 sticks cinnamon
Apple cider or juice

Optional: cornstarch to make glaze.

DIRECTIONS
Insert cloves into fat layer around edge of ham rind. Place in a large Dutch oven (or crock pot*). Add cider to cover, all spice and cinnamon sticks. Cover; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer 2 hours or until tender. Remove ham to platter. If desired, thicken 2½ cups of juice ham has been cooking in with 2 TBL cornstarch dissolved in 2 TBL of cold water. Heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Serve over sliced ham.

*If made in a crock pot be sure to leave in for about 4 or 5 hours so the ham cooks all the way through.

Yields: 8 - 10 servings

This came out of a small paperback cookbook that my Mom bought back in the 70's... not sure who published it but it's been an enduring classic in our family ever since.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

Once you get the hang of these they're a snap to make and I look for excuses to have them... even the rest of my gluten guzzling family looks forward to (and requests) these treats!

This is out of The Gluten Free Kitchen by Roben Ryberg. However the tip about how to easily work the dough was stolen from Alton Brown's Good Eats*. He's by far and away my favorite TV foodie guy... science meets food meets dork. I'm in love... shhhh! Don't tell DH on me!

By the way, the notes below in Italics are my own opinions or comments...
-----------------------------------------------------
These cinnamon rolls will not quite make you forget those you used to buy at the mall, but these are nice. Please follow the unusual techniques carefully when you make these rolls. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Shortening
(If you can have butter it can be subbed in here, or alternately you can use Earth Balance)
1/4 Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup of Milk or milk substitue @ room temperature
It should be warm enough to help activate the yeast!
1 Packet Yeast (about 1 Tablespoon)
1 Egg Egg can be left out, it doesn't change the recipe that much. You might want to consider using an egg replacer though
1/4 Cup Canola Oil
1/2 Cup Potato Starch
1 Cup Corn Starch
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 1/2 Teaspoons Xantham Gum
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Flavoring

FOR TABLE TOP
1 - 2 Tablespoons Sugar

FOR FILLING
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 1/4 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1/3 Cup Chopped Nuts - Optional

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium bowl, combine shortening (or butter) and sugar. Mix well. Measure warm milk and and add yeast to milk. Whisk well to fully dissolve. Add milk/yeast to sugar mixture. Add remaining ingredients. Mix very well, being sure to remove all lumps. Dough will be quite soft.

(*Here's where Alton Brown's ingenious tip comes in super handy!)

Take a piece of Plastic Wrap and lay it out so it covers a 13 1/2" x 13 1/2" square.


Sprinkle sugar on the wrap. Lay ball of dough on top of that. Then pull out another sheet of wrap and gently lay over the dough.


Pat the dough down into a rough squarish pancake. Lift the top wrap up and relay it down. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough in between the two layers of wrap. Note that occasionally you'll have to lift and reposition the wrap because it gets "stuck" under the edges. I also occasionally flip the whole thing over. Make sure that when you're done you've got about a 13 1/2" x 13 1/2" square of dough. Remove top piece of wrap.


Combine sugar and cinnamon. Spread evenly across dough's surface. (I leave about a 1 1/2" sugar free edge because when you roll the dough all the sugar shifts and fills this in. Otherwise all the sugar spills out - oh no! And if you don't have a sweet tooth use less sugar than the recipe calls for; sometimes it can be a bit much)


Use the bottom piece of wrap to lift the edge of the dough and start to roll it up forming a long cylinder. (Start with the sugary edge, which will be the center of your roll and roll toward the sugarless edge)



Cut off or trim up the irregular ends of your "log".


Then cut into 9 slices of similar size, about 1 1/2" wide. Place rolls into a greased round glass pie pan.


Bake approximately 20 minutes, until tops are lightly browned.

Combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla flavoring to make glaze. Stir until all lumps are dissolved. Drizzle over warm rolls if desired.

Makes 9 modestly sized rolls. Serves 9.

These are lovely with coffee in the morning. They're very light and fluffy - not too heavy or dense. I've also discovered that you can make these the night before and stop short of baking them. Wrap them up in their pan or glass dish and leave them in the fridge for the night. The next morning you can take them out and bake them and they come out just the same! I've found that this is a great thing to bring to a friends house for brunch. I just pop them in their oven - and you've got a great GF contribution and you know there's no cross contamination!

305 = Calories
10g = Fat
25mg = Cholesterol
54g = Carbs
2g = Protein
3g = Fiber
301mg = Sodium