Gluten-free Carrot Muffins

Adjusted for the low histamine diet, Will has to avoid the usual cinnamon & nutmeg in his carrot cakes and muffins.

2 c GF flour

1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ginger
3/4 c white sugar
1/2 c golden brown sugar
3 cups peeled and grated carrots
1/2 c mayonaise
4 eggs
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 c milk substitute
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 and prep 15 muffin cups
mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
Mix the sugar with mayo, eggs, vinegar, vanilla & milk. Stir in carrots. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix only until combined.
Pour into the muffin cups and let sit about 10 minutes. (Secret trick for gluten-free baking.) After 10 minutes, place muffin tins in middle of preheated oven.
Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Test. Remove from oven when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, and cool before icing. I like cream cheese icing, but the first few just had butter melted on them! So good! 

Will's Cornbread

the trick is preheating the buttered cast-iron frying pan

2 cups cornmeal
1 cup gluten-free flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
t tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (Make with milk or substitute: premix 1 1/2 cups milk substitute with 1 Tbsp cider vinegar and let sit a few minutes)
1/2 cup butter, melted in the cast-iron frying pan

Do not turn the oven on yet.
Mix the milk substitute with cider vinegar and let sit. Melt the butter over low heat.
Mix the dry ingredients in medium bowl. Beat eggs with the milk & vinegar, then add the butter. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix well. Set it aside, just while the oven heats. the GF flours will benefit from a bit of a soak.
Preheat the oven to 375F with oiled cast iron pan set in the middle to heat it up.
When the pan & oven are hot, carefully pour the batter into the pan and place in the middle rack. Bake 40 minutes until browning a little and cooked in the middle.
Serve with butter & maple syrup.

Country Pork Ribs

I had a small crisis when my pressure cooker finally failed after years and years of service. Luckily my friends had been exclaiming about how the new "Instant Pot" is a fabulous replacement for the traditional pressure cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker and slow cooker (and likely six other small appliances)
The six quart Instant Pot Viva was on sale at Canadian Tire so we picked one up and have been experimenting with great success. Way easier and far less hassle than a pressure cooker on a burner.
This recipe has been created especially to work for a low FODMaP diet, and a low histamine diet, both of which we are dealing with on a daily basis in our house.
I served this to some of our closest friends tonight and they insisted I share the recipe. Would have taken a picture of the gorgeous rib dish but there wasn't a drop left..... so I took a photo of them eating butterscotch brownies and playing music instead.

1 rack pork country style ribs **
1 tsp salt
1 tsp galangal power and/or lemon grass powder
4 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh ginger cut in thin strips
1 cup water

Cut the ribs into 2" cubes and sprinkle with salt and galangal and/or lemon grass powder. Chill. Preheat the oven to 350F with an oven-proof dish hot & ready for the pieces of browned pork. Preheat olive oil in the Instant Pot on "saute". When hot, start browning a few pieces of the pork at a time in the oil. Don't try to cook too many at once as it will just steam, not brown. As you brown the pork pieces, place them in the pre-heated oven. Once all the meat has been nicely browned, (and is in the hot oven,) turn off the Instant Pot and carefully pour off the fat.
Pour the brown sugar, vinegar, ginger and water into the pot. Heat on "saute" until bubbly. Switch off.
Place the pork pieces back into the Instant Pot, put the lid on and turn the valve to "sealing". Turn on "Pressure Cook" for 35 minutes.

When done, switch off and let the pot sit for 10 minutes, while you preheat the broiler and prepare a pan.
Then release the pressure by switching the valve to "venting". Carefully place the pieces of pork on a broiling pan and place under the preheated broiler. Watch carefully to make sure you don't burn them! Meanwhile heat the sauce left in the Instant Pot until reduced by about 1/2.
On a nice serving dish, place the pieces of pork. Pour some of the sauce over and serve the rest of the sauce in a gravy boat.
Optional: top with sliced green onion. Serve with steamed rice and carrots.

 ** It is important to prevent histamines from forming as you are preparing the meal. So, be sure to keep the meat as cold as possible before putting it into the hot pan, and don't cook over low heat. You need to heat the meat as quickly as you can. Once the meat dish is cooked, serve immediately, and chill leftovers as soon as you have served the dinner.

moist and sweet zucchini cake with streusel topping

It's that time of year when the zucchinis suddenly spring up from "I'll pick it tomorrow", to "where did that come from" overnight.
That's what's happening in my garden!
This recipe will take care of one good sized (about 9" zucchini) shredded and drained. I make all my food gluten-free, but if you use wheat flour, you shouldn't add the xanthan gum.
Delicious and moist, this cake is the best zucchini cake I've ever tried. 

1. Preheat oven to 350F & line the cake pan with parchment paper,
2. weigh out butter + coconut oil and warm gently,
3. grate the zucchini and let it drain in a sieve.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Beat the eggs and add the melted oils and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Squeeze the water out of the drained grated zucchini and mix well into the batter. Pour into prepared cake pan.

Mix Streusel ingredients with a pastry knife until butter is incorporated.

sprinkle Streusel topping over cake until even and place in 350F oven for 50 minutes.

2 1/2 cups Gluten free flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

4 eggs
1/2 cup gently melted butter
1/2 cup gently melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini, drained and the moisture squeezed out before measuring

Streusel topping:
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup quick oats
3/4 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup gluten-free flour
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13" pan with parchment paper.
Grate zucchini and set in a sieve to drain. Over very low heat melt the butter and coconut oil.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy, add the oils and vanilla and beat another couple minutes. Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Squeeze the moisture out of the grated zucchini and add. Stir well.
Spoon into the prepared cake pan.
Mix the streusel topping in a medium bowl with a pastry knife or your fingers until crumbly and the butter is well incorporated. Sprinkle evenly over the cake.
Bake at 350F for 50 - 55 minutes or until a tester inserted near the middle comes out clean.

Fresh Apple Cake

First apples of the season for us are the Transparent Apples. They are delicious, but not my favourite to eat raw. They make the smoothest, easiest apple sauce, and this fabulous cake.

3 cups Gluten-free flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp guar gum

3 eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup butter

4 Transparent apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside
Gently melt the coconut oil and butter together and add to the eggs and vanilla.
Mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Add the apples and mix.
Pour into prepared pan.
Place in the middle of preheated oven and bake 60 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool in the pan on a rack for 1/2 hour before removing from the pan. It's a little fragile when hot. 

Bonus recipe: Apple Sauce
Wash and quarter a big bowl of apples. No need to peel or core if you have a food mill. Otherwise, I would suggest getting an "Apple Master" to peel, core and slice the apples.
Place apple pieces in a large, heavy-bottom pot with 1/2 cup of water. Cover. Cook gently, stirring once in a while until it boils and the apples start to melt.
Turn off the heat and let sit, covered until they are quite mushy.
Run through a food mill to remove the peels and cores. Add honey or sugar and cinnamon to taste.

Gluten-free Lemon Muffins

Super simple and absolutely delicious. I had to reassure my family that they are gluten-free!

1 1/4 cup Gluten-free flour
1/4 cup corn starch (or tapioca starch)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs
3/4 cup mayonnaise (or sour cream)
6 Tbsp butter, melted
zest and juice of one lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix for Glaze:
1 cup icing sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 425 F. 
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Stir them together just until mixed. Fill 12 muffin cups just about full. 
Put them in the hot oven at 425 F for just 3 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 F for 15 minutes.
Cool a few minutes before drizzling with lemon glaze.

Kale Caesar Salad

Kale is the one veggie I can rely on all year round in my garden, and although some of my friends consider it a weed, I love it. Kale chips, steamed kale, shredded into stir-fries, but especially salad.
This is the best Kale Caesar Salad recipe I have ever done, so give it a try while the plants are still tender. YUMMY!

2 big handfuls of kale leaves (about 2 quarts)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 anchovy fillets, minced (about 1 Tbsp anchovy paste)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 green onion, sliced thinly

Remove the thick stems from the kale. Roll the leaves into little bundles, and slice into 1/4 inch strips. If there are any florets, chop them in as well. Toss in olive oil and let stand to soften the leaves while you make the dressing.
Mix mayonnaise, anchovies, garlic, cheese, Worcestershire and lemon juice. Stir into the kale (you may have to use your hands) and then sprinkle the green onions slices on top.
Some people add croutons, but it's not my choice.