Homemade GF Ravioli

You don't need to throw out your cookbooks to make gluten-free food.  I combined The Wheat-Free Cook by Jacqueline Mallorca for a GF pasta recipe to make the ravioli and a spinach and ricotta filling recipe from Pasta by Julia Della Croce.

 

Spinach and Ricotta Filling

My first round of GF pasta was to make a flat circle of dough using a rolling pin.  I admit I got a little impatient, okay a lot impatient (hint: don't attempt a recipe for the first time at 9pm unless you had a nap earlier in the day or a lot of caffeine or are just a night person in general) and decided to try a pasta machine I recently bought.

The dough that slid out of the pasta machine was definitely thinner, but I noticed it had a lot of holes.  I tried different thicknesses of the dough and towards the end the pasta came out just right but still looked dry.

I didn't think of it at the time, but I should have added more water - that probably would have made the dough more pliable and not as dry at the end when I finally needed to create the ravioli.

I didn't have a cutter or a ravioli mold so I found a glass that seemed to have the right size for ravioli and used it like a cookie cutter, dipping the rim in brown rice flour to prevent the dough from sticking when I peeled it off.

 

I used a small spoon to scoop the ricotta and spinach filling and placed them on the pieces.  I brushed one piece with egg white and used my fingers to press the two sides together.  10pm and I was ready to cook the ravioli.

I had  cooked homemade marinara sauce the night before so once the ravioli were ready (about 10 minutes because the dough was a little too thick), my boyfriend tested one and gave me the thumbs up.  Yippee!

Remember the container of filling?  I didn't use all of it.  Stay tuned to the next posting: GF lasagna (using Tinkyada GF lasagna).

The Pure Pantry Banana Bread Recipe

The city of Seattle was pretty much shut down today due to a snow storm and many offices, including mine, closed.  What better time to bake than on a snow day!  I had purchased The Pure Pantry all-purpose baking mix the other weekend and as luck would have it, I had exactly three ripe bananas in the house today to try the banana bread recipe on the packaging.


I spooned half the batter into a silicone baking loaf mold, a layer of chocolate chips (I like chocolate chips in my banana bread) and then the rest of the batter.  I baked it for 45 minutes, checked it then baked it for another 10 minutes as I thought it was still a bit too gooey.  Once it cooled, I sliced into the bread and immediately knew it was going to be a flaky bread.  I should have removed it at exactly 45 minutes.

My boyfriend walked into the kitchen just in time to taste test the bread.  He liked it so much that he had two slices.  It was flaky but the flavor overruled the inconvenience of picking up the crumbs.

Gluten-Freely Website

I just came across another great online resource, Gluten-Freely.  This website offers gluten-free products from various vendors as well as recipes and community resources.

Still no xanthan gum available.  I notice that guar gum seems more available.

Size does matter ... for bread, that is!

Until I can bake my own bread at home, I need to rely on breads that are available in stores.  The first bread I purchased was EnerG bread 16 oz Tapioca Loaf for $5.29.  When it arrived, I was a little disappointed at the size but it's what I had available at the time.  Then I found a loaf of Haley's Corner GF bread while at Kress in downtown Seattle: it was the size of a regular loaf of bread but heavier.  I bought a plain loaf at $7.95 as well as the seeded loaf for $8.95.  


Below are pictures with Haley's Corner GF bread on the left and EnerG on the right and then stacked.  I'm guessing the EnerG bread is lighter as it doesn't contain milk and eggs.

I personally prefer Haley's Corner GF bread as the size, texture and flavor is similar to non-GF bread.  I keep it in the freezer to last longer. I pop two pieces in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time before toasting or making sandwiches. 

I can't purchase Haley's Corner GF bread online and Kress doesn't always have them available when I go shopping so I tend to buy two loaves at a time.  I keep one at the office and one at home.

P.S. Haley's Corner GF bread is great for grilled cheese sandwiches, especially if you use a George Foreman grill.

Amazon Fresh and GF Products (Seattle only)

If you live in Seattle, Amazon Fresh is a convenient way to get groceries (including local produce and products) and sometimes even supplies (I've ordered two cookbooks and a pasta maker via Amazon Fresh).  And, there are many gluten-free products available which makes shopping a little easier.  The only product I can't order via Amazon Fresh is xanthan gum (though you can buy it via the regular Amazon site).

What I like the most about ordering from Amazon Fresh is that I can purchase a large quantity of frozen ground turkey (for the homemade dog and cat food) and I don't have to carry it from the grocery store to the car and then from the car to the house.  And, I save time.  The drivers are always friendly and will call if they are running behind or to make sure it's okay to show up earlier than scheduled.  And the customer service is prompt.  


The downside is that I don't always get the sale prices such as when there's a sale on Bob's Red Mill GF products at QFC and sometimes products are not available and you have to wait until the next order.

Pets and Food

Today is the one year anniversary of the passing of my beloved cat, Leo.  He was fifteen years old so it was probably his time, but he went downhill fast.  He lost weight and spent most of his time in the bathroom (perhaps because it was the warmest part of the house - heater unit).  I took him to the veterinarian who said it was a thyroid issue and prescribed pills.  The medicine made Leo sick so I looked into homeopathic remedies and ordered a tincture.  It arrived a day too late.  I was distraught and depressed.  Leo's brother, Chewy, passed away a few years earlier and now both my boys were gone.


In my research on homeopathic ways to make Leo better, I found recipes for pets with allergies to wheat, grains and dairy.  It never occurred to me that I too could have been allergic to wheat...huh!  I also came across Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food.  We had our year old puppy, Sam and my boyfriend's cat, Bill (who just turned fourteen), and I decided that we needed to start making homemade pet food.   

Sam is now 90lbs and growing: he's half Rottweiler and half black lab - yes, adorable!  He is thriving on his homemade food and Bill's coat is softer and his litter box less smelly (whew!).  Neither of them have horrible breath and both of them get super excited when I start cooking: Sam drools puddles and Bill meows and swishes his tail.

The recipe is easy and for Sam I follow the serving guidelines in this very informative website, Recipes 4 Gourmet Dogs: Homemade Natural, Raw and Organic Dog Food.  There

Lean ground turkey, brown rice (or white if I run out of brown) and either canned of frozen vegetables; and a supplement.  We use a Missing Link mixture made for both dogs and cats.

• Sam gets 2 cups protein (lean ground turkey), 2 cups carbs (brown rice) and 2 cups vegetables.
• Bill gets a mix of 50% turkey, 25% rice and 25% vegetables. I like to use canned peas and carrots as it's softer and easier to mix in a food processor.

We don't deviate much from the mixture.  If the store runs out of ground turkey, I'll get lean ground beef or I'll crock pot a whole chicken (they both love it when I cook chicken...I add a few spoonfuls of the juice to their meals as a treat).

We also have three female pet rats and they get a bowl of the same mixture as well as some cheese and fruit and their rat pellet rations.

My hope is that Sam and Bill will live a healthier and longer life because of the extra time and care we put into feeding them homemade food.   And, it's been healthier on our budget.

Note: check with your veterinarian before deciding to change your pet's diet, especially if there's an illness involved.

In memory of Leo

Leo, my fat cat

Eat, sleep, play, Eat, sleep, play, EAT

I miss my Leo

Kung Pao Chicken

My boyfriend and I used a recipe from the book, The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen, to make Kung Pao Chicken for dinner.  We tweaked the recipe just a bit by decreasing the amount of minced ginger and adding zucchini. He likes foods spicy but kept the original amount of red pepper flakes for my sake.  The spice level turned out mild so I think we'll increase it the next time.

Tomorrow we're trying the Spring Vegetable Fried Rice recipe from the same cookbook.