Bisquick Recipes

I have noticed that lately there have been a lot of recipes popping up on my Pinterest feed that call for Bisquick. I had no idea you could make so much out of the stuff - cakes, cookies, rolls, muffins...the list of baked goods from Bisquick goes on and on. I'm sure most of you knew that you can make all this stuff from Bisquick, but did you know that it's super easy to make your own?? I didn't, until I found the Wikipedia article on Bisquick. According to this article, one cup of Bisquick can be substituted for:

• 1 cup of flour (gluten free, of course!)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder
• 1/2 a teaspoon of salt 
• 1 tablespoon of oil or melted butter 

I tried it. It works wonderfully!

Cinnamon Rolls with Sugar Free Frosting

Have you ever perused the Breakfast display in a supermarket bakery? It is filled with muffins, croissants, coffee cakes, frosted breads, and of course, cinnamon rolls. These "breakfast" items are designed to give you a moment of pleasure and then leave you hanging in an hour or so when the sugar crash happens.

But that doesn't mean we can't still eat them!

What I love most about being on a gluten-free diet is discovering and trying new recipes. Last night, Evan and I made gluten-free cinnamon rolls that are truly delectable. They aren't quite as gooey as the Pillsbury rolls that come in the can, but they don't contain the additives and preservatives that you'll find in store-bought cinnamon rolls (the frosting has some because it's made from instant pudding mix). So, here is the recipe! I encourage you to try it.

Ingredients


Dough


2 cups gluten free bread mix
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
water

Filling


3 tbsp butter, partially melted.
3 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Frosting


1 oz box sugar free pudding mix (any flavor - we chose vanilla for the cinnamon rolls)
1/2 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions


1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cream and the gluten free bread mix. It will probably crumbly, so add water as needed to create a doughy consistency. If you add too much water, making it really sticky, you can add rice flour to balance it out.
2. Roll the dough out between two sheets of wax paper. You'll want about 1/2 an inch thickness and try to make it sort of rectangular. This helps make the cinnamon rolls similar sizes.
3. Mix together the butter, honey and cinnamon. Be sure it is completely blended, then spread it on the cinnamon roll dough. It is best to put more of the cinnamon mix near the end that you will begin rolling up the dough because as you roll, the mix will get pushed towards the end.
4. Roll up the dough and slice as thick as you desire using a sharp knife dusted with rice flour.
5. Place rolls in a circle and touching each other with the tails facing inside the circle on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with milk or heaving whipping cream and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. While the rolls are baking, mix the sugar-free pudding mix, milk and whipping cream using a mixer on medium speed. You will want the frosting to be fluffy but not too thick.
7. When the rolls are done, take them off the cookie sheet so they stop baking. Place on a plate, and spread frosting on the rolls. Enjoy while warm!

Store extra rolls in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

Grilled Bananas

Okay, so I am a self-professed chocolate addict. When we go out to eat, I always have to take a peek at the dessert menu, and if anything includes the word "chocolate" I am immediately sold. Chocolate has all too often served as a pick-me-up on a bad day, or as a mode of stress relief.

That being said, this grilled bananas recipe is probably my favorite dessert. It's so delectably rich that I cannot get enough of it. It's creamy, flavorful and surprisingly simple! I know the picture isn't the best, but seriously, if you love bananas or coconut at all, you will want to try this one.

Ingredients


1/2 cup coconut cream
2/3 cup heavy cream
4 bananas
Juice and rind of one lime
1 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
1/2 cup dry, unsweetened coconut

Directions


1. Beat the coconut cream and the heavy cream together in a bowl until thick but floppy. Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
2. Peel bananas and toss in lime juice and rind. Lightly oil a preheated grill pan and cook the bananas, turning once, for 2-3 minutes, until softened and browned.
3. Toast the dry unsweetened coconut on a piece of foil under a broiler until lightly browned. Serve the bananas with the coconut cream, sprinkled with toasted coconut. (NOTE! The browning of the coconut does not take long, only about one minute! Be very careful with this step because it is super easy to burn.)

Lasagna!

Coming from an Italian family, I grew up eating lasagna. Delicious, messy, meaty lasagna. Of course, when you're married to someone who a) did not grow up in an Italian family, and b) is gluten free, you don't get to eat lasagna very much. When I first asked Evan if he like lasagna, he said he didn't really remember. It had been over ten years since his last lasagna, and he was pretty sure it was Stouffer's.

Then, one lucky Christmas, my aunt gave us some rice lasagna noodles. I bought a casserole dish, and we created Evan's first every homemade lasagna. It turned out perfectly. The mozzarella cheese browned a bit on top, and the inside of the lasagna melted into a delectably gooey mess.

After we got married, we realized how difficult rice lasagna noodles are to come by (and how expensive they are!). Luckily, our very resourceful neighbors mentioned that they had used zucchini slices in place of lasagna noodles. We were very skeptical at first - after all, neither of us very enthusiastic about zucchini. Still, we decided to try it, and we were amazed with the quality of our lasagna! Not only was it incredible the first time around, but it kept excellently in the refrigerator, so we were able to take it with us to work for lunches.

Now, we always use zucchini for our lasagna noodles, and you can really use any lasagna recipe, but I've put mine here, just in case you'd like to try it.

Gluten Free Zucchini Lasagna


Ingredients


2 zucchini, cut into thin, vertical slices (a cheese slicer works well for this)
1 16 oz container ricotta cheese
3 cups grated mozzarella cheese
2 lbs cooked ground beef
Grated parmesean (optional)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
Basil, rosemary, crushed garlic and oregano to taste

Directions


1. Thoroughly mix tomato sauce and tomato paste, heat on the stove and add as much basil, rosemary, garlic, and oregano as desired (you can add other seasonings too, these are the ones we like in our lasagna)
2. Lay zucchini slices down in a 13x9in baking pan. Create a single layer and cover the bottom of the pan.
3. Heat ricotta slightly in the microwave, and mix in a handful of mozzarella (the heat makes it easier to spread the cheese).
4. Spread approximately 1/3 of the sauce on top of the zucchini, along with about half of the meat and ricotta cheese mixture.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 to create another layer. (Be sure to put a final layer of zucchini on the top)
6. Spread the remainder of the sauce on top of the last layer of zucchini, and cover with mozzarella and parmesean.
7. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and slightly browned around the edges.

Mennonite Cooking

Like many of you gluten free eaters, I am always looking for new gluten free recipes to try. But when my in-laws gave us Keepers at Home Gluten Free Cooking*, I was slightly skeptical about it. I never expected a gluten free cookbook to be compiled by the Amish and Mennonite communities, but after trying some of the bread and cookie recipes, I figured out what a great resource it is! It contains some truly delicious recipes and several different gluten free flour mixes. One of the best resources in the book is the tips on converting just about any baked recipe into a gluten free recipe:

• When substituting rice flour in a cookie recipe, add 1 tsp gelatin to every 3 cups of flour.
• Adding an egg if the recipe already calls for eggs improves texture because rice flour is lower in protein than regular flour.
• Xanthan gum is an important additive!
• For breads add 3/4 tsp. per cup of flour
• For cakes add 1/2 tsp. per cup of flour
• For cookies add 1/4-1/2 tsp. per cup of flour.

I know I am going to have fun experimenting with various recipes that normally call for wheat flour. I think I'll try to improve upon the chocolate chip cookie recipe my neighbor created.

*Keepers at Home Gluten Free Cooking is published by Carlisle Press, located in Sugarcreek, Ohio.

Christmas musings

Working at a retail store, you get to meet all kinds of people - especially during the holiday season. Many are joyful and are excited to share the season of giving with friends and family. Others take it upon themselves to show up their rich friends by giving extravagant gifts they can't afford, while others are so focused on gift-giving that they forget the reason for the season. I often get very frustrated, because I tend to take the stresses of others onto myself - healthy, I know.

Still, during this time of year I always like to take stock of what's really important in my life. I have so many blessings, that it's hard to for me to understand why anyone could hate the holiday season. I have my health, a wonderful family and incredibly faithful friends.

One thing that I love about the holidays is the food! This might be something somewhat superficial to be thankful for, but I absolutely love all the goodies that are cranked out during the Christmas season. My dad in recent years has discovered a love for baking. Two Christmases ago, he cranked out over 200 cookies and probably 10 pounds of peppermint bark. I was in sugar heaven, though I don't believe my hips appreciated this so much. My in-laws always love having people over for dinner, but the holidays are particularly special - there are tons of food, and lots of love around the table.

In order to include Evan in the holiday festivities, my entire family likes to make sure that Evan has food he can eat. My mom made Chex mix this year using only rice and corn Chex. My dad is going to make two turkeys for Christmas Eve dinner - one with regular stuffing and one with gluten free stuffing. My aunt always puts croutons on the side of the salad so that he doesn't have to pick them out.

I guess the reason I love food really, though, is the interesting power it has to bring people together. Haven't you noticed how people are always gathered at the hors d'oeuvres table? At least that's what happens in my family. Eating and talking. Sometimes playing games, sometimes poking fun at each other, but there is always love.

Pie Crust

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. Now, I certainly do not love it because the weather gets colder and the days get shorter. I love the myriad of colors, the way my house gets so cozy and the way a pumpkin spice steamer tastes. What I love most of all, however, is the produce. I have never been one to turn down a slice of apple or pumpkin pie. Or any kind of pie for that matter.

Like me, Evan is a true lover of pie. But, like most people who have to go gluten free, he was worried he may never eat pie again. Luckily, his mom came to the rescue. She thought there must be some way to make a pie gluten free. After much trial and error, they came up with the following pie crust recipe. I hope you enjoy it! It's delicious, simple and much healthier than your average pie crust.

Almond Flour Pie Crust


Ingredients

2 1/4 cups almond flour
5 tbps butter
1/4 tsp salt

Directions

Mix all ingredients together well. Press into a pie plate and fill with your favorite filling! (Note that this recipe DOES NOT work for crusts on top of pies.)