Cranberry Honey Mustard

Looking for something a little different for the holiday condiments? Try this zesty, sweet Cranberry Honey Mustard on for size! Fresh cranberries are cooked down with vinegar, apple juice, honey and mustard seeds to make a richly flavoured spread or topping. Try it on leftover turkey or pork sandwiches or for making a vinaigrette for roasted veggies!

Since we Canadians had Thanksgiving a few weeks ago, cranberries were on deep discount all over the place! I bought a few bags on a whim, not entirely sure what I was going to do with them, but after almost being attacked by a frozen bag of turkey leftovers and remembering the days of sandwiches piled high with cranberry sauce, Dijon mustard and turkey I wondered, what kind of condiment could I make to celebrate that? 

 

Well, the Google gods must have been listening to my brainwaves, because when I searched for cranberry recipes yesterday morning, what came up but a honey mustard using up fresh cranberries that was perfect for canning? A quick scan of the ingredients and I was delighted to see that I had everything already, no extra shopping trip (with the lines to heck and back included) required. The hardest part was waiting for the mustard seeds to soften! Once those two hours were up, the blending and simmering went fairly quickly, though I strongly suggest a splatter screen if your pot is not super tall - the mustard thickens fairly quickly and as we all know thick bubbles splatter!

In terms of canning this, I wouldn't suggest any jars larger than 1/2 pint as the mixture is quite thick, I used 4 oz jars and they worked perfectly! What didn't fit into a jar I scooped into a plastic tub and stuck in the fridge, since my previous experience with mustard indicates that waiting 24 hours (yes, another waiting period!) makes the condiment taste richer and more well rounded. Mom has been eyeballing it for her sandwiches at lunch and I have an idea for a dressing to use over roasted Brussels sprouts with it in pride of place too!

"Christmas" Thai Curry Paste

Christmas Thai Curry Paste is a flavour (not just heat) packed blend of herbs, fresh chiles, toasted spices and a hint of fish sauce for umami. Perfect for any and all curries you care to whip up!

We make curry at least once a month here, a habit which stemmed from my mom's travels to Thailand when she was working. That said, a lot of the time the actual curry making is done by her, since coconut and I don't mix - but I am always glad to provide the recipes, and making this curry paste is our secret weapon!

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with storebought curry paste - we use it a lot too - when the Summer garden is in full swing it would be a crime not to use what I'm growing! Last year (when I finally refined this recipe) we had a glut of Thai chilies along with Thai basil and lemon balm. My friend happened to be growing cilantro (which similarly took off) and gave me a bunch to cook with. A quick search and about 15 minutes later, and I had a batch of curry paste primed for the next recipe! At the end of the season I made a quadruple batch (yes, a quadruple batch) and froze it, which was great for the cold of winter!

This year, we used the same paste to make a rendition of this curry (using half coconut milk half vegetable broth and doubling the recipe, adding cauliflower and chickpeas) and while spicy it was the perfect mix of flavour and heat. I would wager this would work well with chicken, shrimp or pork as well!

For those of you who are vegan - the fish sauce can be replaced with a tablespoon of red miso which gives it a fermented, salty flavour. Likewise, I have provided an alternative for the lemon balm (which grows rampant here but I know it isn't easy to find in stores) but the Thai basil is best omitted rather than substituted. Regular basil has a totally different flavour to it! Toasting the spices "wakes them up" and really boosts the flavour they lend as well.

If you love Thai curry in any respect, or are simply looking for a way to jazz up your cooking, this paste is a dead-simple, fresh way to do it. Give it a try and let me know how it goes, and what you used it in, below!

Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

Condensed Coconut Milk is thick, sweet and perfect for anything you might need a hit of sweetness for. Its gluten free and vegan too, with a delicate floral flavour. 

One of the things my mom loves more than anything else is key lime pie. If she had a choice for anything on her birthday, Mother's Day, any day... she would pick it hands down, particularly if it came attached to a trip to Florida. While it took me a while to become accustomed to the flavour, I have to admit I enjoy a good slice of the confection too, and I will occasionally make it (or a version of it, seeing as key limes are rare here).

One of the main ingredients in key lime pie is condensed milk - thick, gooey and quite possibly the best substance outside of peanut butter and Nutella. Unfortunately for so many people, condensed milk is simply not an option due to dairy allergies or other dietary restrictions. Now, non-dairy sweetened condensed products do exist - including soy and coconut varieties like this one - but they are pricey and can contain additives and thickeners. My homemade version takes time, no question, but it's simple and the taste is amazing. I've used this condensed milk to make fudge, and Meyer lemon pie (similar to key lime) and it definitely holds its own texture wise. The taste is unmistakably coconutty, but not really overwhelming according to those who tasted it (I would but I'm allergic!).
 
Whether you need it because you're dairy free, or you're just looking for an extra layer of flavour, I highly recommend giving this a try. Who knows, maybe your key lime pie will be next level this Summer! Oh Summer, where art thou?

Homemade Brownie MIx

This brownie mix makes rich, chewy brownies and by swapping the liquid you can make a variety of treats.
 

One of my old school friends was a diehard Brownie and Girl Guide, now her daughters are too!

We are a brownie-loving bunch here - dense, chewy, or fudgy, iced or not, full of chocolate chips or cocoa alone. Now my sister and I are brownie purists, eschewing the "textural" chunks present in most store-bought brownies - I'm talking to you, pecans and walnuts - and since they often find their place in packed lunches frosting simply isn't practical. In terms of overall practicality, brownies are not the most difficult thing in the world to whip up, however I am somewhat ashamed to admit that we have at least ten boxes of mix in the pantry right now (my sister only likes one kind, homemade be darned). 

While I have no problem making a batch of brownies from scratch (melted chocolate included) on a weekend or for a once in a while treat, it is hard to beat the convenience of a boxed mix. However, I'm not necessarily a fan of the quality of the ingredients in mixes - too often have I bitten into a brownie and been greeted with nothing but a crumbly saccharine mess. Making my own, then, was the answer, and since I based the "mix" off one of my favourite vegan brownie recipes making the bars afterwards is even easier than your usual box. I used a mix of flours - all purpose for structure, whole wheat for a delicate nuttiness and fibre, and sweet rice for fudginess - as well as both white and brown sugar for the perfect balance of crispy top and rich, moist crumb. I do implore you to use the best cocoa you have available for this - after all, you want to taste chocolate, not sugar, in a well made brownie.

Stay tuned tomorrow for how I took this basic mix and elevated it for a special occasion!

Rich Roasted Pie Filling

Richly spiced, roasted apple pie filling. Where's my spoon?

When was the last time you dug into an apple pie filling that tasted great, no crust required? When I was a kid, Northern Spy apples were as prevalent in the orchards as the day was long, and when we went picking we were guaranteed at least two huge bagfuls of giant, beautiful fruit. Spies needed no adornment in my mom's pies, save for an occasional sprinkle of cinnamon. They were perfect on their own.

These days, spies are a rarity, and the other suggested substitutes simply aren't as good. The last pie my mom made wound up with a filling of relatively bland, over-softened apples that shrunk down so much it looked like there was hardly any at all. I've tried the old tactics of sauteeing the apples before adding them, etc, but still the results aren't what I was going for.

Then I started roasting them. It started as a fairly quick way to add flavourful fruit to oatmeal, and as I continued to tweak and add layers of flavour I eventually wound up with a pan of delightfully rich-tasting, ever so slightly gooey apples perfect for topping a dessert. In fact, I would have titled this recipe a "dessert sauce" instead of a "pie filling", except that when I gave it out as gifts, the recipients by and large made pies with it - the texture is reminiscent of canned pie filling, although the taste is not as sweet and definitely more multifaceted than commercial products. Us, though - we dug into a jar (or three) and spooned it over yogurt, warmed it up and dolloped it on ice cream (rum raisin ice cream is perfect with this) and even used it in lieu of syrup on Sunday morning pancakes. For Home Ec this year, I'm thinking of making a batch to turn into "apple pie rolls" - essentially stuffed, rolled up pieces of bread baked enchilada-style - or to use over French toast.

Mock Dried Pineapple

This sneaky swap for "real" dried pineapple is indiscernible from the real thing in baked goods, and lasts a long time in the pantry. Just when you thought you were all "zucchinied" out! 

Our zucchini are done for the year. Hallelujiah.

Unlike last season, the squash loved the weird cool / rainy then hot / humid Summer we had, producing en masse. With the last push of produce from those plants came the somewhat woody / spongy rejects which just aren't great for eating. However, those zucchini are (for the most part) awesome for baking! They're slightly drier (i.e. no need to really wring them out after shredding) and soak up flavour even better. When I came across a recipe for candied zucchini on The Persnickety Plate, I knew these last zucchini were prime for it. 

Essentially, the summer squash (you can use any variety) are peeled, cubed, and simmered in a sweetened pineapple juice until they're infused with the flavour. I then let them steep overnight for even more flavour before dehydrating them into chewy bites of fruity goodness. To keep them from sticking - especially if your climate is on the humid side - a toss with cornstarch or arrowroot keeps them separate. I didn't have that problem, since they went into muffins the same week, but you do what you do.

Unfortunately, because I made and used it so fast I forgot to take a photo... so next year (if I remember) I'll be sure to take a photo! One thing's for sure, I will make it a repeat!

Chocolate Hazelnut Crunchies

Chocolate Hazelnut Crunchies are a decadent topping for all your dessert desires!

I hate when items I love are suddenly discontinued. Ones that immediately come to mind are usually things I grew up on but as an adult didn't really use, like Cherry Vanilla Coke and McDonald's pizza. However, my family and I are finding more and more of our staple foods have bit the dust (at least in Canada) and we're left to find alternatives - some are good (President's Choice Louisiana hot sauce, for example), others... really not (non-British baked beans(z)). Luckily, we tend to avoid most processed food as a matter of habit anyway, and I for one revel in making my own ingredients, "mixes" and condiments (obviously).

One of the more recent disappearances was from our local bulk food store - crunchy little balls of chocolate-hazelnut goodness intended for decorating cakes and cupcakes. They tasted like Nutella meeting Rice Krispies, and were awesome for not only cakes, but cookie dough and topping brownies too. We fell in love - and then poof! gone. Not just gone from the bulk store, but everywhere - not even Google can come up with a result for us.

But not all is lost. Due to my love of recreating elements of recipes I see on TV, and pre-made mixes I find in the stores, I decided it was time to make my own version. While definitely not as "perfect" as the storebought ones, these had, IMHO, a better flavour and if your chocolate stays at cool room temperature after mixing and panning, a more defined crunch. I accidentally left one of two trays out overnight (it's warm and - more importantly - humid here right now) and the chocolate soaked into the cereal, taking away some of the character crunch. still delicious, however.

Stay tuned for a recipe using them coming right up - and its perfect for that mid morning snack too.

Bonus Tips: 

• Sprinkle these on the Chocolate Hazelnut Beet Brownies to make them extra special!
• Keep these in the freezer, they won't melt and the nuts won't get rancid that way.

Harissa - #ChileWeek

Jazz up your next meal with this fresh, oil-free harissa, made with a load of hot peppers, homegrown tomatoes and Ontario garlic. 

This week I'm posting all the hot and spicy chile pepper recipes I made and canned over the last year. Follow #ChileWeek for updates - enjoy!

Last year, we saw more than our fair share of hot peppers. I don't know why my stepdad grows ones like the Carolina Reaper or the Trinidad Scorpion, since he can barely handle Tabasco sauce. I, on the other hand, like my heat when it's tempered by cooking or aging. Fermented or pickled habanero hot sauce is fantastic, and when I lived in Ottawa I bought my fair share from a local chilehead store. I've never fermented anything in my life before, and I wasn't going to start right before school began last year, so I turned to The Chile Pepper Bible: From Sweet to Fiery and Everything in Between for inspiration.

Since I had a variety of peppers at my disposal - from sweet cubanelles to tongue-blistering Reapers - I soon settled on Harissa to use up a chunk of my haul. Harissa (at least in the book's recipe) can be made with essentially any mix of chilies you have on hand, since they serve more to add heat than true flavour to dishes Harissa is a part of. The rest of the seasoning - coriander, fenugreek, garlic and even tomato paste - enhance and elaborate on that heat, creating an exotic marinade or sauce ingredient once the elements have a chance to marry. Pressure canning the sauce / paste mixture accelerated the "get to know you" period for the spices, plus it left space in my fridge and freezer for stuff like cookie dough!

What about you? Are you a flame-loving heat seeker? Or are Doritos as spicy as you get?

"Almost Famous" Coating Mix

If you live in North America, you've very likely tried the infamous KFC. Even if you don't, God knows that the name, logo and "11 secret herbs and spices" tagline have graced your eyes and ears more than once (apparently there are over 15,000 restaurants in more than 125 countries right now). The mixture is a closely-guarded secret, and while lots of people have attempted to crack the code, I can only find varying reports as to authenticity.

So, when I was looking to create a recipe for a seasoned "coating" mix for the kids at school to give as Father's Day gifts, I took inspiration from the various sources Google provided me and essentially meshed them all together. I tried out a few batches on my thankfully understanding family, who declared this final round a winner - spicy but not hot, not too salty, perfectly crispifying and - ironically - tasting nothing like the classic. We're not big on deep-fried anything in general, and my parents and I always eschewed the restaurant versions of fried chicken as being far too salty (fish n' chips, on the other hand, we love - especially with beer batter!).

Non-frying aside, the mixture of my 12(!) flavourings, flour and breadcrumbs provided the perfect balance to buttermilk-soaked chicken, as well as pork chops and potato wedges. For a hotter kick, I'd toss in some jalapeno or chipotle powder, which would make for some killer curly fries. It's just as easy to whip up a huge batch of this and portion it into 1 1/2 cup -filled baggies as it is to make a single portion, which is a good thing - who knows what else we'll find to crust!

Ranch Dip Mix

Are your Summers full of get togethers and potlucks? We have somewhat less "big" parties as the years have gone on, but inevitably four or five times a month family will drop by for a barbecue and a beer. Knowing that a relatively steady stream of guests will arrive over the three months of school break means we stock up - not only on burger-making supplies and condiments, but snack foods as well. The "kids" (all of us almost - if not completely - fully grown now) are partial to plain old tortilla chips and the veggie tray, while the grown-ups seem to favour the flavoured chips (both tortilla and potato) and pretzel rods.

What generally brings the two "clans" together is their love of dipping material. I always feel like my sister and I are anomalies, since we're not huge "dippers" and at any rate we stick to tomato-based or hummus-y type ones, avoiding the creamy ranch or French onion varieties that everybody else seems to go crazy for. Normally, we buy the ranch-style or French onion dips already made, in their tubs at the grocery store, since they're convenient and saves us buying soup mixes with an insane amount of salt. Occasionally, we'll luck out and the deli counter will have "store made" dips, but it's few and far between. When coming up with ideas for my Home Ec class to make for Father's Day, I came across a spice mix for ranch dip and dressing that was easy, easily scaled and could be made in the jar it was presented in. The kids got to taste a batch (of course) and gave it the "thumbs up" when we used the mayonnaise / buttermilk combination, but some found it too tart with all yogurt. My family, though, appreciated the extra tang of the Greek yogurt option and really liked that it cut down on the calories and fat! (P.S. - if you want to pay homage to this week's #SundaySupper theme of bacon, a tablespoon of (gluten free) bacon crumbles or imitation bacon bits (McCormick is safe for gluten-free vegetarians!) wouldn't hurt matters!

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays

Green Thai Curry Paste

There's no secret that we are a family of heat (and especially curry) lovers. I've always been addicted to spice, and at any given time can be counted on to have no fewer than 3 types of hot sauce in my pantry (I think my current count stands at 6). My leanings tend to go towards southwestern, Mexican or Indian-style chile heat, but my mom has been a bona fide Thai curry fan ever since she visited the country on business.

Obviously, we make our share of Thai-style curried soups and stews around here, and we usually turn to our tried-and-true brand of jarred paste for that key hit of flavour. We probably would be using it still, had the aforementioned vermin in my garden left my chillies alone - but after one too many trips out back to salvage the peppers strewn over the soil (they don't eat them but they love tearing down the stalks!) I knew I had to start doing something with all the peppers in varying stages of ripeness.

Luckily, I also grow a mess of herbs in the garden, which the voles have not touched (fingers crossed!). This year's batch is decidedly "interesting" according to my mom and stepdad, encompassing two types of dill (for pickles, obviously!), catnip, two types of basil (including a to-die-for variety called Emerald Wine), lemon balm and - one of my secret surprises this year, a variety of mint called Chameleon Fish Mint. True to it's name, it does taste somewhat fishy - I liken it to salmon really - and not only does it jazz up tuna salad (or plain old marinara sauce!) but I decided to use it instead of fish sauce to bring the signature hint of flavour that's present in so many Thai recipes. The rest of the mix featured lemon balm to enhance the dried lemongrass I used, and minced Egyptian onion instead of scallions, shallots or plain onions since they really taste like a mix of all of them.

Now, I'm not kidding when I say that this paste is spicy. There's no oil in it, so when you use it you can "bloom" it however you wish (coconut oil or coconut milk are the two we tend to use), but I would not recommend a spoonful as a taste test! In fact, we added a touch to ground chicken and made a "taster meatball" to test the flavour - those might become a new "thing" here!

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays

Scrambled Tofu Collard Wraps

I confess I am not a real "egg" person. I was never somebody who could sit down to a breakfast of toast and scrambled eggs in the morning, nor would I hanker for an Eggs Benedict when we'd go out for brunch. In general, I was (and guess, still am) very specific about my eggs - crispy, crusty bottom, ideally omelette or sunny-side up, and there had better be something else too. When I became allergic to egg yolk, I didn't mourn it too badly, since I hadn't eaten a "proper" egg in ages anyways.

I think it's because of my anti-egg mindset that I didn't even bother with the idea of scrambled tofu. When my friend dropped off a bunch of veggies to us in exchange for the fruits of my A Study in Apple Pie, I was mowing through all of them but the collard greens. I've never really cooked with them before, but knew they made pretty good wrappers for things. As fate would have it, I received an email the next day about breakfast wraps using tortillas layered with collard greens, bacon, red pepper and scrambled eggs. Well, I'm not super passionate about breakfast, but the idea of a dinnertime wrap appealed to me and for some reason it sparked a craving for something eggy - just not eggs.

Since I had a block of silken tofu in the pantry (love those Tetra-Paks), I started googling ways to use it like eggs. A couple hours of research and a dive into DIY Vegan later I had something I was willing to try out, and since then I've become a non-egg egg convert!

One of the key ingredients in the Savoury Egg Mixture is something called kala namak. It's a Himalayan sea salt that is naturally infused with sulfuric compounds (like the hot springs and sulfur pools in Western Canada and the US) and when used, adds a distinctive "cooked egg" flavour to whatever it's sprinkled on. It not only makes great tofu scrambles, but it also elevates less-than-ripe tomato slices and slices of cucumber too

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays

GF "Quickbread" Flour

In another fit of "make your own ingredients" madness, I decided to whip up a big batch of gluten free flour blend today. I used Cara Reed's recipe, more or less, tweaking here or there depending on what I could readily find and access in my pantry (let's just say it needs a bit of cleaning!). I've already used small batches of it to make killer muffins, and since it seems to maintain a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture I've dubbed it my go-to "quickbread" or "muffin" flour mix. Stay tuned tomorrow for those muffins - that is, if our power doesn't go out again with the late Summer storms!

GF "Quickbread" Flour
Makes 9 cups
2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup quinoa flour (I've used half millet or teff flour here too)
3 cups sorghum flour
1 ½ cups potato starch (not potato flour)
¾ cup tapioca starch / flour
¾ cup arrowroot flour
pinch ground ginger (this helps with final texture in batters... don't know why but it does!)

1. Whisk all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.

Amount Per Cup
Calories: 511.0
Total Fat: 3.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 8.2 mg
Total Carbs: 113.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 7.0 g
Protein: 9.8 g

Rendering Tallow

Ironically, it's in the Summer - when the thermometers are screaming 30°C and a nap in the shade is the ideal of a perfect afternoon - when I really get the urge to fall back into the "homesteading" mindset and get the pots and pans on the stove. Obviously, one of the reasons for wanting to subject the household to that kind of torture is because the warmer weather brings with it all the gorgeous, perfectly preservable fruit and vegetables begging to be turned into jam, chutney, pickles and sauce. But sometimes, I want to really get into the whole make-your-own thing (especially after reading books about homesteading or "country living", or visiting our local farmer's market when it's packed with that morning's eggs, homemade preserves and freshly baked bread), and that's usually when you'll find me in the kitchen making my own butter, grinding (or trying to grind) grains into flour, and my most recent project - rendering scraps of beef fat into tallow with my big ol' Dutch oven.

Now, some of you who have been reading this blog for a while might be a little bewildered. I mean after all, I'm 99% vegetarian (I eat fish very occasionally) and haven't touched beef, pork, or chicken to my lips for over 10 years. Besides, I'm a nutritionist, and here I am talking about beef tallow? Well, yes, I am. For one, I was never an "ethical vegetarian" first and foremost - I eschewed meat only after years of my body protesting the digestion of animal protein and high fat food of any kind. While I do care for the wellbeing of animals and the planet, my passion is directed at making sure those animals who are slaughtered for meat do not die for the sake of one or two cuts of meat. In other words, if a cow, chicken, pig or anything else is going to die for the table, I want to do my best to make sure the whole thing can be used to it's greatest potential. Call it my Native North American background, but seeing an animal whose skin is tanned into leather, made into warm clothing or cooked as a snack, whose bones are simmered for stock and whose meat can be almost entirely consumed in one way or another is far more of an ethical treatment for them than a life stuck in a cage or pen.

In terms of nutrition, I was originally as surprised as most people at the breakdown of "traditional" fat products - after all, animal fat gets a bad rap and an even worse mental picture. If I was to mention making traditional lard pastry or Cuban bread to most people my age, let alone entertain the possibility of breaking down chicken carcasses (including feet) for stock or chopping up hunks of beef fat to melt and refine into tallow, I'd be ostracized more so than I was for being an obese, bookish teenager. However, those able to see past the mental imagery of these ingredients as blobs of slimy tissue are treated to not only excellent additions to the pantry for cooking and baking, but fairly healthy options for culinary fats as well. With more poly and monounsaturated fatty acids than coconut oil, less Omega-6 (inflammatory) EFAs than butter and no trans fats (I'm looking at you, shortening), tallow is a fine addition to the culinary world whether you use it for savoury cooking or in the sweet kitchen. In fact, I whipped up a batch of oatmeal cookies with some of the first tallow I rendered to see how it fared - and it was fantastic. High heat stir fries and roasting potatoes were equally ideal uses for this versatile fat.

One of the best things about this whole project was that it was cheap - the beef trimmings came gratis from our butcher (who I'm sure thought I was crazy for wanting them) and by using my heavy, enameled Dutch oven I was able to vary the oven temperature for other projects while the fat slowly cooked away, thus allowing me to justify the electricity for the long, slow rendering process.

Anyways, this is how I rendered my own batch of snowy-white tallow, using the guide from Mark's Daily Apple and it's subsequent comments.

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays and Waste Not Want Not Wednesday

Vegan Butter - Toast Topper #49

I was always a sucker for butter. Real, semi-salted, cultured pats melting into a freshly toasted bagel or hot biscuit, the rich body and texture a stick lends to shortbread cookies and brioche, the undeniable flavour it lends to scampi and the simplest pasta at dinner. These days, butter's become less and less popular in my circle of acquaintances, since whether for allergies, intolerances, health issues or ethical dilemmas dairy is more or less back to being the "bad guy". It's not like the storebought alternative margarines are excessively healthy either - they are still fat, after all, and the processing is occasionally more dubious than the ingredients themselves. I wanted to see if I could find a less processed (and more importantly, more affordable) version that I could do at home, thus making only what I need and not shelling out 2-3 times the price of a block of butter for hydrogenated (or not) oils.

I found my answer on Vegan Baking, where Mattie combined soy milk, coconut oil, lecithin and a little magic to create a great-tasting, cholesterol (and animal) free "stick" ideal for baking or softening for morning toast. I added a dash of butter flavouring for extra oomph, and was thrilled with the results - not exactly like dairy butter, but boy was it close! It even fooled the mixture of butter-holics and die-hard vegans I served it to - they thought I had snuck in the real deal! Who knows, one day, I might even serve it to this list of vegan celebrities.

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays and Gluten Free Wednesdays

Gluten Free Fudgy Brownie Mix

I love baking mixes. No, not the mass produced, cardboard-enclosed, funky smelling ones you can pick up for a dollar on the grocery store shelf... I'm talking about make-and-store jars of dry ingredients you can do at home, with real ingredients, for a handful of change. Since realizing how easy (and cheap) it was to do, I've made a host of different dry mixes that are ready at a moment's notice - with  no preservatives, fillers or artificial anything!

I really appreciate the "home mix" philosophy when it comes to specialty baking (i.e. gluten / nut / dairy free). By making the dry mix ahead of time (usually the longest part of any GF recipe thanks to the mix of flours and starches you need), you reduce the risk of rushing and accidentally cross-contaminating something down the line - not to mention you can then have a batch of "safe" dessert (such as decadent brownies) ready as fast as a "regular" mix! With the quality and quantity of ingredients at your disposal, it's all too easy to sit down and enjoy your work!

Shared with Sugar & Slice Sunday, Recipe Sharing Monday and Mouthwatering Mondays

Homemade Egg Replacer

If you're familiar with the world of egg-free baking, no doubt you know about the wonderful magic powder that is Ener-G egg replacer. Many variations of it exist from different brands, but in general egg replacer is a combination of starches and leavening intended to replace the binding and small amount of leavening that a "normal" egg provides. What I like about"the original" is that it's hypoallergenic, being not only egg-free, but gluten-, wheat-, casein-, corn-, dairy-, yeast-, soy-, tree nut-, peanut-, sodium- and cholesterol-free as well. It's also colour- and texture-free, so unlike flax or chia seed, tender and light-coloured items like vanilla cake aren't affected. That means that (with the exception of the single nightshade allergy I've come across), I can use it for mixed company without worrying about aggravating any preexisting problems.

The major downside to any of the egg replacer powders is the same as with any specialty item - the cost. Ener-G is hard to find in my area, and when I do come across it the price is usually marked up so much that the relatively good value (one box makes about 100 "eggs") is diminished. Thankfully, I can now make my own (allergy-free!) egg replacement powder for next to nothing! I came across Whole New Mom's Do It Yourself Egg Substitute on Pinterest and with my supply of the brand-name stuff running low decided to give it a go with my  Corn-Free Baking Powder.

This stuff works just as well as the "regular" kind, with all the same allergy-free bells and whistles. I tested it out in a batch of sugar cookies I was working to veganize as well as a chocolate chip muffin recipe calling for two eggs, and both came out identically to when I was adding the "real deal". If you're planning on baking for a specialty diet (or a large group with unknown allergies), this is your "golden ticket"!

Shared with Wellness Weekend and Gluten Free Friday

Corn-Free Baking Powder

I pride myself on being able to accommodate almost any allergy I come across in my baking or cooking. Granted, I've never been faced with the situation of someone allergic to all grains, sugars, eggs, dairy, legumes, fruit, nuts and vegetables all at once - in that case, I'm waving the white flag and serving water. But in general, I can do the "Top 8" at the drop of a hat, and can even make something for a vegan celiac individual. 

 

Although it's not one of the "Top 8", corn is one of those foods that seems to be increasingly allergenic. It always catches me off guard though, because it's in so many things. Far from simply being a starchy side dish for a backyard BBQ or creating the toothsome qualities of cornbread, the yellow plant has been modified, milled, ground, de-hulled, gelatinized and otherwise adulterated to within an inch of it's being. It takes careful label reading (and education) to avoid it in anything pre-made, which unfortunately includes a good deal of baking ingredients. 

Tired of mixing up tiny batches of acidulated baking soda whenever I had to bake for corn allergies (or people avoiding it for GMO reasons) and loath to pay through the nose for yet another specialty item, I finally just mixed up a big batch to keep in the pantry. While "regular" baking powder relies on cornstarch for bulk and anti-caking, I went the corn and gluten free route with a mix of arrowroot starch and white rice flour. 

 

I actually like this blend better than store bought - it has a finer texture and mixes into ingredients better, without the clumping I've experienced with cornstarch formulae. If you don't have arrowroot starch (I got mine at the local Bulk Barn), try an equal portion of potato or tapioca starch instead.

Shared with Waste Not Want Not Wednesday

 

13 Grain Flour

Making my own flour blends was one of those things that I never really thought about doing before getting into the whole special needs nutrition thing. I mean, you can buy whole wheat, multi-grain and regular flour at the store, so why bother? But then I started doing gluten free baking and seeing how much better homemade mixes "behaved" than store bought "all purpose" mixes, and that sparked an idea - why not make my own "glutened" multi-grain flour? I had all the different individual flours and grains at home anyway! I've got to say this is my new favourite blend for things like pancakes and banana bread, and it would probably be fantastic as a partial flour ingredient in rustic breads too.

Being able to make this in bulk really saves me a bundle while cooking healthier! The recipe as written makes 20 cups but if you don't bake much, you can easily turn it into it's more practical "parts".

You'll note that there are actually 15 ingredients, not the "13" that the title alludes to... but I used both the whole and ground forms of two items. Granted, a lot of the ingredients aren't even grains technically, but it's far too complicated and wordy to say "6 grain 7 seed flour" - so 13 Grain Flour it is!

13 Grain Flour
Makes 20 cups
6 cups whole wheat flour
3 1/2 cups spelt flour
3 cups Kamut flour
1 cup large-flake oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup whole flaxseed
1/4 cup whole quinoa
1/3 cup whole amaranth
2 1/2 cups barley flour
1 cup dark rye flour
1 cup dark buckwheat flour
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup whole millet
5 tsp whole chia or Salba seed
1/3 cup toasted buckwheat kasha

1. Mix together and store in an airtight container.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 467.9
Total Fat: 4.8 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 6.5 mg
Total Carbs: 94.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 15.2 g
Protein: 18.0 g

Gluten Free Superfood Pancake Mix

If you're still entertaining guests this weekend, I don't envy you. Actually, guests (especially if they're family) are great to have, since it really does give the cook (or food blogger) the chance to flex their culinary muscles. I've found myself getting into a bit of a "rut" when it comes to my meals, but when the holidays showed up with all their assorted people, I got into my element. I'm still not a huge fan of the crowds, the travelling and the late nights, and I still do feel guilty about receiving so much when I can give back so little, but I know that I can whip up something unexpected and delicious for those many, many friends and family I share my life with who have seen fit to spend a little holiday time with me.

Since I simply can't afford to shop for holiday gifts (the joys of unemployment), I made gift boxes for everyone on my list. I love making gift boxes, because you can customize them for each person's needs, wants and tastes. What floors me every year is the response - I take it for granted as a foodie, a nutritionist and a generally creative person with cooking skills, but the simplest things were treated like the Holy Grail. Things like Tomato Sauce, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, and Spicy Peach Jam. Cheap, easy, but so appreciated by others and best of all - something that would be used. You're not going to stash a bag of candy or cookies in the back of your closet for years. Combine the roasted tomatoes, tomato paste and whatever veggies and meat you have kicking around (leftovers!) and BAM - instant sauce.

Then there were the mixes - I did cookies, brownies, pizza dough and pancakes this year, and I have to say I'm proud of all of them, but making this pancake mix was amazing. Mixing the dry ingredients takes all of five minutes, and the flavour... ooh the flavour! Caramelly maca, tart (home dried) blueberries, sweet stevia and a hint of nutmeg. High in fibre and iron and packed with superfoods,so it's über good for you as far as pancakes go... oh, and did I mention it's gluten free?

Uh huh. WIN. I gave this away in gift boxes for my gluten free friends, but then I made more for us. It's a great Saturday morning treat you can enjoy worry free! I'm sending this to Ricki's Wellness Weekends with my options for veganizing the preparation method. Also sent to Gluten Free Fridays