Gluten Free Choc Chip Muffins

I seem to be making a lot of Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Muffins lately... My recipe makes 12 muffins and they are so yummy they don't last long in our house.  I think using coconut oil instead of melted butter or vegetable oil gives the muffins an amazing flavour enhancement that compliments the choc chips perfectly.  If you haven't tried using Coconut Oil yet I recommend giving it a try in these muffins.

Once they're cooled, I pop them straight into the freezer, for a quick and easy morning or afternoon tea treat.  I have used the basic mix for several variations including White Choc & Raspberry Muffins & White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Muffins (Variations detailed after Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Gluten Free Self Raising Flour (I find Orgran brand works well for me)
• 1/2 cup Sugar (tastes nice with 1/4 cup white & 1/4cup rapadura sugar)
• Pinch Salt
• 1/4 cup Coconut Oil (melted)
• 1 1/4 cups Milk
• 1 egg
• 125g Gluten Free Milk Chocolate Chips (Nestle was OK at time of posting)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
• Prepare muffin tin with paper liners (12).
• Place flour, sugar and salt in mixing bowl and combine.
• In a separate jug combine milk, egg and coconut oil.
• Pour liquid into flour mix and stir gently with a spoon until mixed.
• Stir through Chocolate Chips.
• Spoon mix into muffin tin and bake in oven for about 20 minutes.  
• When cooked the muffins will have a nice light golden colour on top and be springy to touch.

Variations:

• Replace Chocolate Chips with: 125g white chocolate chips & 1 cup of frozen raspberries
• Replace Chocolate Chips with: 125g white chocolate chips & 60g chopped macadamia nuts - also use 1/4 cup macadamia nut oil instead of Coconut Oil.

Chocolate Brownies

I love brownies.  This recipe is quick and easy to make from cupboard ingredients.  This is based on the amazing Standby Brownies by Donna Hay.  I have adjusted ingredient quantities to suit my tastes and needs.

Ingredients

• 125g butter
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 cup castor sugar
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup gluten free flour (if you like a cakey brownie use Self Raising GF Flour, and for a dense rich brownie use plain GF Flour)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees / 160 degrees fan forced.
• Put butter, cocoa and sugar in a microwave proof mixing jug (1 litre works well) and microwave for 1 minute on medium heat.  Stir and repeat (if required) until butter is melted.
• Add eggs and vanilla and stir well (spoon is fine).
• Add almond meal and flour of choice and stir.
• Pour mix into a lined 20cm square cake tin .
• Bake for 25-30 mins.  Brownies should be set but still soft in the centre - so don't over do it!
• Cool in tin.

Suggestions

• Suitable to freeze
• Haven't tried yet, but would love to add some chocolate chunks and maybe some chopped macadamia nuts to the mix!

Gluten Free Banana Bread/Cake

Mum calls it Banana Bread, I call it Banana Cake... whatever you want to call it, it's an easy way of using up those last few bananas that are a little too ripe for anyone to eat!

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp bicarb soda
• pinch salt
• 1 1/2 cups Self Raising Gluten Free Flour

Method:

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees.
• Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg and vanilla with wooden spoon, sprinkle with bicarb soda and mix in.  Stir in Gluten Free Self Raising Flour.
• Pour into greased or lined Loaf Tin and Bake for approx. 1hr or until cooked through.

Suggestions:

• Suitable to Freeze

Chicken Satay

Packed full of flavour, this Gluten Free Chicken Satay, is really yummy and easy to make.

Ingredients 

• 2 tbsp oil
• 600g chicken fillets, cut into strips
• 1 onion, sliced into wedges
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 2 tsp curry powder 
• 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 2 tbsp honey 
• 1/2 cup chicken stock

Method

• Heat oil in pan, add onion, garlic & curry Powder.  Cook for 1-2 mins or until onion is lightly browned.
• Add chicken and cook 4-5 mins.
• Add honey, peanut butter & stock.
• Simmer until sauce is thick and chicken is cooked through.
• Serve with rice.

Suggestions

• Add 1/2 red capsicum (at the same time as onion) and some snow peas or beans (after honey, peanut butter & stock)
• Make a satay sauce to pour over chicken sticks or other BBQ meats: dice the onion & omit the chicken and make as above
• Also works nice with chicken mince.
• Serve with rice noodles instead of rice and mix in at the end.

Sue's Fantastic Berry Glazed Ham

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Leg of Ham

Glaze:

• ¼ cup gluten free soy sauce or Tamari 
• ¼ cup Dijon Mustard
• 2/3 cup Cranberry Sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar – firmly packed
• 1 tablespoon oil

Method

• Combine all glaze ingredients in a small pan and stir over heat until the mixture boils.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens.
• Make a decorative cut thru the ham rind about 8 cm from the shank end on the leg. To remove rind, run thumb around the edge of the rind, just under the skin and start pulling rind from the widest edge of ham. Continue to pull rind carefully away from the fat and remove rind completely.
• Gently make shallow cuts into the ham about 1.5 cm apart in a diamond pattern.  Do not cut all the way thru the fat when scoring or it will spread during cooking.  Place the ham on a wire rack in a large baking dish.  Brush with half the glaze.
• Cook in a moderate oven (180 C) for about 45 – 60 minutes or until golden brown, brushing ham with the remaining glaze every 15 – 20 minutes.  
• Serve ham warm or cold.

Suggestions

• Ham can be baked in a hooded BBQ - yum!

Cheese Ball

Make sure all ingredients are Gluten Free... At time of posting, the following products were gluten free by ingredient:  Kraft Philidelphia Cream Cheese, Keen's Traditional Curry Powder, Masterfoods Gherkin Relish & Palms Papaya and Mango Chutney.

Ingredients:

• 250g cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tbs parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp gf curry powder
• 1 tbs gf chutney
• 1 tbs gf gherkin relish

Method:

• Place all ingredients into bowl and mix.
• Roll into two balls (very sticky!)
• Roll balls in extra curry powder & paprika.

Suggestions:

• Perfect to make in advance and freeze
• Mix is also great rolled into smaller balls for lunch with rice cakes or crackers!

Easy As Pizza Base

When mum got a pizza oven for her birthday, Sunday became "PIZZA NIGHT".  It didn't take her long to realise gluten free pizza bases were too costly to buy on a regular basis.  We found this recipe on www.bestrecipes.com.au and thought it was too simple and surely it couldn't work with gluten free flour.  We have had huge success with this recipe and don't buy bases anymore.  Our friends regularly comment on how yummy the base is, and that it doesn't taste gluten free. We like our bases thin & crispy.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup self-raising gluten free flour
• 1/2 cup greek yoghurt (or natural yoghurt)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees
• Place flour and yoghurt into bowl and mix with hands until it forms a dough ball - (this can take up to five minutes.)  The mix should not be too sticky - add more flour if required.
• Cut dough in half and place each piece on a sheet of baking paper and work into desired shape - until about 5mm thick.  (I normally flatten bases out with my hands flouring them when needed.  You could use a second sheet of baking paper and a rolling pin instead)
• Parbake pizza base for about 5-6 mins before adding desired sauces and toppings.

Suggestions

• Can add mixed herbs or garlic to base to add extra flavour
• Bases can be made in advance
• Make sure your toppings are gluten free too!
• Also works great made as a flatbread and cooked in oil on the BBQ (nice and easy for camping!)