Tea for Tuesday - Gluten Free Coffee Floats Recipe

A grown-up treat for a hot summer day...

Ok, the whipped cream got a little tipped, but doesn't it look ooooooh. soooooo. goooood.

Quick and easy.  Simple and delicious.  And gluten free.

SPH Coffee Floats
Ice cream
Coffee
Cream/milk/non-dairy creamer
Whipped cream

Put a couple scoops of ice cream into good sized mugs.  Fill mug 1/2 way with HOT coffee, and add creamy stuff til mug is almost completely full.  Top with whipped cream and serve.

Just a quick note about the ice cream here.  Most flavors of most brands of ice cream, by my own research, are generally gluten free.  That being said, I know for a fact that Edy's and Great Value brands are safe for every flavor that doesn't involve a baked item (like brownies, cookies, etc.) stirred in.  For the photo above, I used Edy's Chocolate-Vanilla.

Make these for the grown-ups with a shot of Kahlua, or for the kiddos with hot chocolate instead of the coffee.

What a fun and unusual dessert to trot out after a cook out this summer!  Enjoy!

Amaranth - It's What's for Breakfast!

Cinco de Mayo is coming up fast!  How 'bout some traditional Mexican cuisine?

Many Latin American food items are naturally gluten free - corn, amaranth, quinoa (KEE-nwah), and potatoes.  When you're first learning to go gluten free, cooking some of these can seem quite intimidating.  They seem just so foreign!

Well, let me tell you, they aren't as scary as you may believe.  We are all very familiar with corn, so let's start with amaranth.  Many traditional Mexican dishes are made with it.  You can buy it in any supermarket as a whole grain (cook like rice per package directions) or flour.  If your store doesn't carry it, or you don't have a Whole Foods near you (or the Whole Foods doesn't carry it), you can buy Bob's Red Mill brand through Amazon.

Amaranth is one of the many "supergrains", even though it's technically not a grain.  It's high in fiber and protein.  It's a good source of calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B5 and Vitamin C.  Compared to wheat, it has 3 times more fiber and 5 times more iron, and it's 90% digestible.  Which is good news for anyone with digestive issues, those recovering from disease, and people coming off a fast.  It also has twice the calcium of milk - also good for those with dairy issues.

Today we are having Atole, a traditional Mexican breakfast beverage.  It's warm and creamy and rich.  And it's good for you, too.  My version is adapted from a recipe found here at the VersaGrain website.

SPH Atole
1 cup amaranth flour
4 cups water, milk or cream (I use half-and-half because I like mine really thick and creamy)
1/4 cup brown sugar (regular, demarara or turbinado)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped or vanilla extract to taste

In a medium saucepan, whisk liquid into flour.  Heat over medium heat until it begins to thicken, whisking gently but constantly.  Add brown  sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla bean and seeds (or vanilla).  Continue cooking and whisking until thickened and starting to bubble.  Serve hot.

You can even add grated chocolate to this.  I haven't tried that yet, but trust me, the day is coming!

This is like a hug in a mug.  Oh, is it rich and creamy!  Almost like a hot, liquid-y rice pudding. Mmmmm.

No amaranth flour?  Substitute finely ground white cornmeal or rice flour.  Like I said, I like mine really thick.  If you'd like (or need) yours thinner, add more liquid - either water or milk.  Use honey or maple syrup for the sweetener.  Maybe even some apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice instead of just cinnamon.  Add some applesauce or other pureed fruit.  Make this for your kids some chilly morning as a sweet treat.  Have a sick one at home?  Make it savory instead by using chicken stock for the water, and add some diced, cooked veggies (puree it if necessary).  Lots of possibilities here!

No matter how you choose to make it, just make it!  And enjoy!

Making Your Own Extracts

Better flavor for less than half the price?!  I'M IN - LIKE I'M ALL IN!

Did you know that imitation vanilla flavoring could be made from pine tree bark?  It's true.  Now, I've used "real" vanilla for years, but was surprised a long while ago to read that what I thought was pure vanilla extract actually had corn syrup in it.  So, I switched brands, and started buying it at Whole Foods just to be safe.  Which also jacked the price.  Like a lot.  Like $13.99 for this bottle.

I knew I had to figure out a way to make my own.  The process really isn't hard at all, but vanilla beans are ooooooh sooooo expensive!  Even the regular, non-organic ones!

At least that's what I thought, until I read this secret on Food in Jars (are you ready for this - you may want to sit down):

eBay

You read that correctly.  EBay has vanilla beans, even organic ones, for far cheaper than you can buy them at the store.  I ordered @30 ORGANIC beans for $26.  And that included shipping.  So, when you factor in the half-gallon of Smirnoff Vodka (that brand is gluten free) at $18, I can have half a gallon of vanilla for the price of about 3 four-ounce bottles.  Quite a difference, huh?!

So let's have some fun with extracts today...

I suggest getting the "party-size" bottle of vodka.  Also, have some glass jars that you can seal.  They just need to be airtight, so feel free to re-use spaghetti sauce and salsa jars.  You can also use canning jars, and re-use their metal lids for this.  Yes, you can re-use them for this - you are not trying to remelt the rubber and reseal them in a vacuum process.  Really.  And as much as lids and rings cost, you should re-use them whenever possible.

I used 12 vanilla beans that I split and scraped the seeds from into this bottle.  It was partially full of vodka, and I just added enough vodka to bring the liquid up to the base of the red seal around the neck.

I put the bottle into my pantry, in a dark place, and gave the bottle a good shake every day for about a month.  I used some yesterday, and I sure wish we had "smell-o-vision".  This is so floral, it's almost like perfume.  I have never had commercial vanilla smell so amazing!

The other two extracts I use the most are lemon and orange.  That's how you change a simple yellow cake to a lemon or orange cake.  You can also use Jell-o, but for our purposes today, you will use your new extract.  These two extracts are also great added to frosting, and the orange can be a pretty nice addition to fudge or chocolate cookies.

So here's how you make your own citrus extract:

Try to get organic fruit if possible, and if not, wash your fruit with dish soap under hot water.  You want fruits that have no blemishes. Start by peeling your citrus fruit.  Use a vegie peeler, and cut ONLY THE COLORED PART OF THE PEEL!  The white part underneath, the pith, is very bitter, and all the essential oils - where the flavor is - are in the colored part.  Fill your jar roughly half way with peel.  This jar, which is quart-sized, has the peels of 3 large lemons.

 Fill your jar to about 1/2" from the top with vodka.  Cover.  Place in a dark space.  Shake the jar every day.  In about a month, you will have lemon extract.

Here's the orange extract - it's in a re-used salsa jar.

You'll be left in the end with some "naked" fruit.  If you're not going to use it immediately, put it in a zip-top bag in the fridge.  Be sure to use it quickly because it will dry up FAST!  Make some homemade lemon curd, or juice your oranges for breakfast.

Try making your own extracts, and enjoy!