Gluten Free Flour Blend and Banana Bread Recipe

(This posted is part of the Raising Homemakers Homemaking Blog Hop)
My foray into gluten-free baking has been interesting. There are a lot of different flour blends out there, some good, some not so good. I think a lot of your perception depends on how well you liked to eat before having to forgo chewy, delicious wheat based breads. All is not lost, though. I have yet to find a yeasty bread I really like (though I have a few on the table to try), quick breads like muffins, pancakes and waffles, have been pretty easy. I can substitute my blend of choice (coming in a few lines) 1:1 for regular flour, plus add 1 t xanthan gum per c of flour used. The key to a good flour blend, I've found, is the starchy flours. They make a world of difference. Using just rice flours gives you a grainy texture-in order to get a nice light crumb you really need some starch in there. Something as simple as corn starch is a game changer. In my blend I use a lot of tapioca, since I have a ten pound bag right now, but you could easily sub corn starch in for half of what is called for, or for the potato starch. They do behave a little differently, but for quick breads it isn't as big a deal.
Here is my version of several different blends I have tried on the net:
2 c sorghum flour
2 c brown rice flour
1 1/2 c potato starch
1 c white rice flour
1 1/2 c tapioca starch

I make big batches of this and keep it in my flour bin to use for just about anything that calls for a couple cups of flour or less. Like banana muffins and bread. A favorite around here-here's how we do it.

Banana Bread (or Muffins)
In a bowl blend well:
3-4 ripe bananas, mashed up really good
1/3 c melted butter
1/2 c honey
1 egg, beaten
1 t vanilla

Sprinkle over that mess:
1 t baking soda
pinch of salt

Make sure your oven is preheated to 350 degrees. I should have mentioned that earlier. Oh well.
Add 1 1/2 c gluten flour blend. Mix well and pour into your loaf pan or muffin pan. Grease if you need to-for stoneware I rarely do, but it just depends. Sometime GF stuff tends to stick a little more, so it may be a good idea. For the bread, bake about an hour. For the muffins, 35-40 minutes should suffice. Just keep an eye on everything. I topped mine with a pecan to make them look nice, but it isn't required. Very good stuff, they are...I adapted this recipe from one I found at the Kitchn.
****Edited to add :I made these this morning and left out the xanthan gum and they were still wonderful. I also added 1 t Brewer's Yeast just to up the nutritional content and add a bit more flavor. I think both of these will be permanent changes. The brewer's yeast is optional, but I recommend it. You can add a bit more than a teaspoon, but I wanted to take it easy the first few times I tried it out. I don't want to overpower the banana. YuM!

Tortilla Chicken Soup

 

This soup is so very simple, and terribly tasty. Perfect for busy weeknight dinners. It also cans well, just follow the same directions as you would for regular chicken soup.

In a large stock pot combine:

2 qts chicken stock or broth

1 # chicken, I like to use thighs and legs

1/4 c salsa

Boil this until the chicken is cooked and you are able to remove it easily from the bone. Remove all the chicken from the pot and bone/skin it. You can use the bones and skin to make stock later. Chop the chicken up and put it back into the pot, along with:

1 c corn kernels

1 pt diced tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

Bring back up to a boil and cook only long enough for everything to be heated through. Remove from heat and serve with any selection of garnishes (which add a lot of flavor! I use a little of them all :) )-

1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped

1 T lemon or even better, lime juice (or tiny wedges you can squeeze in as you want)

1 bag corn tortilla chips

2 c grated cheese-here a blend of Monterrey Jack and Cheddar is very good

1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro OR 1/8 c dried

Coconut Macaroons

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In your stand mixer, or have your hand mixer ready to go, beat 2 egg white and 1/2 vanilla or almond extract on high until soft peaks form. Gradually 2/3 c honey, drizzling in just a little at a time , beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1 1/3 c coconut flakes or shreds.
Drop by teaspoon full onto a baking sheet, either lightly greased, lined with parchment or silicone, or a stone sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer to wax paper and let cool.
(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

These are a house favorite. A little delicate to make, as they come out of the oven still pretty gooey, but simple, and already gluten free, which makes them awesome in my book.
Flourless Chocolate Cookies
Parchment paper
If using nuts, 2 1/2 c nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds)
3 c confectioner's sugar
2/3 c cocoa powder
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
1 t vanilla, almond or cherry extract (I used cherry this time)
1 t ground coriander

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix together your dry ingredients, and in a separate bowl mix very well your wet ones. Combine them all, and mix just until moistened. It is a very sticky dough.
Drop by tablespoonful onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets and bake about 20 minutes. I used the convection feature, which helped these along a lot. If you do not have it, I would recommend maybe going 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, but not from the paper. Pull the paper off the sheet and line with new paper for your next batch. Let cool on the paper then peel off and eat!

(adapted from Self Magazine Newsletter)

Garden Tomato Soup

This stuff is so good. I love tomato soup anyway, but once you make it from scratch, it is so simple! It is also a fast preserve in the pressure canner. I made a batch big enough for 5 families to have three quarts on their shelves in the roaster yesterday and canned it all today. Very good and very good for you! This will make the number of tomato plants we need this coming summer raise substantially. I will be eating this for lunch a lot...I used to buy the little drinkable tomato soup cups from Campbell's when I was in college and would have them for lunch with a veggie burger each day in the commuter lounge. This would be easy to make just as accessible by canning it in half-pint portions. You pop the lid off and you can totally reheat in the microwave. Here's what I did: 

In a stock pot combine (or you can do this in a crockpot all day, if that is easier):
8 cups roughly chopped or canned diced/crushed tomatoes, with juices
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, thin sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 c summer squash, sliced
6 c meat stock
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
1 T dried basil
salt to taste (it will need some, at least)
Simmer until all your veggies are soft, then blend or puree it to make it smooth. Right before serving add a T or so of heavy cream to the bowl of soup for a creamier version.

To can this, prepare your jars, lids and rings, then fill. Process 25 minutes at 10 pounds pressure for pints and 30 minutes at 10 pounds pressure for quarts.

The croutons are simply grilled cheese sandwiches (For my personal croutons, I use the gluten free boule recipe from Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, which worked out okay, but is pretty dense. Looking for other make at home options.)I cut into crouton size. Toast in the oven when you're ready to eat them, until they crisp up a little.

This post is also in conjunction with A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa's Simple Lives Thursday Blog Hop. Check it out!