Now let me tell you, it hasn't been an easy feat. Baking gluten free is costly. And trying to work dough with no gluten is next to impossible......But I have been successful mastering a pizza dough. At least I think I have mastered it. The finished product tastes good and I didn't fear cracking a tooth. It was airy and chewy. Just like pizza dough should be!
My next quest is to create a perfect bread. My first attempts have been edible at least. But I've also tried making the breads without adding binders like guar gum or xantham gum. For some reason their names alone frighten me. So instead I tried using egg and flax seed. Although the breads tasted good and weren't crumbly or dusty, they lacked the height and bubbles some GF breads have. In the next few blogs I will share those first recipes with you.......
Keeping it safe and not at all about baking .....I chose a gluten free dinner as my first blog entry.
I love to cook. It is my passion. My past time. My means to relax. Those who know me can confirm my mild addiction to food. I am a weekly meal planner..... I get overly excited when my menu falls within inexpensive and bursting with flavor. This addiction does border on nerdiness sometimes. I spend too much time googling recipes and most days are spent talking about food a tad over the top.... I am ok with that though! Everything about menu planning for me is about taste first. Time management comes in second since I have a busy family household to cook for. And third living within a budget but not sacrificing on flavor just to save a few pennies.
Soooooo......If you're still reading this intro( thanks by the way if you are), not only will this blog be about my trials and tribulations baking GF but it will also include my weekly menu plan along with some of the recipes I will be using!
On that note....First up for this blog is a recipe I included as our Monday night dinner from this weeks menu plan.
We enjoyed it a lot. After spending the day grocery shopping for the week, the house smelled absolutely divine when we walked in. It just so happens I started prepping for our dinner last night by first soaking the beans. Everything else went into the crockpot this morning before I left the house. And voila! Forget burning some Nag Champa........ I could smell our stew before I opened the front door. So deliciously fragrant!!!
I adapted this recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen. Hope you like it!!
Crockpot White Bean and Beef Stew
1 Cup Dried Cannelini Beans, soaked overnight
1 Lb Stewing Beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 Cup Gluten Free Cornstarch
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Medium sized Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
3 Stems of fresh Oregano
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Coriander
2 Cups Chicken Stock( I used 1 McCormicks Gluten Free Bouillon cube)
1 Cup Water
1 14 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes( I used Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic)
1~ The night before, start by soaking a cup of beans in 4 cups of cold water. Keep in the fridge until morning. I am sure the counter would be fine too.
2~ The next morning prepare beef and place into a bowl along with cornstarch. Season generously with salt and pepper and mix well.
3~ Get a deep pan nice and hot, add oil. Gently place beef into pan. Make sure not to crowd the meat. You want to sear it not steam or boil it. Sear meat on all sides. The beef will probably stick a bit to the bottom of the pan but don't worry. This will create flavor for the stew. Once the meat is browned on all sides remove and set in the crockpot. You may have to do this in 2 or 3 batches.
4~ Once meat is all seared add a bit more oil to the pan and add onions. Saute until transluscent. About 5 minutes or so. Then add garlic. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes. Making sure not to burn either. Once onions are soft....pour in the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan removing any bits of caramelized beef that stuck to it. Pour everything into the crockpot along with all the other ingredients.
You could prep steps 2, 3 and 4 the night before and place in the fridge overnight. This is a great time saver if you are short of it in the morning. Just rinse the beans in the A.M. and put everything in the crockpot.
5~ Set crockpot on low for 8 to 10 hours or fast track it on high for 5 to 6 hours. Only you know how your crockpot cooks. They are all so different. I love mine.....I can walk away from my kitchen for the rest of the day!!
6~ Enjoy!! We ate the stew as is ( Only because I totally gapped on the finishing touches....Sure would have added more pop to my picture) but you could add a bit more pizzazz just before serving........ Cilantro, Green Onions and a touch of Lime Juice. Make sure to adjust seasoning as you see fit.
This recipe fed 3 of us plus there are leftovers for lunches tomorrow. And it all cost roughly $10. That's including a baguette for the boys.
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