Owl Bento Box #SundaySupper

Sunday Supper is all about Back to School and we have you covered for meal planning and ideas.  See the list with links and recipes at the bottom of this post.

Ah, back to school is right around the corner for us.  Maryland officially begins school next week. BUT, psst.... we start when we want too. Well, kind of.  Our school year is 180 days and we make sure that we keep records and that our kids are "doing school" by the book for 180 days but it also means we get to learn what we want and visit lots of places.  Field trips are the best!

We homeschool our kids and love the freedom that this brings to our family.  We start late because we go further into the summer months.  In Maryland many of the local history locations, living farms, and towns host homeschooling functions.  We try to catch a few of these so that Isabella can get some "hands on history" to start our new year.  This year we will be heading down to Williamsburg, VA to learn about the American Revolution and then to our local Renaissance Festival to learn about this particular time in history.

This is one of the many reasons why I LOVE to homeschool.

Our lunches are a bit different because I don't have to get up early each morning and pack a lunch for my kids but that does not mean we don't have fun when lunch time comes around.  We find ourselves going to parks, camping, hiking, site seeing or enjoying our friends.  These are all reasons for us to pack fun lunches. Bento Boxes are fun lunches in my opinion.

I love Bento Boxes.  This Owl Bento Box is super easy and Isabella gets a real "HOOT" out of opening the sandwich tray.  This particular bento box is stacked.  I love the variety that is available when selecting a Bento Box. I visit our local H Mart in Catonsville.  They have a huge selection of fun inserts (I am using the reusable cupcake holders), little sayings on sticks, cute picks to decorate with and a selection of boxes to choose from.

Pinterest is filled with fun ideas and food suggestions to use in your next Bento Box.  This idea of the owl was easy and something my kids could assemble and would want to eat.  It took me all of 3-4 minutes to make it.  It took me back to when my kids loved Winnie the Pooh.  Owl was one of my favorite characters. I think because he loved to learn, loved to read and he lived in a tree house.  I want to live in a tree house someday.

Want to know how I did it?  See the instructions below and enjoy your next fun Bento Box.

Owl Bento Box
Makes one sandwich

2 slices of lunch meat--any kind
1 slice of cheese--any kind
2 slices of leafy lettuce (wings)
2 slices of bread (body)
cheese or carrots (feet and beak)
6 slices of cucumber (base of eyes)
2 small round carrot slices (eyes)
1 black olive, cut in half (eyes)
extra carrot sticks to hold up the leafy wings

1.  Prepare all of your items.  Cut the carrot sticks for the feet, the triangle for the beak, the circles for the eyes.  Slice the cucumbers and halve the black olive. Tear the lettuce and stack them to create the leafy wings and feathers of your owl.

2.  Make your sandwich using the bread, meat and cheese.  Using a large circle cookie cutter, cut the body.

3.  Assemble your owl using the picture as your guide.  Instruct you children or husbands (he he he--oh that would be funny) to add the lettuce to the sandwich when they are ready to eat their owls.

4.  Ta-Da--you're done with the owl.  Find other healthy snacks to fill the cubbies in your Bento Box. I included fresh blueberries and a trail mix that I make at  home.

Are you searching for back to school recipes? Take a look at these by Sunday Supper contributors:

Back to School Beginnings

• Apple Muffins from Meal Diva
• Apple Oat Breakfast Cookies from What Smells So Good?
• Make Ahead Waffle Casserole from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Strawberry Banana Baked Oatmealfrom The Red Head Baker
• Toast Three Ways from Foxes Love Lemons
• Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Muffins from Killer Bunnies

Back to School Lunches and Simple Suppers

• Baked Eggplant Parmesan from Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
• Berry Nutty Bento from Ninja Baking
• Chicken and Zucchinin Meatballs from Casa de Crews
• Chicken Nuggets from Nosh my Way
• Chicken Schnitzle from Panning the Globe
• Chopped Shrimp Salad with Honey Lime Vinagraitte from The 
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•  Weekend Gourmet
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• Clean Eating Lunches Your Kids will Love from Amee’s Savory Dish
• Crispy Chicken Legs from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• DIY Veggie Cup Noodles from Food Lust People Love
• First Day of School Pinwheels from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Grilled Chicken Revamp from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Just for Mom Salad from A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen
• Owl Bento Box from Simply Gourmet
• Quick and Easy Hot Pastrami Sliders from Webicurean
• Skinny Spinach Mac and Cheese from Take a Bite out of Boca
• Spagetti and Chicken Meatballs from Soni’s Food
• Steak & Cheese Pockets from Momma’s Meals
• Turkey Pinwheels from Peanut Butter and Peppers

Back to School Sips

• Good Morning Smoothies from Family Foodie
• Hulk SMASH Smoothie from Run DMT

Back to School Super Snacks

• Apricot Dip from Magnolia Days
• Beef and Veggie Sliders from Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Cinnamon Caramel Apple Energy Balls from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• Fruishi – Fruit Sushi from Mama Bee Does
• Gluten Free Apple Zucchini Flax Bread from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Home Made Graham Crackers from Curious Cuisiniere
• Nutty Granola from Life Tastes Good
• On the Go Guacamole from Shannon at Country Girl in the Village
• Parmesan Garlic Oven Roasted Chick Peas from Ruffles and Truffles
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars from Pies and Plots
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Popcorn from Simply Healthy Family
• Playground Granola Bars from Noshing with the Nolands

Back to School Sweets and Treats

• Berry Topped Chocolate Silk Tart from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Brown Butter Peanut Butter Crispy Treats from The Texan New Yorker
• Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Frozen Yogurt Mud Pies from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Love Note Doodle Bugs from Happy Baking Days
• Open Face (not Faced) PB&J Cookies from Desserts Required
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Paletas from La Cocina de Leslie

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. 

Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Crispy Orange Beef

2020 Update:  This recipe gets a lot of traffic. Most people love it and a few have not. Our family still likes the flavor of this dish with the orange sauce and the crispy chicken pieces. I hope you enjoy this too!

One thing I really miss?  Chinese food.  I love the sweet and spicy sauces combined with crispy meats.  The smokiness that comes from the vegetables stir-fried in a blazing hot wok....YUM!

I have seen versions of Crispy Orange Beef on Pinterest several times. My mouth waters with each picture. I finally decided to give it a try and see if I could use "my ingredients" to make a tasty alternative.

I think I did. The beef is fried in coconut oil. I am able to use arrowroot starch in place of cornstarch. I use coconut-aminos in place of the recommended soy sauce.

I was very happy to have this for lunch with a bowl of rice and a few stir-fried vegetables along the side.  The combination of ingredients created a nice blend of flavors. Nothing too over-powering.  Subtle flavors that allow the meat to shine and the orange to be present with each bite.

My inspiration for this dish came from two blogs: Fifteen Spatulas and Table for Two. The links will take you to the original recipe if you don't need to make food adjustments due to allergies and intolerances.

NOTE:  Before you make this recipe, read the instructions. It does say to freeze the meet with coating for 45 minutes. I personally have not tried the recipe by skipping this step. 

Crispy Orange Beef

Makes enough for 2 very hungry adults or 4 adults with rice and side dishes

2 pounds of steak: sirloin, stir fry steak or skirt steak (what you see in the pictures)

2 tablespoons coconut-aminos or soy sauce or gluten-free soy sauce

1/3 cup arrowroot starch or corn starch

1 cup of oil, for frying  (I used coconut oil)

Crispy Orange Beef Sauce, recipe below

1.  Cut meat into bite-size pieces.  I tried to have my pieces about 1inch by 1.5 inches.  Add coconut -aminos or soy sauce to the meat pieces and toss.  Add the starch and coat each piece of meat.  

2.  Using a wire rack inside a cookie tray, spread the meat pieces out in a single layer.  Freeze for 45 minutes.  This helps to dry the meat out and make it crispy when fried.

3.  10 minutes before the meat is done in the freezer, add oil to a large cast-iron pan or dutch oven.  Bring oil to 375 degrees F.

4.  Line a bowl with a paper towel and start frying meat.  Fry until golden brown on each side (about 3 minutes)  You can add more oil if you want to coat the pieces and "fry".  I did more of a pan fry on mine and it worked out great.  Remove pieces to a paper towel and continue frying until all the meat is prepared.

5.  To prepare sauce-see below.  Toss sauce with crispy beef pieces, add garnish and serve with rice.

Crispy Orange Beef Sauce

2 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1/4 cup of orange rind, sliced very thin

1/4 cup green onion, chopped for garnish

To serve sauce on the side:  Combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, whisk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened (about 3 minutes). 

To serve sauce over beef: Add ingredients to a small bowl and whisk.  When all of the meat has been fried, remove oil and toss sauce into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat for 3 minutes. Add beef pieces and stir to coat each piece with sauce.

Written by Sherron Watson

Cheese-Filled Ravioli #gluten free

These have been fried in a little bit of olive oil.  The boiled picture is at the very end.  

When I started making homemade gluten free pasta for my family the options were wide open and they started requesting specific things.  Mainly, stuffed pasta.  They missed the little pillows filled with cheese and sprinkled with more cheese.  I wonder if they just did not miss the cheese?

I make two types of stuffed pasta: tortellini and raviolis.  The gluten free tortellini recipe will be out soon. Here is the recipe for my raviolis.

We are split in our home between having them boiled or boiled and then lightly fried.  Me personally?  I love them fried in a hot pan for just a few seconds on each side and then drizzled with brown butter and topped with grated parmesan cheese.    My mouth is watering as I type this and I just made them again yesterday.

You can use this filling in a regular batch of homemade stuffed pasta too. The filling is the same it is just the pasta that is different.  My homemade GLUTEN FREE pasta dough recipe can be found here.  I have included lots of pictures and specific instructions to help you be successful with gluten free pasta making.

Ravioli, of the two stuffed pastas that I make, are by far the easiest.  This is a great stuffed pasta to start with.  It just requires a Ravioli Maker with Rolling Pin . Click on the links or see the pictures below to see which tools I have in my own kitchen.

The only thing I would have you keep in mind when preparing the ravioli' is the cook time.  This pasta needs to be cooked all the way through.  It will be tempting to toss them in your boiling water and wait a minute and take them out.  You might be disappointed.  Have patience and let them cook until tender.  I would recommend testing a pasta pillow after about 3 minutes.  Find your perfect "bite" to this pasta and not this on the printed recipe.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe.  Please leave me a comment or ask any questions and I will get back with you as soon as I can.

Enjoy!

Cheese-Filled Ravioli  #gluten free

I will estimate that this makes about 75 raviolis in a tray

1 batch of gluten free pasta dough

Filling:

1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons of green onion, minced

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated fine

1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

pinch of salt

dash of pepper

5 fresh basil leaves, diced small (optional)

or

1/4 cup fresh spinach, diced small (optional)

1.  Bring a large stock pot, filled with water, to a boil.  Add 1 tablespoon of salt to every 8 cups of water.

2.  Combine filling ingredients in a medium bowl.  Set aside until pasta dough is rolled and ready to be filled.

3. Roll out pasta dough in to long sheets.  See this post if you need instructions on how to do this.  You will notice that I usually am able to roll the pasta wide enough for 2 full rows.  This is because the gluten free pasta does not go through the pasta machine past 4 or 5.

 4.  I use potato starch to sprinkle over the ravioli tray.  Use a generous amount so the pasta will not stick to the inside of the pan.  Fill each ravioli with a small amount of filling. Do not over fill the pouches.  I use maybe 1/2 a teaspoon in each ravioli.  It depends on the size of tray you use.

5.  Lay a second sheet of pasta across the top and with the rolling pin, roll the pasta.  By pressing down and rolling across the tray you will create the ravioli.  Gently pull any left over pasta dough away and wrap in plastic wrap for later.   Dump the pasta ravioli out.  

6.  Toss in the boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes.  Test the pasta starting at 3 minutes.

7.  Serve with your favorite sauce and cheese. To fry your raviolis, add a small amount of oil to a frying pan and add a single layer of raviolis.  Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side and remove.  Add your favorite topping or eat them with a bit of salt.  

Written by Sherron Watson

Beef and Kale Rolls served with Rice

My family and I really love kale.  We first were introduced to kale about 4 years ago when we traveled the US in our motorhome for one year.  We found that our refrigerator was small and we had to look for new ways to eat our meals. In came the smoothie craze.

I could easily store vegetables and fruits in a large cooler much easier than I could store gallons of milk for cereal in my shoebox of a refrigerator.  This was also the start of discovering that we wanted to eat healthier. Smoothies fit in perfectly with our new lifestyle changes and so did kale.

Since this time I have been using kale in a variety of other recipes.  I add it to our pasta dishes, meatballs, make the ever-so-popular kale chips and then thought to myself, "what about using them in place of cabbage in our favorite roll?"

It worked and a star was born.  I actually like the kale more than the cabbage.  The kale has a different texture--it's sturdier than cabbage- and the flavor is different.  My kids like it better because the flavor of cabbage is not their favorite.

This recipe is another recipe I created in my attempt to use up left over rice in my fridge.  I have come to appreciate left over rice and look forward to finding it in the morning taking up extra room in my refrigerator.  Some of my favorite recipes are using up the rice that we made the night before.

This recipe is made with all homemade ingredients.  Let me just say that homemade is not store bought.  DUH-right?  But you would be surprised by how many people are used to the store bought flavors of so many premade ingredients.  Tomato Sauce is a great example.  Often times the store bought version is sweet and full of LARGE flavors.  I find that my tomato sauce is not so robust.  First it taste like tomatoes.  Simple tomatoes.  I add a few ingredients to build the flavor up a bit but it is not a sweet sauce.  Of course, you can change that by adding your own honey, molasses, maple syrup or refined sugar to match the flavor of store bought condiments.  We don't do that.  We are trying to eliminate sugar from most of our dishes.  Our taste buds have adjusted just fine and my kids don't miss the store bought varieties.

With this thought in mind, if you need to use store bought ingredients--then do.  I will always encourage you to cook from scratch because I believe it is a healthy choice but I completely understand when, for a variety of life style reasons, a store bought item needs to be used in place of my suggestion.  This is part of learning to cook--to make adjustments that meet the needs of your family.

Look at the recipe and decide to make it as is OR make it with your own adaptations.  Just keep in mind that when you start substituting ingredients the recipe's flavor profile may change slightly.

Beef and Kale Rolls served with Rice
Makes 8-10 rolls depending on size of kale laeaves

1/2 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons diced red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
oil to saute
2 cups of precooked rice (divided into 1 cup portions)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese or soft cream cheese
1 cup of mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
10 large kale leaves, blanched for 2-3 minutes in boiling water
2 cups of homemade tomato sauce (see recipe below) OR premade red sauce (marinara)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start a large pot of water (for the kale). Let it reach a boil. Prepare the tomato sauce (recipe below).

2.  In a medium frying pan heat oil and saute onions for 4 minutes, add garlic and saute for 1 minute.

3.  Toss the ground beef into the onions and garlic and fry until cooked through.  Remove from heat and drain off any excess oil.

4.  Add the kale leaves to the boiling water and blanch for about 4 minutes.  You be the judge.  The longer they cook, the more tender they will become and may fall apart a bit when rolling the rice and meat inside.

5.  In a small bowl combine 1 cup of cooked rice, the cheese, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Combine the meat/onion/garlic mixture with the rice/cheese mixture.  This is your filling.

6.  Take a 7X11 baking dish or something very close, and spread the remaining rice on the bottom of the dish.  Take a kale leaf, cut the hardy part of the vein out, and add your meat/rice mix.  Roll and line them up next to each other (see photo above).  The amount you add to the leaf will vary on size of leaf and how many leaves you are working with. Try to mentally divide the filling between what you have prepared.

7.  Top with your favorite red sauce (homemade or premade) and bake for 20-25 minutes.  The sauce should be bubbly and the inside of the kale rolls warm.  Remove from heat and serve.


Homemade Tomato Sauce
Makes about 3 cups (you will have some leftover from this recipe)

2 medium size tomatoes, cut in half
2 cups of cherry tomatoes
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1/2 lemon, juice only
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1.  Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender.  I use my Vitamix and pulse 10 times. Taste and adjust flavors to suit your families taste buds.  Add more lemon, more olive oil, more seasoning, etc...

2.  You have two choices: transfer to a medium pot and simmer for 30 minutes to reduce or take two cups and cover the top of the cabbage rolls in the recipe above.  The rice will soak up some of the "loose" tomato juice in the recipe.

Written by Sherron Watson

Gluten Free Basil Parmesan Popovers #TwelveLoaves

August is my favorite month so far for Twelve Loaves because we are working with herbs.  I love them all. I find great joy in preparing a dish and walking to my herb plant boxes in my front yard and snipping a few leaves or bunches of fresh herbs to add to my meals for the day.  I guess it makes me feel nostalgic.

My daughter cringes if I use the word vintage.  It is a joke now with us and she points out all things vintage to me.  It is true. I do feel connected to a simpler time.  I enjoy old things.  I find myself happiest when I have worked hard all day and then sit down to a meal that I made from scratch using ingredients that I grew.

Popovers are a vintage dish to me.  They use basic ingredients that we have had in our kitchens for centuries.  They are an American version of the Yorkshire Pudding from England.  I usually make them "as-is" but last week I decided to have some fun with them. I wanted to incorporate a fresh herb into the batter and add a bit of cheese to see if they would still be loved by my family with the extra ingredients.

Isabella asked for seconds and thought they were the "bees knees".  I guess they were too.

Making anything gluten free from a regular recipe is challenging.  I am working with some of the same ingredients but then adding new flours and starches to the mix.  Sometimes it works and every once in a while it does not.  This time it worked.   The outside was crispy, the inside hollow and the top "popped" over the top of the pan, hence we have a great Gluten Free POPOVER!  YAY.

I get excited about this stuff because those that have to eat with food restrictions give up a lot of their favorite foods.  It makes me happy when I can share a recipe that brings an item they miss back into their diets.

I hope that you will experiment with your own popover version mixing up the herb of choice.  Try thyme, rosemary or parsley--or get crazy--and combine all three.

Scroll to the bottom of this post to see my friends recipes too!  We have a great selection for Twelve Loaves this month.  The highlighted links will redirect you to their pages.  If you need help converting a recipe to gluten free, let me know.  Most recipes  can use a basic all purpose gluten free flour to exchange 1:1 for the wheat based flours.

NOTE:  To guarantee the success of this recipe I encourage you to use the volume measurements.  I have tried to get the cup measurement as close as possible but using the grams will guarantee the recipe turns out the same each time.  The batter is thicker than crepe batter yet thinner than pancake batter.  If the batter seems too thick, add a bit more milk.  If the batter is too loose then add more rice flour.  

Gluten Free Basil Parmesan Popovers 

Makes 12

4 large eggs

215g (just under 1 cup) milk

85g (1 cup) tapioca flour

110g (1 cup)white rice flour, fine

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum or guar gum

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons lard or butter, melted (used in bottom of popover pans)

1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced fine

2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan (divided between the 12 popovers)

lard, for popover pan

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2.  In a medium bowl combine eggs and milk.  In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients and whisk well.  Add the two together.  Whisk until the batter is smooth.

3.  Mince the basil and combine with egg batter.

4.  Let batter sit for 15 minutes.  While batter is sitting, put a small dab of lard or butter into each popover. If you use butter, adjust time, because it may burn.  My pan has 12 popovers.  Put pan in oven long enough to heat pan and melt lard, about 5 minutes.

5.  Take pan out of oven and ladle the batter into each popover. They should be about 3/4's of the way full.  Sprinkle the batter with a dusting of parmesan cheese.

6.  Return to a very hot oven and let cook18-20 minutes.  Do not open the oven to keep checking on them.  This may cause them to not rise or POP.

7.  Remove from oven and serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate leftovers.  My kids reheat them in the microwave with butter, lemon and powdered sugar.  

• Thyme for Beer Bread by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Pesto Quick Bread by Rhubarb and Honey
• Basil Buns by  Rise of The Sourdough Preacher
• Herbed Skillet Cornbread by Magnolia Days
• Rosemary Grissini by  Cake Duchess
• Rosemary Parmesan Flatbread Crisps by A Shaggy Dough Story
• Herbed Buttermilk Biscuits by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Keema Naan by Food Lust People Love
• Gluten Free Basil Parmesan Popovers by Simply Gourmet
• Pull-Apart Bread w/ Herbs & Seeds  by  girlichef
• Pesto Bread by Karen's Kitchen Stories
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 #TwelveLoaves August: Herbs If you’d like to add your bread to the collection with the Linky Tool this month, here’s what you need to do!

1. When you post your Twelve Loaves bread on your blog, make sure that you mention the Twelve Loaves challenge in your blog post; this helps us to get more members as well as share everyone's posts. Please make sure that your bread is inspired by the theme!

2. Please link your post to the linky tool at the bottom of my blog. It must be a bread baked to the Twelve Loaves theme.

3. Have your Twelve Loaves bread that you baked this August 2014, and posted on your blog by August 30, 2014.

#TwelveLoaves is a monthly bread baking party created by Lora from Cake Duchess. #TwelveLoaves runs smoothly with the help of our friends.

Thank you to Sherron from Simply Gourmet for hosting this month’s event!

Written by Sherron Watson

Pear and Pea Shoot Salad

I found pea shoots at Whole Foods a few weeks ago and impulsively bought them.  It is not unusual for me to buy unique food items to try in new recipes but I just wasn't sure about the pea shoots.

Their appearance was bright, fresh and very crisp looking.  They were beautiful. This is what drew my eye to them.

I am trying so hard to eat more salads.  I just get bored easily with the same salad ingredients that I have on hand.   The pea shoots are a great addition to this simple yet elegant lunch salad.  I thought that peas and pears would go well together visually, as well as, blend together to make a nice sweet bite.  To counter the sweetness I added some sliced salami.  I think proscuttio would also add a nice balance to the sweet fruit.  I threw in some pistachios for crunch and blueberries to balance the color palette of the plate.

This is a recipe that doesn't need a recipe because it was literally thrown together for a quick lunch but when I saw it composed on the plate, I knew I had to share and take a few photos.

Enjoy this salad.  I hope that you can find pea shoots in your neck of the woods.  If not, I am sure any sprouted grain or sprout would work in place of the pea shoots.

Pear and Pea Shoot Salad 
Makes one salad

1 pear, sliced
1 handful of pea shoots, with bottoms trimmed
5-8 slices of salami
sprinkle of pistachios, shelled
sprinkle of blueberries, washed

Dressing:  I used extra virgin olive oil and some lemon balsamic vinegar drizzled across the salad.

1.  Arrange ingredients on your plate and then eat.

 Easy, simple and beautiful.

Written by Sherron Watson

Crispy Onion Straws #gluten free

I grew up with green bean casserole served at every holiday meal.  It is a family favorite and the kids don't leave any evidence that green beans ever existed in the dish.  They lick the casserole dish clean.

That's them and this is me:  Give me the crispy onion topping!  I love them.

 When I went gluten free I had to give them up.  It has taken me a while to find the time to make them using a gluten free coating.I have tried several combinations but this is my go to coating when I need to deep fry something. The combination of corn and white rice flour works well together to create a crispy exterior with great flavor.

I used my Spiralizer to cut the onion.  Yep, that is one onion.  It makes a ton but my family could have easily eaten two or three onions.   It took me about 20 seconds to spiral the onion.  I didn't cry once.

I have included a picture of my green bean casserole that will be coming out soon, but I want you to know that these Crispy Onion Straws work well topped over macaroni and cheese, added to your favorite burger or eaten straight out of the bowl.

If you get a chance, share with the rest of us in the comment section, just how you would use them in your families favorite recipe.

ENJOY!

Crispy Onion Straws #gluten free
Makes one onion, about 3 cups of crispy onions

1 onion, sliced thinly or spiralized
100 g (1/2 cup) white rice flour
64 g (1/2 cup) tapioca starch
42 g (1/4 cup) corn meal, fine
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
 pepper, to taste
Oil, to fry

1.  In a medium size pot, heat 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees.   Make sure the pot has enough room for the straws to "fry". It will swell when the onions cook.

2.  Cut onion thinly with a sharp knife or by using the Spiralizer.

3.  Mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.  I used a mesh strainer to shake the onions a bit before I added them to the hot oil. (see picture above).  I did not use a milk mixture to coat the onion slices because the onion was already "wet".

4.  Add the coated onions to the hot oil and fry until golden brown.  Remove to a bowl that has been lined with a paper towel.  Sprinkle with salt.

5.  For the best quality product, use them right away.  To store them use an air tight container to retain freshness.  Some of the crispy exterior will be lost after they have sat for a while.

Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole, recipe coming soon!

WRITTEN BY SHERRON WATSON

Homemade Lard

Lard.  It is what we use in our home when we need a solid fat.  I also use grass fed butter or coconut oil.  It depends on the recipe and what flavor profile I am trying to achieve.  Lard is pretty flavorless when used in baked goods.  It makes the best buttermilk biscuits.  Really--it does! 

There are two types of pork fat you can use to make the lard: the back fat and the leaf fat.  You will need to talk to your local butcher to see which one he access to.  I have used both.  Leaf fat is sought after because of its prized performance in baked goods and little-to-no flavor.   I buy mine through a local catering business that resources local farm produce, dairy and vegetables.  He offers a CSA and has been able to get pretty much anything I want--including this pork fat.  I am hoping to get some ducks in the Fall to render duck fat.  Oh, the fun I will have with that tasty ingredient.

Rendering your own lard is not hard.  There are several methods that you can use to obtain the lard.  I have read that there is a process of using a crock pot and the other is to slow cook it in your stove.  I like the method of using a pot on the stove top.  I am in the kitchen usually and I do other things while the fat is rendering.  This works for me.

If you enjoy pork rinds then you will LOVE the cracklings that are left over after all of the fat has been rendered.  These little crispy pork tidbits are the perfect snack.  You can add them to salads too or make some cornbread with crackling pieces.   

A few things to be mindful of when making the lard.  It will burn if you set your heat too high.  I like the slow approach of keeping my heat set to about 4 on my stove and watching it slowly turn into lard.  You want the heat high enough to be doing its job but not high enough that you will burn what is in the pot.  The cracklings are basically cooking in their own fat but if it gets brown or starts to burn it will change the color and the flavor of the lard.   

My lard comes in strips.  I separate the lard into the portions that I want to use to make a batch and freeze the rest.  To use, I thaw the lard and follow the directions below.

I used a dish cloth with a rubber band to strain my lard.  This is my go to system for anything I have to strain.  I don't always have cheesecloth around and this works just fine for me.  I will remove the lard several times from the pot.  I don't let it all sit in the pot.  This will allow you to work in small batches and also prevent you from ruining an entire batch if something goes wrong.

The lard will be this beautiful yellow when hot and in liquid form.  It turns snow white when solid. The lard is very durable.  Some say that it does not need to be refrigerated.  I won't be telling you that.  I do refrigerate mine because I live in a very humid area and I don't want to risk anything spoiling my little pot of liquid gold (even though it would be a solid).   It has been recommended to me that in the refrigerator it is good for 3 months and in the freezer for one year.  By all means, when in doubt, do your own research.

Here is my recipe for the best gluten free biscuits (use this lard):  BISCUITS.

Homemade Lard

Makes about 3 cups (give or take)

2.5 pound of pork fat, preferably leaf fat

1.  Cut your pork fat strips into small cubes.  Mine were about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch.  (see picture above).

2.  In a large stock pot add pork fat cubes.  Turn heat to medium on your stove top.  Mine is electric and I use 4 or 5.  Gas would be set at a low to medium flame.

3.  Stir pork cubes occasionally to prevent them from sticking to bottom of your pot and to rotate the cubes in the pot.  After a few minutes you will start to see a small amount of rendered lard on the bottom.  After 30 minutes you should have a few inches.

4.  While the fat is rendering, prepare a glass jar with a piece of cheesecloth or thin cloth.   See picture above.  You will strain the lard often.  The lard takes anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to render completely.  I find the last little bit of time is the hardest because the cracklings are almost done and the fear of burning everything is high.  This is why you want to strain the lard off of the cracklings often.

5.  Once everything is rendered the lard needs to cool.  As it cools the yellow liquid changes to a solid of pure white.  Store in the refrigerator.

6.  I put my cracklings in paper-towel lined basket and sprinkle them with salt.  We eat them like candy or maybe it's pork fat popcorn.  LOL

 Written by Sherron Watson

This recipe has been in the making for two years.  I have tried so many different versions of gluten free pasta made from scratch that I was about to get discouraged and quit.  In fact, there were a few months that I shed a tear out of frustration because of the ingredients I wasted.

I can say that this recipe is tested.  I have made it so many times fearing that each time something would go wrong. It hasn't yet.  It comes together in my Kitchenaid just like my pasta doughs made with wheat flour.  It rest for 30 minutes, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, just like my wheat based pasta doughs.  It works in my pasta machine. 

Simply put--it works.

Taste great.

Kids love it.

I won't go on and on about the pasta other than to say it is the closest "gluten free" pasta to the real thing, that I have had and is freshly made. I have my favorite store brands that I will continue to buy. I don't always have the time or energy to make pasta from scratch. That is not the point. The point is now I have one that I trust will work for my family and our taste buds. I can check one more thing off of my list of can't haves.

 

I love to make pasta from scratch and I missed the process.  Really, Really missed the process.  In our family it is a family affair.  The kids are involved in rolling, making and cooking their dishes.  Now I feel I have brought a family tradition back into our home.

Gluten free anything is going to be a bit different from the original.  Please keep this in mind and don't get frustrated if it doesn't turn out the first time.  Mine didn't.   There are variables that play into any recipe: ingredients, humidity, equipment used and our own experience with cooking.  

I will gladly answer any questions that you may have for this recipe.  Leave a comment below.

UPDATE: 7-23-2014 I wanted to let everyone know that last night I wrapped my left over pasta dough and refrigerated it until today.  I took it out an hour before I wanted to use it and brought it to room temperature.  It was perfect!  I actually used my large rolling pin and pizza cutter to create some fun noodles for the Littles--Isabella and Finnley.  

I have tried my best to provide a lot of pictures for you to visually see each step.  This recipe is pretty sturdy compared to some I tested but you still need to treat it gently.  Don't push the pasta too far. What I mean by that is don't over cook it, don't try one more roll through the pasta machine.  I did all of that and absorbed the disappointments so that you won't have to do it. 

Two things to note.  Depending on what you decide to make with the pasta dough, it needs to be fully cooked.  Unlike our wheat pasta cousins that take a dip in boiling water and jump right back out this is not like that.  You will get a bite, but it won't taste good.  The pasta noodles need to boil for 3-4 minutes.  Test, test, test to see where you palate likes the noodle to be.  I liked mine to be fully cooked.

Secondly, you can reuse the pasta dough but it needs to rest for a few minutes.  I am mostly referring to the use of the dough to make stuffed pastas.  Often I will have scraps from my ravioli tray.  In this situation, I ball them up and wrap them in plastic wrap and set them off to the side.  It needs time to rest or the dough will be dry.  Working the dough may help but I found that patients was my friend for the second round of using the leftover dough pieces.  This won't apply if making spaghetti  or any other noodle because you will use all of the dough the first time.

If you don't need a gluten free version, I have two other recipes that my family enjoyed the years before I went gluten free.

Regular recipes are: Spinach Pasta Dough and Pasta Dough

Check back because I will be sharing our gluten free stuffed pasta recipes soon. 

Homemade Pasta #glutenfree

Makes one large ball of pasta--feeds my family of 6 or makes 75 raviolis using a tray

All pictures are following the recipe.  I did this to keep it simple for those that don't need the step by step pictures.  I have used a variety of substitutions with this recipe and THIS is the one that works.  I cannot guarantee it will turn out if you start substituting something else.  You need a scale for this to turn out perfect each time.  I use this Food Scale at home.  The estimated cup measurements are just that, estimated.  

166 g (1 cup) white rice flour, fine

70 g (1/2 cup) millet flour

50 g (1/3 cup) potato starch

50 g (1/3 cup) tapioca starch

3 teaspoons Guar Gum 

pinch of salt

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tablespoons water, as needed

1.  In a kitchen stand mixer, add all dry ingredients.  Use the whisk attachment and turn mixer to low. Mix dry ingredients well.

2.  Stop mixer  and change to the bread hook. Add eggs and oil. Continue to mix on low speed.  The dough will be dry.  Add one tablespoon of water at a time until the dough starts to pull together and form a ball.  If dough gets too wet, don't panic, add a sprinkle of rice flour to bring it back to ball form.

3.  Turn mixer to medium high and work dough for 2 minutes.  Remove dough and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Let set for 30 minutes on the counter.

4.  Start a pot of water with salt on stove top.  Bring to a rapid boil.

5.  After dough has rested.  Open plastic wrap and cut into 4 pieces.  Take one piece and rewrap the remaining three.  Dust your area with potato starch and flatten the piece to about 1/4 inch.

AT THIS POINT YOU NEED A LARGE ROLLING PIN TO ROLL DOUGH OUT OR A Pasta Maker .  I have shared the link to the brand I use.  I also have the spaghetti attachment.

6.  Lightly dust your dough with potato starch. Too much and it will not go through the machine.  Start your machine at 0 and work you way up to 4 or 5.  The thinner you go the better but again, don't push it.  The dough will tell you how much it can take. If it starts to stick or tear--then you have rolled it too thin.

7.  Place long pieces of thin dough to dry on counter for 2 minutes.  Change the handle and roll your dough through the desired pasta attachment: spaghetti, fettucini, etc... 

8.  Gently pick up pasta pieces and add to boiling water. Stir them once.  Cook for 2-4 minutes depending on size of noodle.  Thicker noodles require more time.

9.  Remove with slotted spoon and serve with your favorite sauce.  My personal favorite: brown butter and parmesan cheese.

PICTURES BELOW

Written by Sherron

NOTE:  There are links to my Amazon store to show you specifically which products I use at home.  There is no obligation to purchase these items through me.  I do make a small percentage off of each sale that helps pay for ingredients used on the blog.   Thank you!