GFCF Lunches

LUNCH:

• Sandwiches on g.f. bread or on Corn Thins.
• Sandwich fixin’s like lunch meat, served w/ g.f. chips (plain, potato chips, Fritos, etc) & fruit, and maybe a pickle.
• Chicken noodle soup. Works best using g.f. spaghetti, broken into 2-3″ pieces. I use ORGANIC Chicken Better Than Bouillon, which is pricey, but lasts a long time. (At the time of this writing, the organic is GFCF — the regular variety has whey in it.) You can find it at TJ’s for about $3, or at a regular grocery store for about $5.49. Start with just a cup or so of water in a med saucepan. Mix in 2-3 rounded tablespoons of BTB, whisk until combined. Then add water until you get the strength of bouillon you like. Bring to boil, and add broken g.f. spaghetti, boil until about 75% cooked. Then, add a few handfuls of veggies (the small pea/corn/carrot mixed frozen veggies works well for kids), and some cooked (leftover) chicken that’s been cut into bitsy pieces. Bring back to boil, and cook until the noodles are done.
• Tostadas. Heat the shells for a few minutes in the oven, then top with warmed refried beans and whatever toppings you have on hand: Minced leftover meat, salsa, sliced olives, whatever.
• G.f. pasta with storebought pasta sauce (check for GFCF ingredients!).
• Chili: Hormel Chunky NO BEANS chili is GFCF. We place some Fritos in our bowls, and spoon the chili over the top. Serve with fruit.
• Franks ‘n’ beans — but don’t use the canned type that already has the hot dogs added in; it has MSG and a lot of sugar. Just chop up some hot dogs, and add them to a can of store-bought baked beans, and warm on the stove. There are many baked bean varieties that are g.f., but watch out; some of them contain soy sauce that was made with wheat.
• Lunchmeat/sandwiches with g.f. Tater Tots as a side, instead of chips.
• Baked beans. If you want a little more meat, dice and fry half a package of bacon, drain and add in a large can of storebought baked beans (checking to make sure they’re g.f. — some have wheat-containing soy sauce). Serve with fruit.
• Or… leftovers from last night’s dinner.

GFCF BREAD

• 3 1/3 cups of GF Bread Flour (Use 3 1/2 cups if your Flour is made with brown rice)
• 1 tablespoon of dried yeast (7grams)
• 2 whole eggs OR 1 egg plus two egg whites
• 1/4 cup of olive or sunflower oil
• 3/4 teaspoon vinegar (omit when using buttermilk)
• 1 1/2 cups of hot water or rice milk (or buttermilk, if tolerated)

Put all ingredients into a mixer bowl. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, and on medium speed for 3 minutes. You don't want to mix on high speed which beats in too much air so you will have bubbles in the bread. While the dough is mixing, grease a bread pan (mine is rather elongated with a volume of one and a half liter) with ghee and dust with rice flour or corn meal. When dough is ready, spread in pan. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 deg C). If using buttermilk, heat oven to 400 degrees F (200 deg C). Allow dough to rise until it just reaches the top of the pan. Bake for one hour, covering with foil after fifteen minutes to prevent excessive browning. Do not cheat on the baking time, or the bread may come out wet and heavy. Let cool in the pan for ten minutes, then take out of pan and cool on it's side on a rack. Hint: If you want to reduce rising time to half an hour, use hot water or heat the rice milk quite hot (not boiling) before adding to the batter.

Variations:

Dark bread: Make up the flour mix using brown lentil flour rather than chick-pea flour, then bake as above.

Kugelhupf: Add 3 tablespoons of sugar, a handful of raisins, and the grated peel of half a lemon or orange to the dough. Place almonds in the bottom of a greased and floured ring pan, and carefully spoon in the dough. Bake as above.
Rolls: Drop dough into twelve greased muffin cups. Let rise about half an hour. Bake at 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) for 25 minutes.

Burger Buns: Drop onto a cookie sheet to make twelve glops. Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired. Let rise about half an hour. Bake at 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) for 25 minutes.
Cinnamon Rolls: Add 3 tablespoons sugar to the dough. Drop onto a cookie sheet to make twelve glops. Dip the back of a teaspoon into melted butter or margarine and flatten slightly. Sprinkle a half teaspoon of cinnamon sugar onto each roll. Now swirl a knife through each roll to make spirals. Sprinkle on some chopped walnuts. Let rise and bake at 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Let cool and drizzle with icing made from 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with a bit of water.

Hot Cross Buns: Add 3 tablespoons sugar and the grated peel of half a lemon to the dough. Make 20 nice round glops on a cookie sheet. Let rise and bake at 425 degrees F (218 deg C) for 25 minutes. Let cool and make crosses with icing made from 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with a bit of lemon juice.

COOLRISE SWEET DOUGH

(You can do all the work the evening before to have fresh sweet rolls any day of the week!)

• 5 to 6 cups GF Bread Flour
• 2 Tablespoons dry yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup ghee or softened milk-free margarine
• 1 1/2 cup hot tap water
• 2 eggs, at room temperature

Put half of flour mix and all other ingredients into mixer bowl. Mix with electric mixer for two minutes. Use a wooden spoon to mix in enough flour mix to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for five minutes. Place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for 20 minutes. Punch down, knead a few times, and shape as desired. Brush surface of rolls with oil (very important) and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least two hours or overnight. Take pans out of refrigerator while pre-heating oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Suggestions: Make round balls and place in muffin tin.

OR: Roll dough into thin rectangle, brush with ghee or melted margarine, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, roll up and slice for cinnamon rolls. Ice when cool.
OR: Roll dough into thin rectangle, cut rectangles about two by six inches and roll up with a bit of chocolate inside.