Sweet & Sour Shrimp

1/4 c water

1/4 c ketchup

2 Tb. rice wine vinegar

2 Tb. coconut palm sugar/brown sugar

3 Tb. soy sauce

3 tsp. grated ginger root

3 Tb. minced onion

3 small carrots, sliced thinly and at an angle

1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 Tb. chopped chives

1/2 c  mild fruity salsa (Private Selection Freestone Peach & Mango Salsa)

1 1/2 c chunks of fresh pineapple

2 - 3 Tb. vegetable oil

1. In a container, combine water, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce & grated ginger. Stir and set aside.

2. Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel. Lightly salt and pepper.

3. In a skillet with high sides, heat 2 Tb. vegetable oil, place shrimp in pan in a single layer. Cook shrimp for about 2 minutes; turn and cook the other side for about a minute. The shrimp should be just cooked through. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.

4. Add more oil to pan if needed. Saute onions and carrots until cooked through.

5. Add ketchup mixture and salsa to pan and cook together until mixture starts to boil. Add pineapple chunks to the mixture and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.

6. Put cooked shrimp back into pan and cook for another 1 minute to warm shrimp through and absorb the sauce. Sprinkle chopped chives over shrimp just before serving.

7. Serve over steamed basmati or jasmine rice.

8. Makes about four servings depending on how hungry you are. Recipe can be doubled.

Note: This is a very forgiving recipe. You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you don't have rice wine, and you can use more if you like your sauce more tangy. My mom cut her onion in wedges but hubby doesn't like big chunks of onion, so I dice mine. If you don't have salsa, just increase your wet ingredients and add chili flakes for the heat, you can adjust according to your preference. Don't like carrots? Use sliced peppers. See? Very adaptable recipe.

Gluten free Buckwheat Bread

16 oz Buckwheat flour
10 1/2 fl. oz luke-warm water
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp dried yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp honey
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs

1. Add the sugar and yeast to the water, stir and set aside for about 10 minutes for the yeast to activate.

2. Break the eggs into a bowl and add the vegetable oil and honey. Beat mixture until frothy.

3. Put buckwheat flour into a large bowl. Make a large well in center. Sprinkle salt over, add the egg mixture, vinegar and yeast mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined and you have a thick mixture.

4. Pour the mixture into a lightly greases 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch pan. Cover with an oiled plastic wrap and leave in a warm place to rise. Once it reaches the brim of the pan, bake at a preheated 375 degree oven for 35 - 45 minutes.

5. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. 

Note:

This is a sturdy bread that makes great sandwiches. I had the first warm piece with butter and honey and it was also excellent with a sweet filling. This bread reminds me of strong Eastern European breads.

Since this has no gluten, it will not keep well, but can be sliced, wrapped in plastic wrap, placed in a plastic bag and frozen. I do this with all my gluten free breads and they last for weeks.

 

 

Granola

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup silvered almonds (or any kind of nuts)

1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

 2 - 3 Tb maple syrup or honey

2 Tb. virgin coconut oil

1. In a glass measuring cup place maple syrup and coconut oil and heat until melted. Stir and set aside.

2. Heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Place oats, nuts, and coconut in a mixing bowl, stir until all ingredients are mixed. Pour maple and coconut oil over oats mixture. Use your hands and mix until all the ingredients are evenly coated.

4. Place the oats mixture in a foil/parchment lined cookie tray and spread out in a thin layer. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

5. Cool completely and then store in a tightly sealed mason jar or air tight container.

Note: Use any combination of ingredients that you like. You can add dried fruit to the mixture as well.

Gluten Free Orange Bread

Sometimes after chatting with my sisters I get fiercely nostalgic for the memories of our childhood, especially tea time - cups of hot tea and whatever was baked fresh that day. I needed to bake today and this recipe did the trick for me. This tender crumbed bread with hints of orange zest and a sugar crusted top was just right.

1 1/2 c. Brown Rice Flour mix
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
Grated rind of 1 large orange
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 c fresh orange juice
1/4 tsp lemon extract
2 tsp granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and orange and lemond rinds in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Beat butter and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. And flour mixture, mix until almost combined, and then add orange juice and lemon extract. Mix until just blended.

4. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan. Sprinkle top with granulated sugar. Place pan in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

5. Cook in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Slice with serrated knife.

6. To store in refrigerator - wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator for up to five days. Can be frozen up to 6 weeks.

Note: I did not use freshly squeezed orange juice, I used whatever I had in the carton. I am not fond of lemon extracts so I left that out. I used a teaspoon of lemon powder instead of the rind. And I can honestly say that the bread was scrumptious.