Gluten Free Alfajores

I was asked by the Celiaco's (celiac's) of South America to adapt recipes for some of their favorite treats.

Alfajores are a sandwich cookie with origins from Moorish Spain, they are very popular in South America.A simple short bread cookie with a "Dulce de Leche" Carmel filling. Through out South America there are varieties to each region. Some are plain some after being filled with carmel are then dusted with powdered sugar or the ends rolled in coconut.





Alfajaores

1 13.4 oz. can La Lechera Dulce de Leche

3-1/2 cups Rice Flour
1/2 cup Tapioca Flour
1/2 cup Sweet Rice Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
3 Teaspoons Baking powder
1/4 Teaspoon Xantham Gum
1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon


1 Cup softened butter
1/2 Cup Superfine Sugar
3 Eggs
2/3 cup of Cream
1/4 Teaspoon Almond Extract


Sift together all dry ingredients.

Beat butter, sugar and Almond extract til light and fluffy.
Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients and blend well add 1/3 a cup of cream and stior well add remaining fl;our and cream blend dough.

Roll out on wax paper or parchment dusted with rice flour til 1/4 thick.
Cut into circles and bake 10-15 minutes till done.

Cool and top 1 cookie with Dulce con Leche top with another cookie.

Spanish Potato Tortilla

Prep-time: 20 minutes Cook 20-25 minutes serves: 2-4


Spanish Potato Tortilla
I first ate this in Spain it was love at first bite!
Good hot or cold and it can be made with a variety of vegetables,
in any combination zucchini, potato, spinach or onion.



3 potatoes a blend is best
russet, yukon gold, red

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small thinly sliced shallot
or onion

5 eggs beaten well

freshly ground black pepper
& sea salt to taste

Slice the potatoes as thinly as possible
In a cast iron or a pan that can go from
stove top to broiler. Add 2 tablespoons
of olive oil heat on medium heat till hot
add the potatoes cook till they are just
tender but not brown. Remove from
pan and set aside.

In remaining oil cook the shallot till just
light brown. Mix with the potato, season
with salt and pepper pour the eggs over
potatoes and onion stir well and return
to the pan used to cook them in.

Cook covered on very low heat for 20-30
minutes. If the top is not quite done put
the pan under the broiler for 5-10 minutes.

Variations:

Thinly slice zucchini but do not saute them very
long 3-5 minutes is fine.

Spinach the same as the zucchini.

Onions saute about 5-7 minutes till just golden

Serve with olives. Cold this is great with chicken
and slices of cheese & fresh tomato.




Copyright 2008 Estelle T. Chandler

Gluten Free and Fantastic!

This is the most amazing product I have eaten in years. It is full of flavors that seem to burst in your mouth. I have mixed it with everything to a bit of mayonnaise for a sandwich. To on my scrambled eggs to the "Chebe" cups we made for our Taste of Spain Event. Call your local stores and if they do not have it ask the manager to order it for you!

copyright 2011 etc design

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!
I am now finally settled in my new home after the flood!
I tried this pomegranate wine and it is AMAZING! I served it with a spicy dish "Italian Chicken"We also enjoyed it with Spanish Tapas dishes, East Indian,Greek and Lebanese food.
A recipe that will be in my new cookbook. It is a flavor packed wine. I would also serve it with any spicy ethnic dish that you love!
I found it at Whole foods.

Estelle

Cupcakes

I tried the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake mix....to make some cupcakes for a friend.
They were a huge hit!
I added some toffee chips from a GF toffee bar a friend sent me from Canada to the batter.
I used Neilsen-Massey vanilla which is the only vanilla I will ever use!
The vanilla & toffee flavors were delicious and everyone enjoyed them. Even the folks that were not gluten-free loved them!
I made a vanilla butter cream frosting added some GF sprinkles and we had a cupcake party!

Estelle
Copyright 2010

Spanish Food Gluten Free!

Spain has some of the most fantastic foods of any place I have ever visited.
This simple appetizer is made using two of my all time favorite Gluten Free Products.
Chebe is a tapioca based bread mix that requires no rising and has a great texture.

I followed the recipe on the package but used some Parmesan and some Spanish cheeses grated fine and mixed in when the mix was dry. I also added olive oil and heavy cream instead of milk.

I rolled the dough thin and cut it into circles. Which I then placed into mini muffin. The filling for the first batch was pitted Katamala olives, Green olives and California Sun Dried Tomatoes the ones that are in a resealable bag. These were all chopped fine and spooned into the mini Chebe cups. I baked them at 375 degrees as per the package instructions.

The second batch were made with a Pisto Manchego recipe from the La Mancha region (Spanish Onions, Peppers, Zucchini all chopped up and sautes in olive oil til just tender 3-5 minutes. I used the same recipe as I did for the first Chebe cups. They were then put into a standard muffin tin that I oiled as well and lined with a bigger circle of Chebe dough. I then put 1 teaspoon of California Sun Dried Tomato Spread on top of each cup before I baked it. Both of these appitizers were the "hit" of the evening.

Copyright ETC design 2010

Gluten Free Breakfast

Gluten Free breakfast or brunch is always nice. These are nice colorful easy to make dishes. I recently had some Gluten Free "Oats" the two brands I like best are "Cream Hill Estates" and "Gluten Free Oats" Both of these are EXCELLENT!
I really missed "Oats" I was very reluctant to try them but I did. What a delight!

I love them just cooked with some sauteed Granny Smith apples a bit of Benningtons brown sugar or some Maple Syrup. Currants and Cinnamon are a nice change from rasins.
I added a dusting of powdered sugar and some orange marmalade tasty!





Oatmeal Pancakes



½ Cup Milk or Soy milk

2 Tablespoons Salad oil

1 Tablespoon Molasses,Honey or Sugar

1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamaon

1 Teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Vanilla

1 Egg



½ Cup Rice flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

¾ cup Gluten Free Oats ground

on crumb setting in a blender





Mix milk, oil, vanilla and molasses or honey & egg

until frothy set aside.

Blend dry ingredients mix well pour

in wet ingredients. Stir until just mixed.



Ladle spoonfuls into hot oiled pan or griddle.

After 2-3 minutes turn over when golden.

Serve with jam, honey or syrup.





Copyright 2010 ETC