Oxtail Soup

5 TBS olive oil
3 1/4 pounds meaty oxtails, beef tails (patted dry)
10 cups water
5 (14 1/4 oz) cans beef broth
3 cups dry red wine
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium leeks, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 large potatoes, cubed
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Heat 2 TBS oil in heavy pot over med. heat. Sprinkle oxtails w/ pepper and salt and brown on all sides. Add water, beef broth and 2 cups wine. Simmer partially covered about 3 hours. Transfer oxtails to a large bowl and cool. Remove meat from bone. Freeze cooking liquid until fat solidifies, about 45 min. Spoon fat off and add meat to broth. Heat 3 TBS oil in fry pan and saute vegetables (except potatoes), garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Add to the soup w/ remaining wine. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender. Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

VBS

The boys are attending VBS this week and love it. I was so excited to find a VBS for preschoolers. Most start at kindergarten age, which would exclude Andrew. I am getting a little free time in the mornings which is very nice. So thank you Suburban Christian Church. We'll see you again next year, hopefully!

Gluten Free and Dairy Free Enchiladas

Corn or rice tortillas
2 cups favorite cooked, diced/shredded meat (chicken, lamb, beef, pork)
1/2 cup diced onions
2 spoonfuls of Tofutti cream cheese
1 can diced green chilies (mild, medium, hot)
1/2 cup-1 cup diced black olives
1 jar sweet creek enchilada sauce (mild, medium, hot)
cilantro for garnish.

Heat oven to 350F. Mix meat, onions, Tofutti cream cheese, green chilies and black olives well. Pour enchilada sauce into a frying pan. Dip each tortilla in sauce and coat both sides. Fill tortilla with filling mixture and roll up. Fill a 9x9 pan with enchiladas. Pour half of the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. Cover with foil and bake 40min. Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and cook 5-10 min. more. Serve with guacamole, Tofutti sour cream, salsa and cilantro.

This recipe can be modified for veggie enchiladas too.

G.F. Apple Muffins

1/2 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup flax meal
1/4 cup maple sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup vanilla rice or soy milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey or brown rice syrup + a few drops liquid stevia)
4 TBS apple juice or water (or more as needed)
1 TBS Ener-G egg replacer + 3 TBS warm water (to sub for two eggs)
1 cup chopped apples
1/2 cup raisins

Mix all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix all wet ingredients in a separate bowl and add to dry mix. Add apples and raisins. Use baking cups in your muffin pan. Bake muffins 350F for 25 min or until a knife comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack so the bottoms don't get soggy. Store in plastic bags after completely cooled or freeze.

G.F. Berry Muffins

1 1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup flax meal
1/4 cup maple sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup vanilla rice or soy milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 TBS Ener-G egg replacer + 3 TBS warm water (to sub for two eggs)
1 cup berries (your choice)

Mix all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix all wet ingredients, except 1/2 cup water, in a separate bowl and add to dry mix. Add the water until mix right consistency. Add berries. Use baking cups in your muffin pan. Bake muffins 350F for 25 min or until a knife comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack so the bottoms don't get soggy. Store in plastic bags after completely cooled or freeze.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
2 TBS butter (ghee)
1/4 cup sugar (1/8 maple sugar + 1/8 Lakanto)
2/3 cup warm milk (soy, rice)
1 TBS yeast
1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup potato starch
1/8 cup sorghum flour
1/8 cup amaranth, quinoa, or teff flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 12 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

To Sprinkle on Board covered in plastic wrap:
1-2 TBS sugar (Lakanto)

Filling:
1/3 cup maple sugar (to make gooier, use more sugar or add a little liquid maple syrup drizzle).
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped nuts

Glaze:
3/4 cup maple sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
milk to thicken (soy or rice)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Warm milk and combine with yeast in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Combine butter, sugar and mix well. Add the milk/yeast mixture to it. Add remaining dough ingredients. Mix well and remove all lumps. Dough will be very soft. Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it to cover 13 1/2 x 13 1/2 square inches. Sprinkle sugar on the plastic wrap. Lay ball of dough in center of plastic square and cover with another piece of plastic wrap. Pat or roll the dough into a square shape. Remove top plastic and sprinkle the filling ingredients evenly over the dough. Roll the dough from one edge to the other into a log. Cut into even pieces about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place in a greased pie plate. Bake approx. 20 min., until tops are browned. Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over hot rolls.

*You may bake these and then freeze them. Warm them in a microwave for a few seconds or in a 350F oven for about 10min. or until warmed through.
** You may make them the night before and keep uncooked and covered in fridge. Bake in morning for hot fresh rolls.

Coming to an End

Well, our time alone is coming to an end. Todd should be home tonight (late). He did find a little gold and is bringing some fish. He has movies and pictures of his trip and the wildlife he saw. The kids are excited to see him. I am too.