Thursday, July 30, 2009

G.F. Pita Pockets

2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tsp sugar (1/2 maple sugar)
1 1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 cup sorghum flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 egg

In bread maker, add whisked water and egg. Mix all dry ingredients except yeast and add to bread maker. Make a well and add yeast. Process on dough setting. Preheat oven and a baking sheet to 500F. Roll golf ball sized dough into very thin ovals. Bake one at a time in oven for 4 min. Then turn over and bake 1 more minute. Remove and cut in half. Open up pockets w/ a knife. Freeze what you don't use right away. Pitas that don't puff up can be used as flat bread/naan.

Green bean salad

3# potatoes
2/3 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 TBS fresh rosemary leaves
1 red onion (thinly sliced)
2# french green beans (cut int0 1" peices)
24 kalamata olives pitted and halved

Quarter potatoes. Preheat oven 425F add 1/3 cup oil to a pan and raost potatoes, stir every 10 min. for 30 min. total or until tender. Let potatoes cool in pan. In blender puree garlic, vinegar, rosemary. Add salt to taste, 1/3 cup olive oil. Place onions in a bowl of ice water for 5 min. Drain and pat dry. Cook beans in boiling water for 5 min. or until tender crisp. Drain and shock in cold water. Pat dry. Combine potatoes, onion, green beans and olives in large bowl. Add dressing and toss. Serve w/ rosemary sprigs at room temp.

lemon meringue pie

1 cup white sugar
1 TBS potato starch
3 TBS tapioca starch
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup water
2-3 large lemons (3/4 cup juice, 1 1/2 TBS zest)
2 TBS butter or 1 TBS ghee
4 egg yokes, beaten
4 egg whites (room temp)
1 pie crust (baked)
3 TBS powdered sugar (Maple sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBS lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake pre-made pie crust per package instruction.

Make meringue first: beat egg whites until foamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 TBS lemon juice, slowly. Beat until stiff. Cover and refridgerate.

Make lemon filling: Wisk sugar, potato and tapioca starches and salt. Stir in water, lemon zest. Cook, stirring frequently until it boils. Add ghee. Place egg yokes in a small bowl and whisk in 1/2 cup hot sugar mixture. Add the egg yokes back into the main sugar mixture. Pour hot filling into pie shell and immediately add meringue. Make sure to spread it to the edge to seal the filling in. Bake for 10 min. or until golden. Allow to cool 3 hours on a wire rack on counter. Place in fridge uncovered 6 hours. Serve or cover with cling wrap and keep in fridge longer.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Quote for the day

"We've kind of had an outbreak of common sense around the country." Senator Fred Thompson (R) commenting on public opinion about the president's proposed health plan.

The last poll I saw showed 50% opposed the plan and 45% approved of the plan. Perhaps the numbers have changed, but that margin is still pretty scary. I am glad people are seriously questioning this plan, it is clearly not good for Americans. During this administration we will see our standard of living go straight down the drain and we will all just scratch our heads and wonder what happened. It is already happening, but I have feeling we haven't seen anything yet.