WMFB 3-15-2011

 

Beware the Ides of March. I just love saying that but you only need to worry if you are Julius Caesar. On a more pertinent note, what’s new at the bakery? I feel like I should finish up the Pasta Category. I learned that you need to use lots of water when you cook gluten free pasta. Also, don’t thaw the ravioli before you cooking. If you put them in the boiling water frozen, they will separate on their own. The lasagne is delicious. Get some and keep it in your freezer. It’s great for those nights when you don’t know what to fix, and it is good enough to serve to company.

Today I was talking to one of my fellow ski instructors and he mentioned that he had picked up some goodies at the bakery for a friend of his who has celiac disease. His friend was delighted to have something that tasted so good because generally the baked goods he eats taste like sawdust. I can attest to the fact that nothing at West Meadow Farm Bakery tastes like sawdust! So if you are visiting a friend that has a gluten allergy, stop and pick up a treat for them. I’m sure they will thank you for it.

 

WMFB 03/01

WMFB 03/01

 

 

They say that March is the meteorological beginning of spring, but with sub zero temperatures in the forecast, I’m not so sure. So, it was a good day to fire up the wood cookstove and make some soup. I love slaving over a hot stove when it’s cold outside. The perfect accompaniment to a bowl of soup is a freshly baked roll, so I pulled a package of Pepper Jack bake and serve rolls (gluten free, of course) out of the freezer and I was good to go. I let them sit at room temperature until thawed and baked them for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

The true test of any food is the husband test and these passed with flying colors. I believe his exact words were “Boy, are these good! I would eat these anytime!” These rolls are warm and soft, with gooey cheese throughout. They really are tasty. In addition to the pepper jack variety there are also Spinach – Feta and Broccoli – Cheddar. I have yet to try these, but am looking forward to the experience.

 

WMFB02/18

 

Gnocchi( pronounced no key ) is an Italian noodle with a potato base. You can now purchase these delectable little dumplings at the bakery – gluten free of course. They come frozen and you cook them by putting them, still frozen, into plenty of boiling water. They can be used in many recipes such as the one that follows, from Nick Stellino’s Mediterranean Cooking.

 

Gnocchi with Creamy Asparagus-Prosciutto Sauce

 

3 T olive oil

4 garlic cloves, thickly sliced

½ cup chopped white onion

1 lb asparagus, tops cut off and reserved, stems cut in ½ inch pieces

¼ cup dry, white wine

2 T chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 ¼ cups chicken stock

¾ t salt

¼ t black pepper

½ cup prosciutto or smoked ham, cut into thin strips

1/3 cup whipping cream

2 lbs gnocchi

boiling water

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

 

Heat 2 T olive oil in a large saute pan set on high heat until sizzling, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, and asparagus stems and cook until the garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the parsley, chicken stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes, until the asparagus is soft.

Transfer the asparagus mixture to a food processor or blender and process until a smooth, creamy consistency, about 1 minute.

In the same pan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat until sizzling, about 1 minute. Add the asparagus tops and half the prosciutto or ham and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the ham and asparagus start to turn color and become fragrant. Add the processed asparagus mixture and the cream to the pan, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the gnocchi in the boiling water according to package directions, drain well and return to pot. Pour the sauce over the gnocchi, add the cheese and gently stir to coat well. Transfer to plates and top with remaining prosciutto or ham.

Serves 4 to 6.

 

WMFB 02/10

WMFB 2/10/2011

 

One of my recent assignments was to take some stale bread and make bread pudding, something I don’t do very often. I was given bread cubes from several different kinds of bread that were dry but not hard. Of course, by the time I actually got around to making the pudding, the bread was as hard as a rock. “This can’t be good”, I thought, but charged ahead anyway. I picked out a recipe from Everyday Food, from Martha Stewart, that seemed easy enough. When I poured the custard over the bread, I let it sit for 15 minutes to soften the cubes a little. I don’t know if it helped or not. Let us just say that the end result was very soft and tasty. It also helped (in my opinion) that some of the bread cubes were from a loaf of raisin bread.

 

It turns out that in the interim, the staff at the bakery developed a “Bread Pudding Kit”, with bread chips and seasoning and a recipe included. I haven’t tried it yet, but you may want to save your own stale bread and make the pudding yourself, so I have included my recipe.

 

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

 

Unsalted butter, room temperature, for dish

1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin puree

1 cup whole milk

½ cup heavy cream

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup light brown sugar

½ t coarse salt

¾ t pure vanilla extract

½ t ground cinnamon

½ t anise seed, roughly chopped (I did not use this)

10 oz. day old bread, cut into ½ inch slices or 1 inch cubes

½ cup pecans, roughly chopped

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2 quart baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, milk, cream, eggs, brown sugar, salt, vanilla,cinnamon, and anise seed. Arrange bread in dish. Pour custard over bread and top with pecans. Bake until custard is set, 45 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

I found it best served warm with vanilla ice cream.

 

Enjoy the recipe or go to the bakery and get one of the kits. I’m going to try one myself!

 

 

 

Update 02/04/2011

WMFB 1/25/11

 

I’ve been hanging around the West Meadow Farm Bakery. The air is redolent with good smells. The free sample of the day is Fettuccine Alfredo, contained in a chaffing dish sitting on the counter. It is a creation of Jeff’s and he is quick to give me a taste. Yum. The fresh pasta is so good and you can’t even tell that it’s gluten free. The consistency is the same as any fresh pasta and the sauce is cheesy goodness. There has to be a lot of cream involved!

Everyone is hard at work, each doing their job with quiet concentration. Sarah is packaging muffins soon to be delivered to the local hospital where they will be served in the cafeteria and the food kiosks. Patients who have been recently diagnosed as gluten intolerant will have a pleasant surprise when they bite into one of these. They won’t have to do without good tasting baked goods after all!

Jeff is making pirogies, little pasta dumplings filled with a broccoli – cheddar mixture. They are a fairly new product and are sold frozen. He explains that you can cook them in several ways; he prefers to pan sear them, but you can also bake, fry or boil them. I am bringing some home – can’t wait to try them. They also come filled with potato, onion and garlic.

Kristen is back in the office working at the computer. It’s not all about baking; there is always office work to do – making labels, typing up nutrition information, keeping track of production, and many other tasks. She was in early baking muffins, bread, and other goodies.

Mark comes in for a later shift and goes right to work on pizza crusts for the American Flatbread Co. They now offer a gluten free option at their Burlington restaurant.

Lois, the owner, is giving me the low down on recent activities. Did I tell you that she’s my sister? I try to help her out when I can because I love her products and because she provides a valuable service. Imagine being told you can never eat pizza again; or apple pie. If you are diagnosed with a gluten intolerance, you might think life as you know it is over. Not so! At West Meadow Farm Bakery, life begins again.

So, with Super Bowl weekend coming up, why not stock up on goodies from the bakery, so you can join your friends, or even feed your friends, at that Super Bowl party. The new pasta choices would be perfect!

Breaded Stuffed Baked Chicken (stuffed with cheese and dariy free variation)

 

Breaded Stuffed Baked Chicken

Ingredients	Measurements
Red bell peppers, finely copped	½ cup
fat free feta cheese, crumbled	½ cup
gorgonzola cheese, crumbled	1/3 cup
sharp cheese	¼ cup
garlic powder	½ teaspoon
black pepper	1 ½ teaspoon
west meadow white bread crumbs	1 cup
parmesan cheese	1 tablespoon
salt	½ teaspoon
low-fat Butter	2 tablespoons
boneless skinless chicken breasts	4 (6oz) Breast

Preheat oven to 425°F. Serves 4

1. Combine the red bell peppers, feta, gorgonzola and pepper in a bowl and set aside.
2. Combine the bread crumbs, garlic, salt, black pepper, and the parmesan in a bowl and
3. Slice into each chicken breast to form a “pocket.”
4. Take the chicken and cover the whole chicken  with the bread crumbs
5. Fill each pocket with about 1/4 of the pepper and feta mixture.
6. Take each piece of foil and place 1/2 Tbsp margarine in the center. Place each breast on the margarine inside the foil.
7. Fold the foil into packets and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the meat in no longer pink. Serve with a good helping of steamed veggies.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free German Chocolate Cake

 

 Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Coconut-Pecan Frosting

Ingredients	Measurements
Eggs (yolks)	4 yolks
Unsweetened Coconut Milk	1 can (13.5 oz)
Vanilla	1 ½ tsp
Sugar	1 ½ cups
Earth Balance (Vegan Butter)	¾ cups or 1/12 sticks
Flake Coconut	1 pkg. (7oz)
Pecans	1 ½ cups

 

1. Beat the yolks, coconut milk and vanilla in a large sauce pan with a whisk until incorporated.
2. Add sugar and butter: cook on medium heat for 12 minutes or until golden brown, stirring constantly.
3. Remove from heat and add the coconut, pecans mix until is all incorporated.
4. Let cool to room temperature. 

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients	Measurements
Baker’s German’s sweet Chocolate	1 pkg. (4oz)
Water	½ cup
Kari’s Gluten-Free Pastry Flour	2 cups
Baking Soda	1 tsp
Salt	¼ tsp
Earth Balance (Vegan Butter)	1 cup (2 sticks)
Sugar	2 cups
Eggs (yolks)	4 yolks
Eggs  (whites)	4 whites
Vanilla	1 tsp
Almond Milk	1 cup
Dairy Free Coconut- Pecan Frosting	N/A

 

Preheat oven to 350* degrees and cut three (9- inch) circles of parchment or wax paper; grease sides of the pans.

1. In a microwaveable bowl heat the chocolate and the water in a microwave on High for

1 ½ to 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted.

1. In a mixing bowl beat the egg white on high speed until a stiff peak is formed and set aside
2. In a small mixing bowl mix the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside
3. Cream vegan butter and sugar in a mixing on medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Add egg yolks one at a time mix until incorporated
5. Add the chocolate and vanilla. Mix well
6. Add the flour mixture and almond milk. Alternating between the two starting with the flour. Mixing until all is incorporated.
7. Fold egg whites into the batter. Pour evenly into the cake pans
8. Bake for 30 minutes. Use the toothpick test to check the doneness of the cake. Cool in pans 15 minutes. Remove from pans and set on wire racks; let cool for at least 2 hours. This to allow the cake to be the perfect temperature to begin frosting.

10.  Frosting the Cake

1)      After the cake is cool spread the Dairy Free Coconut- Pecan Frosting in between the layers and on top of cake.

2)       Eat and Enjoy!

Low Fat Turkey Lasagna

Low Fat Turkey Lasagna

Ingredients	Measurements
Extra lean ground turkey	1 lb
Hunts tomato sauce	15 oz. can
Bell pepper chopped  (any color will do fine)	1 cup
Onion chopped	1/2 cup
Nutmeg	1 teaspoon
Garlic powder	1/2 teaspoon
Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles (or other brand)	1 (8 ounce) box
Polly-o fat-free ricotta cheese	30 ounces about 4 cups
Cabot shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese	8 ounces
Cabot extra sharp cheddar	1/4 cup grated
Egg	1
Salt	1 teaspoon
Ground black pepper	1/4 teaspoon
Italian Seasoning (I get mine form Healthy Living)	1 tablespoon

SERVES 12

Preheat oven: 350*

1. Brown meat in large (>3qt) saucepan (a trick I use to help brown is use a little bit of Marsala but you can use any other liquid. Like water)    
2. Add pepper and onions, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, garlic powder, Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, continue with next 3 steps.(note if you if you use any liquid to help brown the meat. You will want the liquid to be gone or mostly gone before adding this step)  
3. Cook lasagna according to package directions, drain. (Separate noodles and lay out flat on wax paper or aluminum foil to keep pieces from sticking together as they cool.).
4. Combine ricotta, cheddar, 1 ½  cups of the mozzarella, egg, salt and pepper for filling.
5. In a 13″x9″ baking pan, pour a thin layer of sauce to cover the bottom. Arrange 3-4 pieces (1/3 box) of lasagna lengthwise over sauce. Spread 1/3 cheese filling over noodles, then another layer of sauce. Repeat layers of lasagna, filling and meat sauce.
6. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
7. Remove aluminum foil, sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Bake uncovered about 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned.
8. Allow to stand for about 10 minutes before cutting for easier handling.

Over The Top Apple Crisp

Over the Top Apple Crisp

Ingredients	Measurements
Apples (peeled and sliced)	4 pounds & 8 ounces
Kari’s Pastry Flour	2 cups
Salt	¾ teaspoon
Sugar (in two parts)	1st part ¾ cup2nd part ½ cup
Egg	1 large egg
Baking powder	2 teaspoons
Butter (melted)	½ cup or 1 stick
Gluten Free Rolled Oats From Cream Hill Estates	½ cup
Cinnamon	¾ teaspoon
Rum	3 cups
Apple Cider	¼ cups

• Take 2 pounds, 4 ounces of the apples and let them soak in a container with the rum, apple cider, and the 2^nd part of sugar over night. (You can substitute the rum for more cider if need)

Preheat oven at 350*

1. Take the Apples that have been soaking over night and drain the rum into a sauce pan. (We’re going to use it to make our Rum Cider Sauce). Then in well greased 9’x13’ pan and place all the 4 pounds 8 ounces into the pan.
2. Pour the Rum Cider Sauce (see bottom of page for the recipe) over the apple and mix until the apples are coated.
3. In a small mixing bowl mix Kari’s Pastry Flour, Salt, 1^st part Sugar, Baking Powder, Gluten Free Oats, and Cinnamon. Mix until incorporated.
4. Take the melted butter, egg and mix into the flour mixture. Mix until texture becomes crumbly.
5. Place crumble mix over the apples. Make sure to cover the whole top.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until it begins to bubble.
7. Take out and let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy.

Rum Cider Sauce

Ingredients	Measurements
Rum	3 cups
Apple Cider	¼ cup
Sugar	1 cup
Cinnamon	¾ teaspoon
Arrowroot	1 tablespoon

1. Pour the rum, apple cider, sugar and cinnamon into a sauce pan. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
2. Cook on High for 5-10 minutes or until it begins to boil. (This will cook out most of the alcohol).
3. Take off heat. Place a cup of the liquid in a small bowl with the arrowroot mix until the arrowroot dissolves. (this is called a slurry)* Note you can use Cornstarch but you will have to double the amount.
4. Place the sauce pan back on to medium low or low heat. Pour in the slurry stir until the slurry is fully incorporated.
5. Stir every so often and let the liquid reduce for 5 more minutes.
6. Take of heat and let cool for 2 minutes. Consistency should be like a light syrup.

Our Birthday!

Come to our Birthday Party! We are turning one year old, and so we want to celebrate – which is good for you. We will be having cupcakes for everyone who comes in – some of our cupcakes will also be egg and dairy free! We will also be offering tastes of our newest breads – sourdough and french bread.

So come Join us on Friday and Saturday, January 29th and 30th! We will have a great time!