Pork Tenderloin

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Anne's Favourites

This is a standby BBQ favourite and quick meal anytime. This is one of the recipes in my cookbook that has received numerous raves from readers. Simple, inexpensive and delicious. What more could you ask for? Thanks to my sister-in-law, Marg, for sharing this recipe with me so many years ago!

Pork Tenderloin – Click here for pdf copy of recipe

Pork Loin Marinade
I like to cook an extra one to use for sandwiches. It’s awesome with some Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and lettuce or maybe a little chutney.

2 pork tenderloins
1/4 cup GF soya sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or 1/2 tsp dry
Whisk all ingredients together and pour over pork tenderloin.
Let marinate for at least 15 minutes, or all day sealed, in the refrigerator.
Barbecue or grill about 7 minutes on each side.
Let sit 5 minutes before slicing.
Makes 6 servings

Anne’s Favourites

Shrimp Risotto

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Anne's Favourites

Last night when the mercury soared above 30 for the third day in a row I did not really feel like eating and had used a lot of my BBQ favourites since we were on holidays without hydro for the preceding week. I wanted something to make without turning on the oven or BBQ and risotto came to mind. You only had to eat a little and the leftovers would be a great lunch if your appetite did not return but … with the vegetable preparation and testing the chilled apple wine for the risotto we were ready to enjoy our dinner by the time it was ready!

Cliff picked the last of the peas out of the garden, overgrown multiplier onions took the place of leeks and fresh parsley and garlic scapes brought the garden to the table.

Shrimp Risotto click here for pdf version of recipe

I like to make risotto when you only have 45 minutes to get supper on the table and you haven’t thought of anything yet. I always keep chicken stock frozen in 2 cup containers and I like to have a package of frozen shrimp to use for meals like this. If I do not have mushrooms I do not worry, I try to find something else. The more vegetables you add the better.

2 cups chicken stock, homemade or low sodium
2 Tbsp butter or chicken fat
8 – 10 mushrooms, sliced
1 medium – large onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup leeks, chopped, white and light green parts (optional)
1/4 cup pepperette, thinly sliced (optional)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 carrot, sliced thinly
3/4 cup rice, Arborio or Italian short-grain
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup white wine
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
10 – 12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Heat chicken stock and keep warm.
Cook mushrooms in 1 Tbsp butter until browned then set aside.
Cook onion and leeks in same pan with remaining butter or chicken fat until soft.
Add pepperette and garlic and continue cooking another minute.
Add carrot and rice and cook several minutes before beginning to add the chicken stock.
Add warm chicken stock one ladle full at a time stirring to deglaze the pan then continue stirring and cooking uncovered adding liquid as it is absorbed.
I usually pour my wine and water in with the stock so you just keep adding from one
pot as needed.
Add red pepper and peas with last addition of liquid.
Put shrimp on top of risotto after final addition of stock and cover to steam shrimp.
Check after 5 minutes to see if they are nicely pink and ready to eat.
Stir in Romano cheese just before serving.
Serves 3 Anne’s Favourites
Variation: Vegetarian Risotto

Omit Shrimp and Pepperette and substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

Strawberry Pavlova

Posted on June 29, 2013 by Anne's Favourites

I think this is the ultimate Canada Day dessert with it’s red and white colour scheme and local berries at their peak! You can make individual or family size meringues and they are so portable for picnics or potlucks or camping. Put them together when you are ready to serve! Use a handy can of whipped cream if you are not at home.

This morning I was able to spend time at our local berry patch, Morrison’s Berries, http://ontariofarmfresh.com/member-pages/morrison-berries-country-market/ listening to the birds and enjoying the summer holiday while picking a basket of strawberries. I seldom pick more than 6 quarts of berries at a time. That way I have an excuse to go again and again and it does not become a chore. To make our pavlova even more of a Canadian treat we harvested our first Saskatoon berries from bushes in our gardens. They are really abundant this year and taste like a cross between a currant and a blueberry and I think they will mix in nicely with the strawberries on top!

Pavlova– Click here for pdf version of recipe

Meringue:
3 egg whites, preferably room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Custard: This recipe makes enough for 2 batches of meringue or a Strawberry C ream Pie
1/2 cup white sugar
3 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 tsp salt, or less
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

Strawberries as desired, about 1 1/2 quarts washed and hulled
Sweetened whipped cream Meringue:

Whip egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean bowl with clean beaters until soft peaks form.
Gradually beat in sugar until stiff peaks form then stir in vanilla.
Spread all of meringue in a circle on parchment*lined baking sheet using a spoon to smooth and indent the centre slightly. I have also made individual meringues using a muffin scoop. This will make about 7- 8 individual forms.
Bake at 250°F for 45 -60 minutes until dry and firm. If you are not certain if it is quite done you may shut the oven off and leave it in until it cools
Custard:

Mix sugar, corn starch and salt until corn starch is evenly distributed to prevent lumps. Whisk in milk and microwave on high for 6 – 9 minutes, stopping to stir every 3 minutes When mixture has come to a boil and started to thicken add egg yolks putting a bit of the
hot mix into the yolks first to temper them.
Return to microwave and bring back to a boil, about 2 minutes.
Remove and add butter and vanilla, stirring until smooth.
Place a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap on top to keep from forming a skin and let cool.Cover baked meringue with cooled custard and berries. Top with a little sweetened whipped cream.

Anne’s Favourites Serves about 6

* You may use foil instead but lightly grease it before spreading meringue.

Fruity Oat Muffins

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Anne's Favourites

I have made dozens and dozens of muffins over the years, most of them for coffee breaks at our business, Cliff’s Plumbing & Heating. Surprisingly people have continued to eat the muffins provided without complaint even when they have been transformed into the gluten-free versions. It gives me a chance to experiment with adaptations without wasting the end product.

I have found that a number of my favourite muffin recipes translate seamlessly with a substitution of my GF all purpose flour mixture and xanthan gum at a ratio of 1 tsp to every 1 ½ – 2 cups of flour. Sometimes I add an extra egg for some of the liquid if that looks like an option in the ingredient list. The recipes that are a candidate for this substitution are the ones with fruit in them so I tried changing fruity bran to fruity oat and was quite happy with the results.

I noticed that gluten-free muffins and cookies often improve after a day or two so I thought the batter sitting before baking might be beneficial also. Whether if actually helps or not it is nice to have a muffin you can mix once and bake as needed!

Fruity Oat Click here for the pdf version of the recipe

Fruity Oat Muffins
2 1/2 cups GF all purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 tsp GF baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp allspice or 1 tsp cinnamon
grated rind of one orange
1 1/2 cups dried fruit – any combination of apricots, prunes, dates, etc.
2 cups GF rolled oats, quick cooking or large flake
1/2 cup orange juice *
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
Sift flour, both sugars, xanthan gum baking soda, baking powder, salt and spice.
Stir in orange rind and dried fruit mixture to coat.
Mix together rolled oats, orange juice, buttermilk, applesauce, oil and eggs.
Refrigerate overnight for flavours to blend but can be used immediately also.
Fill paper-lined muffin pans using a 1/4 cup measure or a 2 1/4 ounce scoop.
Bake at 365°F for 30 minutes.
Makes 22 muffins
*Use juice from the orange you’ve already taken the rind from and fill measure with regular juice, yogurt or buttermilk.

Butter Tarts and Blossoms

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Anne's Favourites

GF Pastry

Once a year I make tarts for the Horticultural Society Soup and Sandwich lunch and make enough extra for Cliff’s Plumbing and home. This year it worked out particularly well because I thought I need to update the butter tart photo on my blog to a gluten-free version and this gave me the opportunity. I recall counting butter tarts as one of the blessings that was naturally gluten-free when I first began my diet. I do not indulge often but it is good to know I can still add them to a special picnic or camping trip when I want to and they are just as decadently delicious as always!

At first I made the “gluten-free” pastry but now I just make my regular pastry with gluten-free all purpose flour and by using plastic wrap to roll it I am able to manage quite nicely. Thanks to Jenn Croft in Owen Sound for the idea to do that! If you do not have your own favourite pastry recipe you may try this one. GF Pastry – Click for pdf copy of recipe

Butter Tarts – Click here for pdf version of recipe

GF Pastry for 30 tart shells
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup melted butter*
1/2 cup corn syrup
3 – 4 eggs, depending on their size, I usually use 4
raisins, walnuts or coconut to taste

Mix brown sugar, salt, melted butter and corn syrup.
Whisk eggs then stir into brown sugar mixture being careful not to beat. If you get too much air in the mixture some of the tarts may seem hollow when baked.
Place raisins, nuts, coconut or a mixture of these in the tart shells then cover with butter tart filling to 3/4 full with a 7/8 oz scoop if you have one.
Bake at 400°F for the first 10 minutes then reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking
for another 15 – 20 minutes or until filling is set.
If you like your tarts runny you may take them out a little early or reduce the number of eggs to 3.
Makes 27 – 30 large tarts

*I would not substitute margarine here.
Anne’s Favourites

Rhubarb Coffee Cake – Spring’s Gift

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Anne's Favourites

Rhubarb Coffee Cake – photo by Nicholas Mann

Rhubarb – Spring’s Gift to Us

If you live in Southwestern Ontario look in your garden and you will see another of spring’s gifts – rhubarb. It is ready to cut….. and….. my favourite Rhubarb Coffee Cake works equally well with gluten-free all purpose flour! Thank you, again, Jayne for sharing this recipe with me. I am still looking and working on a muffin to take the place of my old reliable wheat version so if you have one that works I would love to try it out myself. The photo above is the version made with wheat flour and if you are able to use this just substitute 1 cup of whole wheat and 1 cup of all purpose flour for the GF flour and omit the xanthan gum. I used this photo because I could not do as nice a job as Nick did when he did the pictures for the cookbook and the cake does not look significantly different made with GF flour.

Already my husband, Cliff, is asking for rhubarb pie and luckily we can do that without wheat too. I just have to decide which one to make, strawberry rhubarb or rhubarb custard? If the weather turns us back indoors I will post a photo and recipe next week! Let me know if you have a preference for one of the pies.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake GF – Click here for pdf of recipe

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Cake:

1/2 cup margarine

1 1/4 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup applesauce, 113 g apple snack pack works

2/3 cup yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups GF all purpose flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups rhubarb, chopped

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 Tbsp rice or GF all purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp margarine

1/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)

Beat margarine and sugar until light then add eggs one at a time.

Stir in applesauce, yogurt and vanilla until smooth.

Sift together flour, xanthan gum and baking soda and stir into batter until combined.

Add rhubarb and beat a minute or two.

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and margarine with a pastry blender or your

clean hands.

Add nuts if desired and sprinkle over unbaked cake batter.

Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes until cake springs back when lightly touched, a tester comes

out clean and cake is pulling away from the sides of the pan.

Anne’s Favourites

Corrections – Anne’s Favourites Cookbook

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Anne's Favourites

I was totally unprepared for the amount of time it took to edit my cookbook for publication. It took 40 hours to read it through and that needed to be done about 8 times (should have been at least one more but I couldn’t do it!), checking all the ingredients and instructions to make sure they matched and nothing was typed in wrong. I thought since I had made each recipe a number of times from the draft it would be correct in the book. I had no idea there was so much room for error as print is formatted to look good on the page…. whole lines disappear, words get moved or lost and every time you correct something there is a chance you made another error in that process!

I am so thankful to Carolyn Klymco at Ampersand Printing for her patience with these edits after we submitted the manuscript or the book would have been full of errors. I doubt another printer would have been so helpful.

Despite the hours of editing and help from Claudia and Nick and the Irwins there are some corrections that you should be aware of if you are cooking with this book:

Pg 86 Whole Wheat Flax Bread – In the instructions it should just be 1 cup of whole wheat flour added in the initial mixing. I also missed adding the flax seed in the instructions for the remaining addition.

Pg 95 Bath Buns – It should be only ½ recipe of the sweet roll dough that you add the extra ingredients to.

Pg 113 Lemon Loaf – It should be ½ cup of yogurt or milk

Pg 152 Gluten-free Muffins – Now that I have been baking gluten-free for a year I would not include a separate recipe for gluten-free muffins. I would substitute my GF all purpose flour with a ½ tsp xanthan gum per cup for the wheat flour and try the recipes in the book. I have brought Banana, Pumpkin, Mincemeat, Prune Spice, Chocolate Zucchini and Orange Almond for coffee break and nobody at Cliff’s Plumbing & Heating complains.

Pg 160 Ranger Cookies – there should be a cup of all purpose flour as well as the whole wheat. I made them myself out of the book and they were still quite good – just flatter and crisper!

Pg 170 Chow Mien Chocolate Drops – Spelling of chow mien in title. I corrected it in the body of the text but the titles don’t show up in the spell check! When I checked the spelling in the index to see if it was corrected I saw that it was missed in the index!

Pg 208 Orange Carrot Cake – The ingredient list is correct but the instructions say baking soda and it should say baking powder.

Please let me know if you notice any other errors or omissions!

Kale Salad

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Anne's Favourites

Joanne gave me this recipe along with my first bunch of kale. It was so simply delicious and nutritious I have been seeking it out ever since. This week our local grocery store, Knechtel Food Market, got in a case of kale so it seemed like a good time to post the recipe! As you see from this photo I have added some kalamata olives, halved and used a sweet onion because I was out of green and red onions!

Kale Salad Click here for pdf of recipe

This recipe was given to me along with my first bunch of kale by Joanne McDonagh and I have
been seeking it out ever since. Wonderfully simple, delicious and nutritious!
4 -5 kale leaves, large, with ribs removed
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, diced
2 green onions or 2 Tbsp red onion sliced thinly
lemon juice
olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Massage washed leaves with ribs removed to minimize bitterness then tear into bite size
pieces.
Toss diced avocado with lemon juice and arrange over kale in a shallow bowl or plate. I have
a pasta bowl I like for this salad.
Spread tomatoes and onion over the avocado.
Drizzle with a little more lemon juice then olive oil.
Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper and serve.
.
Serves 2 – 3
Anne’s Favourites
Kale Salad

Gingerbread Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Lemon Sauce

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Anne's Favourites

Gingerbread Pumpkin Cake –

I was thinking I would have to wait until next fall to post the recipe for this delicious cake because it just has more appeal when it is cold and blustery outside but this week fooled me! Thoughts of trifle and spring were quickly replaced with Gingerbread and Stew on Monday morning but you will not regret trying this cake to celebrate the winter’s last blast (is that too hopeful?)!

A common problem with gluten-free baking is not having enough structure to support your creations so they compact as they cool. I found switching to the 9 x 13 pan let the cake bake evenly and I also tried the addition of a small amount of cocoa because for whatever reason chocolate cake is much more successful. With those amendments the cake was a success.

Even the less successful attempts with this cake were sought after when they were topped with the amazing caramel lemon sauce! Once you try the sauce you will want to think of other places it can be used. For sure use the leftover sauce with some bananas and ice cream!

The cake this was developed from a recipe that appeared in the December 2011 Canadian Living magazine made with wheat flour.

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
1/3 cup molasses, fancy
3 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 1/2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups GF all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp GF baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
Caramel Sauce:
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup whipping cream
Beat brown sugar, oil, sour cream, molasses and eggs 2 minutes..
Stir in pumpkin, fresh ginger and vanilla until combined.
Sift flour,cocoa, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
and cloves. into pumpkin mixture.
Mix until combined then scrape sides of bowl and beat for another 3 minutes.
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan and bake at 350°F for 50 – 60 minutes until cake is
pulling away from the sides of the pan and internal temperature has reached 200°.
For sauce: Melt butter with sugar and lemon juice over medium heat stirring until sugar is
dissolved and mixture begins to simmer.
Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook without stirring until amber coloured, about 5
minutes
Carefully stir in cream taking care that steam does not burn you. then continue to simmer
until thick, about 2 minutes. This sauce will keep 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Hot Cross Buns – Gluten-free Easter Delight

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Anne's Favourites

These are the ones I tried today (March 9, 2013) with the 1/4 cup applesauce added. I like the extra moisture and taste :)<br

Hot Cross Buns – GF< Click here for pdf version of GF Recipe
Marion’s Hot Cross Buns (Wheat)< Click here for the Original Recipe with Wheat

I’m about 4 blogs behind getting posted but I had to bump these Hot Cross Buns to the top because they were so good and last year I thought I would never get another toasted, fruity Hot Cross Bun the way I like to make them with wheat (There is a great recipe for the wheat version in Anne’s Favourites pg 96 and I will attach the pdf). Once I got the hamburger bun (a future blog) recipe developed a lightbulb went on and I just knew they would adapt to this Easter treat! I wish I would have thought about the Maple Syrup as the glaze before writing Anne's Favourites because it worked perfectly

The English muffin rings are available at The Kitchen Cupboard and Icebox http://www.kitchencupboardandicebox.com in Listowel at a really reasonable price. I bought 3 packages so I have 12. They are great for gluten-free baking, giving you an easy form to spread the dough into and edges to bake which really helps structurally and that is what you are missing without gluten. I use them to make sandwich/hamburger buns also.

I can't wait to make these again on the week-end and will try adding ¼ cup of applesauce to the dough and see how I like that. If you try these please let me know how they turn out for you.

Hot Cross Buns – Gluten-free
3/4 cup milk, scalded
1/4 cup melted margarine
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp honey
2 cups GF AP flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup whey powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp instant yeast
2 eggs
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raisins, I like to use some golden
1/4 cup mixed peel
1/4 cup candied cherries
maple syrup to brush tops
Scald milk and let cool with margarine, water and honey while measuring remaining
ingredients
Sift together GF all purpose and sweet rice flour, tapioca and potato starch, whey powder,
salt, xanthan gum, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Add yeast, eggs, cider vinegar and vanilla to lukewarm liquid ingredients.
Pour in sifted dry ingredients and mix on low until combined. Scrape bowl and mix on
medium speed for 4 minutes.
During last minute of mixing add raisins, peel and cherries and combine thoroughly.
Scoop into 11 or 12 English muffin rings and spread as evenly as you can sealing to the
edges. Let rise uncovered for about an hour until it reaches the top of the pan
Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes until nicely browned and internal temperature
is at least 200 degrees F. Brush immediately with maple syrup if glaze is desired.
You may pipe the cross on with some butter icing if you like.

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