Recipe: Wheat/corn/dairy-free Hot Pockets

My goofy youngest childebeast scarfs a ham & vegan mozz hot pocket.

Our wheat/corn/dairy-free family has been playing with making our own version of the ever-popular hot pocket sandwiches, and we are getting pretty good at these, so we thought we'd share what we've learned so far. This is a pretty straightforward recipe, but it does get a little longish, so I'll keep the editorializing to a minimum.

Some tips:

• You'll need a kitchen scale to measure some of the dough ingredients.
• Prepare your fillings before you start the dough.
• You'll need two cookie sheets or jelly roll pans, or something flat on which to bake your delicious creations.
• Parchment paper helps, especially if you have aluminum pans.
• You'll need a flat greased surface to assemble your hot pockets - a wood carving board works well.

The basics of the recipe:
GF dough + mayo sauce + filling of your choice (julienned lunch meats, grated cheese, sauteed chopped veggies are all good) = happy tummies

Inside the ham and vegan mozz hot pocket...

Dough: This is the current version of our ever-evolving bread dough mix. If you want to eat this as regular bread, just pop the mixed dough into a greased bread pan, cover and let rise for an hour or so, then bake @ 375F for about 30-40 minutes.

You'll notice that some of the ingredients are measured by weight - I do this because I mix up a half-dozen batches of the dry ingredients ahead of time and store each batch in a zip lock bag, and it's faster/more accurate to measure by weight. If you'd like to do the same - just combine all of the dry ingredients EXCEPT the yeast, and store in a zip lock bag - then add the yeast just before you mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.

7.9 oz. white rice flour
6.3 oz. tapioca starch
11 grams guar gum
2 tbsp. ground flax
1 oz. sugar
3/8 cup coconut flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. GF baking powder
1 tbsp. yeast

Combine all and mix well.

In the bowl of a heavy duty mixer, combine the following:
1 egg
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups warm water (should be warm enough to activate the yeast, but not too hot or it will kill the yeast - test the water on your wrist)

Add dry ingredients and mix on slow for a moment or two to incorporate the dry ingredients, then mix on high for 3 minutes.

Work with greased hands, on a greased work surface (I used margarine on my hands and wood carving board) You'll have to re-grease the surface and your hands as you work.

Turn out the whole batch of dough onto the work surface and shape into an evenly shaped square or rectangle. Use a greased knife to divide the dough into 16 equal portions.

Working one at a time, roll each dough portion into a thick log, about 3-4 inches long. Pat the log flat into a rectangle, about 8" long x 5" wide.

Imagine a smaller rectangle centered on your dough rectangle, with a margin of about 3/4" all the way around. Place about 3 tbsp. of filling on one half of the smaller rectangle. I start with 1-1/2 tsp. of mayo sauce, then add meat or veg, then the cheese.

Next, fold over the other half of the dough. Work slowly and carefully, as the dough is very fragile. Gently lift the empty side of the rectangle and fold it over the filling. Roll the bottom dough edge up and over the otp dough edge and press together gently. Lift the hot pocket off the work surface and use both of your hands to gently press the whole thing together.

If the dough has come apart anywhere, press it back together.

Place on cookie sheet and finish assembling the rest of the hot pockets.

Bake at 375F for about 30 minutes, until golden brown. As ovens do vary, watch your hot pockets carefully the first time you make this. Make note of any adjustments needed for time or temperature.

Veggie hot pockets. This pic shows how I rolled up the bottom layer of dough to meet with the dough folded over the filling.

Filling notes:
For carnivores only:
A 6 or 7 oz. package of lunchmeats cut into 8 equal portions is plenty for half a batch of hot pockets. Once divided, the portions of meat might need further chopping to faciliate the hot pocket experience.

Mayo sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2-3 tsp. Grey Poupon dijon mustard (or to taste)

Mix well.

Sauteed veggie filling:
1/2 cup minced onions
2 cups chopped mushrooms
4 handfuls of arugula

Saute in liquid from marinated artichoke hearts. When mixture cools, toss with 1/2 lb. of shredded cheese for filling. Makes enough for 8 hot pockets.

DIY vegan mozzarella that melts – makes 1.5 pounds (from Jenn Shagrin's amazing book, Veganize This!)  (I used 1 lb. for our full batch of hot pockets, and have 1/2 pound leftover for something else tasty!)

1-1/2 12-oz pkgs. silken soft tofu (18 oz total)
1 cup vegan buttermilk (1 cup almond milk + 1 tbsp. flaxseed oil + 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, stir well, then set aside)
½ tbsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. rice vinegar
4 tsp. agar powder (available online or from Asian markets)

Place tofu, vegan buttermilk, salt, garlic powder, and rice vinegar in a blender or food processor, and blend at high speed until completely liquid. Transfer mixture to a small saucepan, stir in agar powder, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat and pour immediately into a baking dish. Smooth the top of the mixture, then place in refrigerator for a few hours until completely set. Use as any cheese. Keeps covered in fridge for up to eight days.


Bon appetit!

Cocoa Maca Banana Almond Buttercup Smoothies

The basics of this recipe came from Matthew Kenney's book, Everyday Raw. I'll post a photo as soon as I can manage.

The original smoothie was great, but I just can't help myself - I simply MUST fiddle with recipes...and I'm glad I fiddled with this one.

I added cocoa powder for extra chocolatey goodness (and the antioxidants), as well as maca powder for an extra kick of nutrition. Cold-pressed flaxseed oil adds Omega-3's and a "creamy" texture. These additions made the original smoothie closer to a traditional chocolate milkshake - which is helpful if you're trying to get childebeasts and the darling hubster to try new things like this. (BTW, this smoothie is now a go-to recipe in our house - everyone is ALWAYS up for it!)

This recipe is really flexible - add as little or as much as you like of any of the ingredients - but I do recommend that you follow the recipe the first time you make this, just to get the hang of it. Then, play with the proportions of the ingredients until it tastes fabulous to you. (Just don't forget to write down your measurements!)

4 cups frozen banana chunks
1/4 cup-1/3 cup cocoa powder/raw cacao powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2-3 tsp. maca powder (optional)
2 cups almond milk - add more if necessary
1 tbsp. cold-pressed flaxseed oil (or to taste)

1/4 cup agave (or to taste)

1/2 cup raw cacao nibs (optional - this gives a chocolate chip effect in the shake - add after everything else has been blended)

Blend in high-speed blender until smooth.

ETA: My new favorite source for maca powder and raw cacao powder is Mountain Rose Herbs. Maca powder, agave syrup, raw cacao powder and raw cacao nibs can also be found at Nuts.com, GoSuperLife.com or Amazon.com.

Wheat- and Corn-free Brownies

Remember that wheat and corn-free four flour bean mix recipe I posted a while back? Here's how I use this mix to make the tastiest brownies. I apologize for the lack of a photo - as soon as I make another batch, I'll get a pic and upload it.

When baking with wheat- and corn-free flours, I have the best results when I use stoneware baking pans. Mine are from The Pampered Chef, and are treasured components of my kitchen equipment.

Makes 16 large brownies

1 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups four flour bean mix
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Use a medium saucepan on low heat to melt the butter and chocolate.
3. Remove from heat; stir in sugar.
4. Add eggs and vanilla beat lightly just until combined.
5. Stir in flour and nuts.
6. Spread batter in pan.
7. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 45 minutes. Cool. Cut into bars. Enjoy!

Gluten-free Naan - easy AND tasty!!!

Waaaay back in January, I posted a recipe for the flour mix we use to make pizza. I have great news, especially if you're a fan of Indian food. This flour mix works REALLY well for making naan, a tender, very tasty leavened flat bread.

finished naan, ready for devouring!

Here's how we did it, loosely based on Bette Hagman's Pita Bread recipe found on page 193 of The Gluten-free Gourmet Bakes Bread.

The following makes about 20 individual naan breads - enough for two adults, two teenagers, and a hungry naan-crazed 8 year old boy.

You'll need 1-2 cookie sheets, butter or margarine, waxed paper, and a sheet or two of baker's parchment paper if your cookie sheets are aluminum like mine. Use the butter or margarine to grease the cookie sheets. You will also need a pastry brush, about 1/2 cup of butter/margarine mixed with 1-2 Tbsp. minced or pressed garlic if you want garlic naan, or no garlic if you want plain naan, and a shaker of salt.

Dry ingredients - combine in bowl of heavy-duty mixer using paddle:
6 cups French bread/pizza mix <--I've been making mine without the egg replacer, and just upping the egg content in the wet ingredients - it's working well for us. 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Almond meal or coconut flour
1-1/2 tsp. salt
4-1/2 Tbsp. sugar

Wet ingredients:

5 eggs

In a bowl, combine and set aside to foam:
2-1/1 Tbsp. dry yeast granules
1-1/2 cups warm (not hot) water
2 tsp. sugar

In another bowl, combine to melt shortening/coconut oil:
3/8 cup shortening or virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup hot water

----

Add eggs, foamed yeast mixture, and melted shortening/coconut oil/water mixture to dry ingredients and blend. Set mixer on high speed and beat for 3-1/2 minutes.

While you're waiting for the naan dough to mix up, tear off a few sheets of waxed paper and grease them, using the butter or margarine. You'll want the waxed paper sheets to be about 20-24" long - big enough for you to lay on 3-4 naans to rise.

Once the dough is thoroughly mixed, grab 2 tsp. of butter/margarine and rub it all over your hands. The dough is very soft and sticky, which makes for a tender finished bread, but it's a mess to work with if your hands aren't adequately greased. I found that I needed to re-grease my hands before I started working with each new piece of dough.

Use a rubber spatula to scoop out a small handful of dough, about the size of a duck egg, and form it into a thick cylinder, about 5-6 inches long. Lay the dough cylinder onto a cookie sheet (or one of the pieces of greased waxed paper, once you fill up your cookie sheets) and gently pat it into a flat, elongated teardrop shape, about 10-12 inches long, and about 5-6 inches at the widest point. Continue forming individual naan breads until all the dough is used up. Allow naan to rise for about an hour.

naan, rising

Preheat oven to 450-500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Use the pastry brush to brush a thin layer of garlic butter over the top of each naan, and then sprinkle a bit of salt over the top of that. Bake naan for 5-7 minutes, watching carefully near the end of the baking period. You want the tops to be golden brown. Use a spatula to remove naan from cookie sheet to a piece of paper towel to cool.

I found that the greased waxed paper worked great for the rising naan - and you should be able to re-use the parchment paper for the whole batch - just (very carefully) flip the waxed paper over and the naan should come away from the waxed paper easily. You might also try picking up each individual naan bread and laying it onto the cookie sheet. Whichever method you use, don't forget to brush on the (garlic) butter and sprinkle the salt!

This naan is best enjoyed immediately (preferably with a big plate of rice & veggies masala) but can also be re-heated using a toaster set to the lowest setting.

Ginger Wasabi Kale Chips (easy, raw, vegan, tasty!)

I am a complete potato chip junkie...something about that crisp salty tasty snacky goodness gets me every time...but at 150 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving of Lay's Classic Potato Chips, and knowing how easy it is (at least for me. ACK!!!) to scarf down about 8 servings at a time, regular potato chips are something I need to avoid. Imagine my delight when I found that kale chips satisfy that urge for a salty munchie!

This recipe is really easy - all you need is:

• a dehydrator (I love my 9-tray Excalibur)
• a bunch of fresh kale
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. wasabi powder
• fresh ginger, about 1" knob, washed and peeled
• 1/4-1/3 cup miso

1. Wash the kale and shake it dry.
2. Pull the leaves off the kale stems and tear leaves into bite-sized pieces (about 2-3" diameter or so)
3. Place torn kale leaves into a large bowl.
4. Grate ginger over kale leaves.
5. Sprinkle a small amount of wasabi powder over kale leaves.
6. Scoop miso onto kale leaves.
7. Use your hands to mush the miso onto all of the kale leaves, mixing well and distributing ginger and wasabi as evenly as possible.
8. Lay seasoned kale leaves onto mesh dehydrator trays, spreading apart in a single layer (you'll probably need 2-3 dehydrator trays to dry all of the leaves).
9. Dehydrate at 105 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-5 hours, or until completely dry.
10. Store in an airtight container.

Leftover crumbs can be sprinkled onto a salad for extra flavor.
I will be experimenting with different flavors, and will post here the results.

Have fun, and bon appetit!