Retired With No Regrets

Monday, June 8, 2015

Hummingbird Bundt Cake - Gluten Free

Sometimes I think about the boxed cake mixes that I could grab and have cake in an hour…. Those were the days of quick food, junk food and not really caring about food labels.

Since having to go gluten free, every label has to be read, even if it says gluten free, because I now have other food intolerances, like soy and flax.

Normally I love baking, but as I get older, it’s not as much fun anymore. So, I look for interesting recipes to try from scratch.

I always really loved a pound cake or coffee cake type desert, so I look at those types for a makeover. Those types cakes taste and bake more closely to the wheat version.

This recipe came about from seeing a recipe on Diamond Nuts – Hummingbird Bundt Cake.

Hummingbird Bundt Cake - Gluten Free

ingredients

Dry Mix

1 1/4 cups gluten free flour blend (suitable for cakes)

1 tbsp cake enhancer (King Arthur Flour) or meringue powder

1 tbsp powdered milk

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1/2 tsp vanilla powder (Authentic Foods)

1 cup granulated sweetener (used 34 C Stevia, 1/4 C sugar)

Nuts

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Wet Ingredients and Fats

1/3 cup grapeseed oil

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup mashed bananas (about 1 1/2 medium)

4 ounces canned crushed pineapple, un-drained

1/2 tsp pineapple or orange extract

1/2 tsp vanilla if not using vanilla powder

Cream Cheese Glaze

1 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp milk

Procedures

Heat oven to 350F. Grease the pan with non-stick spray or shortening, dust with fine milled rice flour or starch, Tap pan to remove excess.

Dice pineapple, if not using diced pineapple, a small food processor works well for this

Whisk the Dry Mix, then whisk in the pecans in a large mixing bowl

Mix in the Wet Ingredients And Fats until blended

Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the center comes out not gummy

Allow cooling on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a plate to cool to barely warm before glazing.

Enjoy

Servings: 12

Nutrition (part Stevia blend and sugar was used):

245 calories, 110 calories from fat, 12.5g total fat, 33.9mg cholesterol, 424.9mg sodium, 112.6mg potassium, <1mg iron, 69.7mg calcium, 2.4mg vitamin c, 245 calories, 30.7g carbohydrates, 1.8g fiber, 28.8g net carbohydrates, 8.2g sugar, 3g protein, 245 calories.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Coconut Flour – Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

I have more coconut flour than I really know what to use it for……. so I decided to try cookies.

Gluten free cookies that mimic the wheat flour ones don’t taste the same…. flour for flour, so additional flavorings and touch-ups are needed.

I often add shredded coconut to oatmeal or chocolate chip cookies to give them that little oomph.

Coconut flour alone is more like fine corn meal rather than flour, so it benefits from the addition of a starch like tapioca. I still haven’t perfected the perfect all-purpose blend, because cookies use a different ratio than cake or cupcakes would. I really do like DIY mixes rather than premixes, although I buy those too.

So here goes the recipe….enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

1/4 cup Coconut Flour, sifted

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1 pinch salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

Wet Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup Stevia blend (Pyure)

1/4 cup Coconut sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

Add-Ins

3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Procedures

Whisk the eggs, butter, sweeteners and extract until blended.

Whisk in the coconut, then the combined Dry Ingredients

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop batter in spoon-sized mounds 1 inch apart on parchment paper covered baking sheet.

Bake in preheated 350F oven for about 10 minutes or until bottoms are beginning to brown

Remove from cookie sheet using a lifter to a wire rack.

Optionally drizzle with melted chocolate

Makes about 24 small cookies.

Servings: 24

Nutrition (per cookie): 72 calories, 48 calories from fat, 5.2g total fat, 20.6mg cholesterol, 25mg sodium, 6.5mg potassium, <1mg iron, 7.6mg calcium, 72 calories, 6g carbohydrates, 1.1g fiber, 5g net carbohydrates, 1.4g sugar, 1g protein.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Heirloom Bean and Ham Soup

This is Wintertime hearty soup!

It is so easy to mix up a pot of soup these days. No recipe needed…
Just buy a bean mix, add a few spices, herbs, ginger, onions, cubes of ham, broth and as a final touch, pureed fire roasted tomatoes. I love thickened soups, so I always add a small amount of quinoa. Usually it is just one-fourth cup.

This cooked on high for two hours and low for about 4 hours. This is an old Crock Pot so it does not heat as hot as the newer fancy slow cookers.

This is after all day simmering

I found this large bag at a warehouse

Picked and rinsed well

I did a pre-boil with ginger to remove some of the toot power and the package also stated the mix would foam a bit. After boiling, drain and add drained beans to Crock Pot with spices and broth.