Happy Thursday!
I cannot believe how quickly October is passing. Before long it is going to be time to start thinking about Christmas shopping and holiday menus. In the mean time, I have to figure out Halloween for the boys.
At 6 and 7 they aren’t too big to be excited about the big day. Given that we are about 45 minutes from civilization and most definitely not in a friendly neighborhood, Trick-or-Treating is out of the question.
To illustrate why where we are wouldn’t be appropriate for Halloween fun even if the houses were close enough together, allow me to share a sign we drive by as we get to our vacation rental.
Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.
See, not the kinda place that seems welcoming to little boys in super hero costumes.
I’m thinking that may we will do a couple of days of fun treats and crafts and then plan a scavenger hunt on the big night. Since neither of them are interested in more than a couple of pieces of candy at a time, I’ll probably do small Legos in addition to a little organic candy as their finds.
What do you guys think? How would you make an in-the-middle of nowhere Halloween special for little boys?
In other news…
Cooking Quinoa in the Washington Post
Last Monday, I chatted with Washington Post columnist Joe Yonan about the difficulty he had enjoying quinoa. Like my Mom, he has an issue with the texture. Since I was working on about three hours sleep when we spoke, I was a bit nervous at how the article was going to come out. Fortunately, Joe was able to make some sense out of my rambling. You can check out the article here.
On to the food…
Today I’m sharing a gluten free Focaccia bread with you that I adapted from The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook
Inspired by The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave nectar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons rapid rise yeast
- ¾ cup toasted Quinoa Flour
(toasting optional, see below)
- 1 cup sorghum flour
- 1 ¼ cup tapioca starch
- ½ cup potato starch
- 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Spray a 9 x 9 baking pan with spray and dust with cornmeal.
- In a small bowl, combine water, maple syrup and yeast. Mix well and set aside to activate – about 10 minutes.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine quinoa flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, xanthan gum and sea salt. Mix until well combined.
- When the yeast is frothy, add to the flour mixture in two separate batches. Mix for 1 minute, until the dough comes together.
- Transfer dough to the prepared pan. Use the back of a spoon dipped in cold water to smooth the dough. Cover with a clean dish dowel. Place the pan in a dishpan or large roasting pan and fill with hot water to come two-thirds up the sides. (Make sure your cloth doesn’t touch the water.) Let the bread rise for 1 hour. Alternatively, you may place the pan in your oven on the proof setting for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, use your fingers to make dimples in the bread.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Just before placing in the oven, pour the olive oil over the dough, using a pastry brush to evenly distribute. Sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary. Bake for 22 minutes, or until the top is golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and remove from pan. Let cool for 15 minutes prior to slicing.
Notes
Servings 12, Calories 194, Fat 5.1g, Carbohydrates 34.7g, Protein 2.7g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 824mg, Fiber 2.0g, Sugars 1.1g
To toast quinoa flour line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the flour evenly to a thickness of no more than 1/4 inch. Cook at 220 degrees for 90 minutes.
{ 0 comments… add one now }