A winner of a panini!

Yesterday saw the birth of an amazing panini combination. It started out innocently enough with some bread and smoked turkey, but suddenly my dear hubby had a flash of brilliance (this is actually a regular occurrence in the kitchen). Some friends of ours had gifted us with some dehydrated fruit recently, and this is the tale of how some of it ended up in a panini...

Turkey Blueberry Panini
Serves 2

Ingredients
4 slices GF bread, lightly toasted (toasting is unnecessary for non-GF bread)
2-4 handfuls baby spinach
4 slices smoked turkey deli meat
mayo
1-2 t. butter, melted
cinnamon
4-6 T. dehydrated blueberries
1/2 c. grated goat mozzarella cheese (can use cow mozzarella if not allergic)


Directions
Preheat panini press (I use a cast iron one) on medium heat while assembling the sandwiches. Divide the ingredients in half. On one piece of bread, spread a thin layer of mayo and lightly sprinkle cinnamon on top. On the second piece of bread, spread a thin layer of mayo, then add (in order) turkey slices, dehydrated blueberries, grated mozzarella, and spinach. Place the first piece on bread on top of the spinach. Brush the melted butter on the outside of the sandwich on both sides. Repeat for the second sandwich. Place the sandwiches in the preheated panini press, taking care to press the lid firmly into the sandwiches. Cook 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Turn sandwiches over, press lid down firmly, and cook an additional 3-4 minutes till the other side is golden brown. Remove from the panini press and enjoy!

My little family's favorite mango recipe!

Need a new way to use up those ripe mangoes sitting in your fridge? Well, you are in luck, because I have an awesome way to use them! It's not exactly a quick and easy recipe, but the results are very much worth the time it takes to make it. Trust me. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Chicken in Mango Sauce with Jasmine Rice
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 T. olive oil
1/4 c. honey
2 lemons, peeled, pith and seeds removed
6 cloves garlic
2 jalapeno peppers
4 chicken pieces (we prefer 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (any color)
2 mangoes, peeled and diced
2 t. grated orange peel or orange zest
2 t. paprika
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. allspice
1 c. jasmine rice
1 can chicken broth or 16 oz. and 3/8 t. miso (my favorite substitute for buillion)

Directions
Put oil, honey, lemons, garlic and jalapeno peppers into food processor; process until thick and smooth. Place rice in an oiled 9x13 pyrex glass dish and pour chicken broth over rice. Lay chicken pieces on top of the rice. Toss on onion, bell pepper, and mango pieces. Pour oil/honey mixture over the top, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika, cinnamon, and allspice. Sprinkle with orange zest.

Baked in 350〫oven for between 50 minutes and 1 hour & 10 minutes; test chicken for doneness.

By request...

Today has been a very busy day, mainly because I am rushing around trying to prepare for the baby's arrival. Now that I'm utterly spent from all the activity, I happened across a recipe that was requested a few weeks ago: GF pizza crust. I'll take advantage of this opportunity to get off my feet for a short while, in an effort to share the best gluten-free pizza crust (at least, to my knowledge) out there. Enjoy!

Here is a photo of our most recent topping combination: Asparagus Pizza! Yum!

First of all, you'll want to make up a batch of French Bread/Pizza Mix (page 190 in Bette Hagman's The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread):

(for 6 cups of mix)

White rice flour – 3.5 cups
Tapioca flour – 2.5 cups
Xanthan gum – 2 Tablespoons
Unflavored gelatin – 2 (7-gram) packets
Egg Replacer – 2 Tablespoons
Sugar (white) - 1/4 cup

Stir together well or place in plastic bag and tumble. Store on pantry shelf.

Now that you have the base mix to work with, you can whip up a quick GF pizza crust, using Bette Hagman's "Seasoned Pizza Crust" recipe on page 191 in The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread:

Dry ingredients
1 1/2 c. French Bread/Pizza Mix
3 T. almond meal
3/4 t. Italian seasoning (McCormick's)
1/2 t. salt
2 1/2 t. dry yeast granules

Wet ingredients
2 egg whites
1 1/2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. warm water

Directions
Preheat oven to 400〫F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or a round pizza pan.

Blend the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Using a heavy-duty mixer, blend wet ingredients together on low. Add flour mix. Beat on high for 3 1/2 minutes.

Spoon dough onto the prepared cookie sheet/pizza pan, and spread in circle about 12 inches in diameter, making sure the edges are raised to contain the sauce. Let rise 10 minutes in a warm place. Bake 10 minutes while preparing your toppings (for a unique topping idea, see my previous post on Indian pizza!). Spread on your choice of pizza sauces, cheeses, and meats. Bake again for 15 minutes until cheese is melted in the middle and crust is golden brown.

Makes 12-inch, thick pizza crusts or 14-inch thin pizza crusts. Each pizza serves 6 to 8.

NOTE: To make the process go faster, measure out the dry ingredients and place in a ziploc bag. Continue until all the French Bread/Pizza Mix is used. This way, whenever you want to make a quick pizza, all you need to do is add the wet ingredients to the dry mix, and you're good to go!