Friday, November 16, 2012

Pumpkin Herb Biscuits

I love Roben Ryberg's cookbooks.  I love her single flour philosophy.  I love the way she provides multiple variations on flours for her recipes, and I absolutely love that she does most things by weight. 

Every gluten-free home should own a couple of her cookbooks.

This recipe is heavily adapted from the rice flour biscuits recipe in her book "You Won't Believe It's Gluten-Free!"  Her original recipe is also available online on at RobenRyberg.com.

My variation was motivated by a desire to use up some slightly iffy herbs before heading out to Grebar Farms tomorrow to get fresh ones.

Pumpkin Herb Biscuits

3.9 ounces Spectrum organic shortening
155 grams brown rice flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp sea salt
About 1 Tbsp chopped mixed herbs: Sage, rosemary, thyme
1/3 to 1/2 cup canned organic pumpking, plus enough water to make 3/4 cup total
1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

  1. Preheat oven to 375 (f) and liberally grease a big iron skillet or a cookie sheet.
  2. Mix shortening and flour together with until crumbly and lovely.
  3. Sprinkle baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and sea salt more or less evenly over the crumbly flour mixture.  Stir & fold to distribute evenly.
  4. Sprinkle herbs over flour mixture and stir again to distribute evenly.
  5. Mix pumpkin and water in a liquid measuring cup.  Add maple syrup and vinegar, stirring to combine.
  6. Sprinkle liquid stuff over the flour stuff, then stir gently to combine.
  7. Drop biscuits onto prepared skillet or cookie sheet, then gently shape a little with your fingers.
  8. Bake at 375 (f) for about 12-18 minutes.
  9. Makes 10-12 biscuits.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Chile Mole(ish)

Tomorrow is the neighborhood chili cookoff.  We usually don't participate in neighborhood events. Largely because there usually aren't any.

So... I've been planning.

Black beans, because all other beans are farty.

Ground pork, just because it's something I never use.

Roasted chilis, because Grebar Farms was selling chilis today.

Fresh lime basil and fresh oregano, because what is a pilgrimage to Grebar Farms without fresh herbs?

Epazote, because Mr. Grebar says it will make chili even less farty.  Not much of it because Mrs. Grebar says it's not really yummy stuff.

Chocolate, because I had some old organic baking chocolate that really needed to get used.

Purple onions, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, & ancho chili powder because, after all, this is chili.

Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice because that goes with the chocolate.

Tough decision: Tomatoes? Pumpkin? Both? 

So, inasmuch as chili is ever a recipe, and insofar as you can ever guesstimate measurements when you're making chili, here it is:

Chili Mole(ish)

1.5 lbs black beans
6-8 epazote leaves, optional
2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh lime basil
3-4 Tbsp lightly chopped fresh oregano
6-8 Mild to medium New Mexico chilis, roasted
1 large purple onion
6 cloves garlic
1.25 lbs ground pork
2 oz dark baking chocolate
1 16 oz can organic pumpkin puree
2 16-oz cans organic tomatoes
2 tsp cumin
1/5 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
dashes of clove, nutmeg, and allspice
Additional garlic powder, to taste
Salt & black pepper, to taste
Cilantro, optional

  1. Soak black beans in plenty of water for about 12 to 18 hours.
  2. Rinse, add water to cover (and then some), and put in a large stock pot to boil.
  3. Cook for about a couple of hours, until beans are starting to soften but not yet mushy.
  4. Add herbs, onion, chilis, and garlic. 
  5. Crumble the raw pork into the mix.
  6. When pork and onions are done, add the chocolate, pumpkin, tomatoes, and the spices.
  7. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  8. Cook a little longer, until the beans are as mushy as you like.
  9. Garnish with cilantro leaves.