Gluten-Free Pantry: Yankee Cornbread & Muffin Mix

To me it seemed like an eternity before spring finally got itself going this year. Amidst torrential rains and flooding I opted to make Rob some Corn and Black Bean cakes a la Rachael Ray.

Basically the recipe calls for cornbread mix, black beans, cumin and scallions. The trick of course was to find a gluten free cornbread mix that would make this recipe work as a celiac safe meal.

Luckily I had some Gluten-Free Pantry Yankee Cornbread & Muffin Mix I had been meaning to try.

According to the package instructions, Gluten-Free Pantry cornbread requires sugar, low-fat buttermilk (not as easy to locate as you might think), 1 egg lightly beaten and 6 tbs. melted butter.

But then they also had their own recipe for corncakes which I followed instead. This asked for 2 eggs, 2 cups buttermilk, 1 tbs. sugar, 2 tbs. oil, the mix, and then I added a 15 oz. can of black beans (rinsed), some cumin and some scallions.

I stirred it all up, heated a griddle and poured the pancakes. The first four didn't brown so nicely, but by the second round the griddle was the right temperature and the Smart Balance sizzled on the pan. The cakes cooked up nicely and we were ready to eat.

So these were rather tasty- I guess a bit filling, but I liked the lightness of the cornbread. It gave great texture and flavor but was not overpowering. These cakes can be eaten with maple syrup and butter, salsa and/or grated cheese. We opted for the salsa which gave the cakes a little more punch. It really made for a high comfort gluten free meal, and I had lots of batter left over for the next day's breakfast.

I will definitely look for Gluten Free Pantry's cornbread mix again and try it by itself next time.

Ingredients:
Corn meal, white rice flour, baking powder (corn), salt.
May contain traces of soy.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 3 tbs dry mix (38 g)
Servings per container: 8
Calories: 130
Calories from fat: 0
Total fat: 0 g
Sat fat: 0 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 310 mg
Total Carb: 30 g
Dietary fiber: 0 g
Sugars: 0 g
Protein: 3 g

Gluten-Free Pantry Yankee Cornbread & Muffin Mix is gluten/wheat free, trans fat free and cholesterol free.

Pasta: Tinkyada Gluten Free Pasta a la Rachel Ray

Rachael Ray is one hot ticket. Just ask anyone- from the butcher to the neighborhood outdoors’ store owner! So I was pleasantly surprised when I received a copy of her new cookbook, 2,4,6,8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds. Of course the minor catch is to convert her recipes to tasty gluten-free fare for my husband.

Last night I made Proscuitto and Spinach Bucatini, and wow was it a hit! The hit part though was a result of a great pasta safe for celiacs.

I substituted Tinkyada Fettucini-style wheat free/ gluten free pasta for the bucatini. This brand purports itself to be not mushy with a good, consistent texture. Tinkyada could not be more right. All I did was boil 4 quarts of water, added some salt and the gluten free pasta and cooked for 10 minutes, then rinsed with cool water. The package suggests 13-15 minutes, but I’m a stickler for al dente.

The Tinkyada gluten free fettucini looked just like regular pasta, tasted superb, and is actually quite good for you with its brown rice content. It had a nice bite to it, absorbed the sauce beautifully and truly lived up to its name. Tinkyada was pasta Joy for celiacs!

Ingredients:

Stone ground brown rice, rice bran and water.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 2 oz. / 56 g dry

Servings per container: 7

Amount per serving

Calories: 210

Calories from fat: 15

Total fat: 2 g

Sat fat: 0.5 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 15 mg

Potassium: 100 mg

Total Carb: 43 g

Dietary fiber: 2 g

Sugars: 0 g

Protein: 4 g