"Everything-free" Honey Butter Biscuits...or Scones

I have been stuck in a debate over whether to call these biscuits or scones. The sweetness tips the scale toward scones, but I love the rhythm and alliteration of the name Honey Butter Biscuits. Can they be both?

See the rise on those? They turned out beautifully!

They are free of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, almonds, sorghum, and nightshades. If you use a special baking powder (and a substitute for the xanthan gum, they can be corn-free too. (see note below)>>

This is a recipe that I just came up with a couple of days ago. I made them for the first time yesterday morning (my birthday) and they made a delicious part of my breakfast.

The idea was birthed from thinking about biscuits topped with butter and honey. I suddenly wondered how it would work to put the honey and butter into the biscuits themselves. I am loving the results! These are tender, with a nice crunch to the bottoms. They have a pleasant, light sweetness from the honey, and a buttery feel from the coconut oil. They paired beautifully with my mug of lemon balm tea cooled with coconut milk.

"Everything-free" Honey Butter Biscuits
free of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, almonds, nightshades, rice (and corn)

makes about 12, using a 2" cutter
preheat oven to 375 or 400 Fahrenheit ****
Line your baking sheet or pan with parchment paper (or lightly oil)

"Buttermilk"
1/2 cup non-dairy milk  
      (I use Silk or SoDelicious unsweetened original coconut milk beverage)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Set aside until needed.

Dry ingredients
2 cups gluten-free flour (I use 1 cup each of millet flour and arrowroot starch)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum*
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together thoroughly.
Cut in:
1/2 cup Spectrum palm-kernel oil shortening/all-vegetable shortening
   (Other butter alternatives, such as Earth Balance buttery sticks, should work well) 

Wet ingredients
1/4 cup liquid honey***
2 teaspoons melted buttery-flavored coconut oil
Stir together, then add, along with the soured milk.**
Make a "well," or small hollow, in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well, then mix together, using a fork.

 Isn't that a beautiful dough?

Scoop dough onto a surface dusted with more gluten free flour (a tablespoon or two each of millet flour and arrowroot starch, mixed together). Gently fold dough over onto itself several times, then pat out or roll to about 1 1/4" thick. Use a sharp cutter, dipping in flour between cuts.

Place rounds on prepared sheet, leaving  an inch or two between them.
Bake for around 18 minutes, until they're cooked in the middle and the bottoms are lightly golden brown.
Transfer to cooling rack so bottoms don't continue to cook on the hot pan.

>>Leftover gluten-free baked goods are better when warmed. I've found that 9 or 10 seconds in the microwave works well for a single item (biscuit, scone, muffin). This restores its soft, light texture. 

****Biscuits and scones usually cook at 400 or higher. Because our oven is quirky (a very small, gas-powered RV oven) I've had to lower the baking temperature. If you're using a normal oven, and it doesn't run hot, you could safely bake at 400. An inexpensive oven thermometer is a good way to find out how accurate the settings are on your oven. If things always seem to over-brown before they're cooked through, then you probably need to reduce your cooking temperature by 25-50 degrees for most recipes.

***Liquid honey- as in a normally runny consistency. If your honey has crystalized and turned solid, you can warm it to make it flow again. A common method is to set the closed container of honey in a larger container and add hot water. Just be sure that the water level stays below the edge of the honey container. Runny honey is good. Watery honey would be sad.

**If the milk is still cool from being refrigerated, it will instantly turn the melted coconut oil to hard little clumps. Mixing the coconut oil with the honey first helps to prevent this.

*Xanthan gum serves a very important function in gluten-free baking. It sort of acts like gluten, thickening the dough and giving it structure. >>>Xanthan gum can be derived from corn. People often substitute guar gum for the xanthan gum if this is a concern.<<<
   

   

Everything-free Chicken and Dumplings

You guys.

You. Guys.

For real.

Chicken and Dumplings...gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nightshade-free... all of the things.

I have been working on this for months. As in..the first version I tried was February 24. This is January 10. I have labored on this one! It needed to be right.

*** And then, when I was less tired, I read over this recipe again, and noticed some glaring mistakes that must be fixed and some amounts that I needed to refine. So...updated version...March 9, 2020.**

It's chilly and dark out, and I feel like I've just been listening to rain for days and days. It made it all feel better and more cozy, puttering around my little kitchen, cooking up a batch of comfort food.

I cooked late tonight, because tomorrow is a travel day and I will not want to cook dinner at the end of it. I roasted some broccoli, and I made my newest version of chicken and dumplings. And it is so good. The soup is creamy and flavorful, and the dumplings are light and delicious.

I will put a picture in here, but this is from an earlier version. I have a picture of tonight's batch, and I will add it later. It's on my phone. The blog is on my computer. I'm not that fancy. Right now, I just want to share this recipe! The batch in the picture was a more "brothy" soup. The final version is creamy and golden. Still, this will do for now.

 "Everything-free Chicken & Dumplings"
Serves 4 (or 2, with leftovers, which is how we roll)
Total time- about an hour

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts-1 package (usually around 1 to 1 1/4 pounds)
Lay pieces on a plate and season well on both sides with salt and pepper. Let rest while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

*You will want to have everything ready before you start cooking. Those veggies can burn fast, while you're rummaging for the carton of stock! Voice of burnt-soup experience here!*

Olive oil - about 1/4 cup total
Carrots - two or three medium carrots, peeled and cubed = 1 1/2 cup
Celery - finely chopped = 1/2 cup
Fresh thyme - leaves stripped from the stems and slightly chopped = 1 Tablespoon
     **trust me, you want to use fresh thyme rather than dried, if you possibly can! I've used dried, several times, and it's not nearly as flavorful.**
Chicken broth/stock - about a quart
1 (13.5 ounce) can thick coconut milk (I use Native Forest brand)
Gluten-free flour - about 1/3 cup (I use half millet flour, half tapioca starch- 3 Tablespoons of each)
     **I tried arrowroot starch, but it loses its thickening capacity when heated- tapioca starch it is!
Salt and black pepper
 --------------------------
*Gluten-free flour mixture for soup:
3 Tablespoons millet flour
3 Tablespoons tapioca starch
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper



Mix up dumpling dough while the chicken and veggies are having their turns to cook. Letting the dough rest before using lets the baking powder start to work, giving you lighter dumplings. (ingredients for dumplings listed below) 

Lay the chicken on a plate, season both sides, set aside. Chop veggies, prepare seasoned flour, prepare the fresh thyme and get out the other seasonings, stock and coconut milk.

When all your ingredients are assembled and ready, heat 2 Tablespoons  of olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high/high heat. Add chicken pieces, moving around a few times, to help prevent sticking. Sear on both sides, just until the outer part changes color (turns from pink to white, with maybe a few spots of browning). The inside will still be completely raw. This is what you want. Trust me. Remove chicken and save for later. [While the chicken is cooking, start making the dumpling dough]

Reduce heat to medium/medium- high and add 2 Tablespoons more olive oil to the pan. Let heat briefly, then add carrots, celery and thyme. Cook, stirring a few times, for a minute or two. [Work on dumpling dough while they cook.]

Reduce heat to medium/medium-low. Add flour mixture and other seasonings, and stir well. Cook, stirring frequently, for a couple of minutes.

Be very careful with the first addition of stock. Steam will come boiling out of the pan and it's easy to get your hand or arm scalded.
 
Slowly add about 1 cup of chicken stock, stirring until completely absorbed. Add the rest of the stock, about one cup at a time, stirring the whole time and scraping the bottom to get all the flavor bits loose.

Add coconut cream. Let heat and thicken for several minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan from time to time, to prevent sticking and burning. The consistency should become creamy and slightly thick. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt if needed. Do this now- you don't want to be tasting it once you've added back the mostly-raw chicken!

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to soup. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, and add dumplings. I use a spoon or fork to scoop up globs of dumpling dough about the size of a walnut/golf ball... about two or three tablespoons of dough at a time. Drop the pieces of dough gently onto the surface of the soup.

Cover and cook on low or medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Do not lift the lid! The dumplings cook by steaming. If you take the lid off, it slows the cooking and makes the dumplings heavy and dense.

On our stove (gas stove in a travel trailer), the low setting is equivalent to medium-low on our previous stoves (electric, glass top). Use the lowest setting on your stove that will maintain a gentle simmer. The low side of medium-low should be right for other stoves. If the heat is too high, the soup will scorch before the dumplings are done. Lower the heat and be willing to wait for it. :)


After twenty minutes, remove pan from the heat and let sit for five minutes or so.

I scoop the dumplings into a serving bowl, using a slotted spoon. I ladle soup from into bowls, then add two or three dumplings to each serving.

Herb Dumplings (gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free)

1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
--------
2/3 cup shortening (I use Spectrum palm kernel oil shortening. Earth Balance sticks or something similar would also work.)
1 teaspoon buttery-flavored coconut oil 
    (even this small amount makes a difference to taste and texture)
    (this won't always cut-in nicely with the shortening, so I often melt it and stir it in after the Spectrum is all cut in. If melted coconut oil is added to cold milk, the oil will turn to hard clumps.)

   
-------
3/4 cup milk alternative (I use SoDelicious or Silk unsweetened original coconut milk beverage)
  
Whisk together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until no large clumps remain. Sprinkle in melted coconut oil and stir briefly with a fork. Stir in milk with a fork until well combined. Let dough rest until needed.


If making the dough mid-soup is stressful or chaos-inducing for you, mix it up before you start cooking the soup and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel until it's needed.

Either way, letting the dough rest before using it makes a difference. "Double-acting" baking powder is activated by two things: liquid and heat. It first starts to work in reaction to the liquids in the dough. It's activity is boosted by the heat of steaming. Giving the baking powder a chance to start doing its thing before the dough goes onto the soup gives you lighter-textured dumplings.

Creamy Artichoke Chicken Bake

I wish I could remember the source for the recipe that inspired this dish, because I would love to give that cook the credit they deserve. If I ever do find those notes, I will add a note here. **I found it! The recipe that inspired my adaptation was from Taste of Home! :)

This has quickly become one of our favorite dishes. It was so great to find a new thing to do with chicken! We serve it over noodles (egg noodles for my hubby, gluten-free for me) with veggies on the side. One of the things I missed the most when going dairy-free was creamy sauces. This has that creamy feeling I love, and the touch of vinegar gives it a delicious tang. It's not a strong vinegar taste, just enough to give it a lift. :)

Creamy Artichoke Chicken Bake
Gluten-free, dairy-free, nightshade-free
Serves 2-4 (easily doubled, just don't fully double the salt)
Takes 45 minutes to an hour, start to finish

Preheat oven to 350

1 to 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

-Lay pieces on a plate or tray and season with salt, pepper, and a little bit of onion powder.

2 Tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup gluten-free flour mix (I use 2 Tablespoons millet flour/2 Tablespoons tapioca starch)

 ~ season flour with a little salt and black pepper

1 cup low- sodium chicken stock

1 cup thick “cream” from a can of coconut milk (I use Native Forest brand)

 + ¼ cup liquid from the can (if you prefer the sauce a little thinner, just use the whole can)

1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

¼ - ½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon dried onion flakes

6 ounces marinated artichoke quarters, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons vinegar (I use coconut vinegar)

Two options: cook the entire dish in a saucepan or skillet that can go straight into the oven, or cook in the pan, then transfer to an oven-proof dish for baking.

-Heat olive oil in the skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Lightly cook the chicken breasts on both sides, then set aside on a plate. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low.

-To the remaining oil, add the seasoned flour. It might look too dry but be patient. Keep stirring it, and all the oil should absorb into the flour. Cook, stirring often for one or two minutes.

- Start adding the chicken stock a little at a time, stirring constantly. Be careful, as it will steam madly at first. Stir each addition in well before adding more. If it seems lumpy, you can try using a whisk to smooth it. Add the coconut “cream” and liquid. Let cook, stirring often, for 5-10 minutes. (While waiting, start heating water for the pasta)

- Add seasonings and chopped artichoke quarters and stir into sauce.

- Chop browned chicken into bite-sized chunks and add to sauce. Remove from heat.

-Stir in vinegar. (This just gives a subtle tang to the sauce, not a strong vinegar flavor)

-If using an oven-proof pan, put it directly into the oven at this point.

-If not, transfer sauce to an oven-proof baking dish.

-Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

-Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve over noodles.

Creamy Fish and Veggie Chowder

This recipe was born out of my wondering how to make a soup golden and creamy without using flour, butter or milk. The pureed carrot base gives this an appealing golden color, as well as adding more veggie nutrient goodness. I used to use cashew cream for this, but now I can’t have cashews. Thick coconut milk works very well, giving it a nice creamy texture. I don’t even like fish very much, but I know it’s an important part of a healthy diet so I try to find ways to fix it that work for me. This recipe became part of our regular meal list. Fish and veggies, with healthy fats, made into a soup that tastes fairly luxurious- what’s not to love?

We like this with a mild, white fish. My favorite is Orange Roughy, but it is hard to find. When Schwan's delivery service had it in stock, I would buy several packages! We have used fresh Cod when we could get it, and that was good. I would imagine that salmon could work well, too. I used to use a half pound, but my husband always wished for more fish, so now I use a full pound. I have considered using different seasonings, like maybe tarragon and bay. Someday. :)

I was thinking today, of how this might be made vegetarian/vegan. Of course, just leaving out the fish works well. Then you have a creamy vegetable soup. If you want protein in it, I'm sure there are options that will work. I often think of mushrooms as a good substitute for “meatiness.” I can’t eat them, so can’t experiment with them. Would chunks of something like portobello mushrooms, seasoned and lightly sautéed, be good in this? I could see small cubes of firm tofu, pressed, dusted with seasoned corn starch and lightly fried, going well with this. That would still have the “light” feel of the fish that works so well in this soup.

This was originally a vegetable soup that I invented, which I quite enjoyed. Later, I added the fish and then the family liked it better. This makes a nice, light lunch or dinner, especially with a good salad on the side. It would be so good with a nice hearty bread alongside. Once I learn to make a really good gluten- dairy- egg- eveything-free bread, this will be one of the first things I make to go with it.

Kristie’s Creamy Chowder

Dairy-free, gluten-free

(could be vegan/vegetarian)

Serves 4

Total time: about 45 minutes to one hour

1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chopped small

1 rib of celery, washed, trimmed and chopped small

1 quart of reduced-sodium chicken stock

½ to 1 pound of fresh fish (amount depending on your preference)

               If using it raw, cut the fish into bite-sized pieces, and check for bones.

               If baking first, leave the fillet whole for baking, or if it's quite large,

               cut it into chunks of about four to six inches.

Dried thyme, salt and black pepper (optional: lemon salt), a little garlic powder

1 small head of cauliflower (or half of a large head), washed, cored, and cut into small, bite-sized florets

1 large crown of broccoli (or two smaller crowns), washed, and cut into small, bite-sized florets

1 can thick coconut milk (I use Native Forest brand)

               (or- 1 to 1 ½ cups fairly thick cashew cream)

Dried parsley (about 1/2 teaspoon) 

Dried thyme (about 1 teaspoon)

A little bit of dried onion, about 1/2 teaspoon

There are two ways to do the fish for this chowder: cut it raw and add it at the end, or season and bake it first. I used to do the first way, but have changed, partly because I think it gives more flavor, and also because, when I forget to thaw the fish ahead of time, baking it speeds up the process. 

 

Get all of your other ingredients ready to go, so nothing burns while you frantically prep the next thing. Hear the voice of unfortunate experience there? :)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put fish fillets into an oiled baking dish. Sprinkle with dried thyme and black pepper. Lemon salt is really tasty on this, but regular salt works just fine. Sprinkle with just a bit of garlic powder. If you can have a "lemon pepper" seasoning blend, that would work well, along with dried thyme. 

 While the fish is baking, heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat and add the carrots and celery. Stir and cook for a few minutes, then add just enough of the stock to cover the veggies. Cook until they are very soft, adding more stock if necessary so it doesn’t boil dry and burn. (again, the voice of experience)  Once the veggies are soft, pour them and the stock into a bowl to cool. Add the rest of the stock to the pot and add the cauliflower, along with dried thyme and parsley, and a little bit of dried onion. Over medium heat, return to a low boil and cook for about five minutes, then add the broccoli. Cook for five more minutes, or until the veggies are beginning to soften.

Bake  the fish until it is just cooked- just turning opaque (15 minutes?). If it is not quite done, it will finish cooking when added to the soup. You don't want to overcook it, as it may turn to pulp in the soup. Let cool just a little bit, then cut into bite-sized pieces, watching out for bones.

When the cauliflower and broccoli are almost done, add the coconut milk and fish pieces. While that heats, pour the cooked carrots and celery, along with the stock they cooked in, into a blender or food processor. Blend, adding a little stock or water if needed to get it very smooth, then add to the soup pot. Stir well, then taste and adjust salt/seasonings to your preference.

Enjoy! 

*For those who can eat them, fresh onions and garlic would probably be very good in this, and would add good flavor. If you use them, you would want to cut the onion into small pieces and mince the garlic well. I would guess that half of a small yellow onion and one clove of garlic would be enough for this. You could add them along with the carrot and celery, so they would be part of the base puree...or, before cooking the cauliflower, you could add a little oil to the pot and saute the onion until it turns translucent, add the minced garlic and the seasonings, cook very briefly, then add the stock and cauliflower. Whichever way you do it, add the garlic just before the other things are done. It burns so quickly, and makes everything taste bitter.

 

*Cashew Cream- there are several recipes for this on the internet. Basically, you take raw cashews, add an equal amount of water, and let them sit for several hours or overnight, then puree until nice and smooth. When I used cashew cream for this soup, I would start with about 3/4 cup of cashews. I have wondered whether it would be good to discard the soaking water, rinse the nuts, and add fresh water before creaming them.