Red Lobster Biscuits

There are some recipes that I've avoided trying to recreate up until now because I just don't think I can emotionally stand failure. But yesterday I've had enough. Frustrated with pie crust failures (not satisfied with the pie crusts for the pies mentioned below, I've been trying alternatives...with mixed results that are not worth posting here) and granted the luxury of time thanks to spring break, I decided to try one of Mama's biscuit recipes.

Originally based off Nana Day's Buttermilk biscuit recipe, Mama came up with this version so that we could have Red Lobster's biscuits even though we could only afford to go to Red Lobster on very special occasions. My altered version with notes is below, but I'll include Mama's directions to make 'muffins' with the batter, in case anyone wants to try.

GF Red Lobster Biscuits

Cook Time : 12 min
Prep Time: 20 min

3 cups GF Bisquick
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or more, if you like very cheesy things)
1/3 cup Parsley Flakes
1/3 stick of butter or margarine
Garlic Powder (Do NOT replace with garlic salt. They are NOT the same.)
Spectrum Organic Shortening*
1 cup Buttermilk**

Preheat Oven to 500
Grease biscuit pan with shortening

To make the biscuits pour the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center with your hand. Put a scoop of shortening (about 1/2 a cup) in the well and pour in the Parsley Flakes. Toss in the cheddar and add the butter milk. Pulling the flour down from the sides of your well, begin to make the biscuit patties by folding them over in the palm of your hand and placing them one at a time in the biscuit pan until full.

Before you place them in the oven melt your butter (or margarine) in the microwave and add a good amount of garlic powder and stir. Using a spoon or a basting brush pour over the top of the biscuits-- take care to not let too much to pool in the bottom of the pan, however, to prevent burning.

Bake for 12 minutes.

The biscuits will brown a little bit on the top but will otherwise be white. I like them best hot (and they reheat well if you fold one in a paper towel and put it in the microwave) , but Dave says he likes them best cold on the second day.

Muffin Alternative Directions
Quantities below can be adjusted to liking.
Also, the shortening may be replaced with a stick of melted butter or margarine.

Use 2 cups of GF bisquick and cut in 1/4 to 1/3 cup shortening with a fork or pizza cutter. Add other ingredients and stir until moistened. Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.

* So, it turns out that I don't much care for the distinct flavor that Spectrum Organic Shortening gives baking. I'm currently looking for another Gluten-Free, Soy-free alternative. However, if you are fine with Soy then I recommend that you just use Crisco. It's what my mother or grandmother would use.

** I couldn't bring myself to go dairy-free on this one because I know that so frequently milk alternatives lack the texture and fluffiness that their counterparts have. Because this recipe has so many emotional ties, I couldn't stand the thought of not using buttermilk and just made my biscuits smaller than normal so that I could (hopefully) have minimal tummy upsets. If you don't want to use milk, I recommend hemp for this one because of the thickness and texture when baking.

Delightful Dinners

My grandmother gifted me with a lot of great cookbooks this Christmas and I've been anxious to try them. It's easy for meals to get bland on a diet as restricted as mine tends to be. That said, I love everything about this recipe and I've never been a lamb person. It has a pot roast feel to it and the carrots turn out caramelized. Dave liked it so much he requested that it be added to the regular rotation.



Herb-Crusted Lamb Roast with Vegetables

Ingredients

6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4 pieces on the diagonal

Olive Oil

2 tbsp GF Dijon mustard

2 tsp parsley

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp sage

3 garlic cloves, crushed

10 1/2 oz pieces of lamb rump or many lamb roasts, trimmed (I used lamb shoulder)

4-5 new potatoes

1 bag frozen peas

Preheat the oven to 400degrees. Place the carrots in a large roasting pan, drizzle just enough olive oil over them to layer the bottom of the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, or until golden and soft.

Place the mustard, parsley, thyme, sage and two of the crushed garlic cloves in a bowl. Mix well to combine and add the lamb pieces. Thoroughly coat with the mixture and add to the carrots in the roasting pan. Cook an additional 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the new potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling water for 12 minutes, or until tender. Drain.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the peas with the remaining garlic clove. Add a little pad of butter as well as salt and pepper to taste.

Pie and Other Southernisms

It's frustrating to go through the holidays and go without. Most of the time I don't even think about it, but there are certain things that just drive me up the wall. Pie is one of those things.

I remember going to my grandmother's house for holidays and having the fridge packed with different sorts of homemade pies. Pumpkin and pecan are two of my absolute favorites. So, when I happened upon a book called Southern Pies: A Gracious Plent of Pie Recipes, from Lemon Chess to Chocolate Pecan by Ms Nancie McDermott I decided that God did not mean for me to go through life without ever tasting pie again. And, if I did, I certainly wasn't going to be out for the count for a week or more.

So I plan to go through this book and try to make Becca-safe alternatives for all these classics. Now, with grad school still breathing heavily down my neck, I don't know how quickly this will be accomplished...but here is my start.

Canola Oil Crust

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of your favorite GF baking mix

( I use 1/3 cup garbonzo-fava bean flour, 2/3 cup brown rice flour, 1/4 cup potato starch, 1 tsp xanthan gum)

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons cold milk (or milk alternative-- I find hemp milk works nicely with baking)

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Use a fork or a whisk to stir them together well.

In a small bowl, combine the oil and milk. Use a fork to mix them together into a frothy mixture. (Or put them in a jar with a lid and shake well to combine them.)

Scoop out a well in the flour mixture and pour the oil-milk mixture into the flour. Use a fork to bring the liquid and dry ingredients together into a crumbly mixture.

Press the dough into your pie pan, using your fingers to build up the sides of the dish.

You can wrap and refrigerate the crust for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 weeks if you don't want to use it immediately.

Egg Custard Pie

Ingredients

1 9" pie pan & crust

1 1/4cups milk (or milk alternative)

4 Eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp G/F vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Because you don't cook this pie for very long, you need to partially cook your crust before you get started. Take the crust that you created from the above recipe and cover it with a sheet of parchment paper. Use dry rice or beans to fill pie pan on top of the parchment. This keeps the crust from shrinking as it cooks and holds the paper down. Bake in the oven at 375degrees for 10 minutes then remove and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350degrees.

In a medium sauce pan heat the milk (or milk alt) until it steams. Look for tiny bubbles at the sides and rising steam from the milk. Remove from the heat before it comes to a boil. Also, resist the urge to immediately add this hot mixture to your eggs because it will cook your eggs too quickly and give it a scrambled egg texture.

In a medium bowl beat the eggs well. Stir in the vanilla, sugar and salt. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and combine everything well.

Slowly pour the milk, stirring with a whisk or a big wooden spoon.

If you are using an aluminum pie tin and not a glass one, place it on a cookie sheet before the next step.

Pour the custard filling into the partially baked piecrust (now free of rice/beans and parchment) and sprinkle nutmeg over the top.

Place the pie on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake until the custard filling is mostly firm but still wiggly in the center. 25 to 35minutes (depending on oven). Let the pie cool to room temp before serving.