Wow, I improved on our our http://kellerville.com/2010/10/22/pasta-with-cheese-like-sauce-carbonara-esque/ recipe. This is even better. Occasionally the original one would have a bit dry powdery texture. Here is the modified improved recipe.

Ingredients:

• 300g / 10-12oz Ham or Bacon pieces (pre-cooked for the most part)
• 500g /1lb Gluten Free Pasta (we have noted that twists work better than tubes for GF pasta)
• 2 Cups Prepared Darifree
• 2/3 Cup Savoury Yeast Flakes / Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• 1 Tbs Arrowroot Powder
• 1 tsp Xanthan gum
• 1/4 cup dairy free margarine (Nuttelex in Australia is the best)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 cups of cut frozen green beans or peas

First fill a pot with enough water (8 litres) to cook the pasta and turn it on high so that it will be ready when you are. Put the green beans or peas into a small pot / saucepan, cover with water and get ready to cook them. The vegetables will likely cook in the time it takes to cook the pasta so you just need to be ready to turn it on. Now for the sauce.

Combine the yeast flakes, xanthan gum, arrowroot powder and salt in a pan. Then add the darifree and turn on medium high. Using a wisk I was able to froth it a bit and then stirred until near boiling. As it looks like it is going to boil it should be thick enough. Reduce the heat add the margarine and stir it till margarine is all melted and integrated. Add pre-cooked meat, stir and set aside.

Add pasta to boiling water. Turn the veggies on to cook. Hopefully by now the water is ready for the pasta. If not then you get to wait until it is. If you are really good or you have a helper you could put the pasta in while stirring the sauce. Place the pasta in the water and cook for about 1 to 1.5 minutes less than the package calls for. When the veggies are done, drain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, combine the sauce with meat and the veggies single pan and add the garlic. Place on a low heat to make sure it is heated throughout.

When you have cooked the pasta a little less than the package calls for, drain it and combine with the sauce. Carry to the table and Serve immediately. Basically the pasta will finish the final cooking in the time it takes you to get everyone sitting at the table and to say grace.

We hope your family loves it as much as our family did.

These Mini Apple Tarts were allergy friendly and loved by the whole family.

Ingredients:

• 1  1/4 cups Gluten Free Flour
• 1 Tbs Buckwheat Flour
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/3 cup + 2 Tbs Lard
• 4-5Tbs of Cold water. (Can vary based on Humidity.)
• Sugar for sprinkling
• 1 Cup Filling:
  • Cooked Apples with Sugar, Cinnamon and Nutmeg to taste
    OR
  • Other fruit / pie filling

Mix flours, salt in large bowl. Cut in Lard until flour and lard form pea size balls. Then add 1 Tbs of water at a time and mix the dough by hand. Mix gently until dough sticks together to form a ball. Lightly flour surface of tea towel or baking paper. Place dough ball on the surface. Either flour a rolling pin or use another piece of baking paper on top and roll out dough to approximately 3mm (1/8 in) thick. Cut in dough in circles larger than muffin tin to form base of pastry. Fill with fruit filling. Place another dough circle on top and press sides. Prick top with a fork to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle the lid with granulated sugar.

Bake in a moderate oven. 180C/375F in our forced fan/ convection oven for 10 minutes. Then put under grill/broiler for 2 minutes or until bubbly with a slight browning. (Gluten Free flour without an egg doesn’t brown that well.)

Take out of the oven cool for 5 minutes in pan, twist to remove and finish cooling on a rack. Eat while warm.

We drove to Brisbane for a student conference. We were able to hang out with students from all over Queensland. We had a wonderful time encouraging and challenging students to think about what they wanted to do with their lives. Several are considering how they can serve God full time after they leave Uni (college for us Americans). A highlight of the conference was the Internet outreach time where with three students we interacted with nearly 20 people on 4 continents who were seeking Christ in a space of 2.5 hours.

Well we have one restaurant in Australia that we can all eat at:  McDonald’s Jaden can eat two things on the menu. A beef patty which has been placed in the box plain without bread and Fries also known as Hot Chips. The burger is 100% Australian beef with no Added Soy.  Jaden has not had a negative reaction to the fries though he has to the USA McDonald’s fries with their coating of Hydrogenated Soy.  Also Jaden could eat the fries at Burger King in the USA, but he can’t have the fries at their subsidiary here known as Hungry Jack’s as the sugar that coats them in Australia is derived from Wheat.

Needless to say if Crystal and the kids are out and about and need to get some food or when we are traveling we have an option to eat.  Not one that we would willing choose everytime, but it is possible.

Also the McDonald’s seem to always have a KFC near them, so for one occasion, we got Jaden’s at McD’s and everyone elses’ food at KFC.

1 lb Ground Meat
16 oz Salsa (more if you like a saucier base)
15 oz can Black Beans-drain and rinse
15 oz can Corn
1 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. dried Cilantra
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown ground meat and drain grease. Stir rest of ingredients into browned meat. Heat on medium until mixture bubbles, then cover and simmer on low heat for approx. 15 minutes. Serve with your favorite corn chips. We like Fritos and Blue Corn Chips.