GF Spinach-Cheese Buns

Don’t worry.  I’m here.  I cannot believe it has been so long since I last posted.  In my mind, I’ve posted a dozen times since the last.  Hmm… that must be what happens when sleep deprivation takes over:  you dream that your blog posts are getting updated when really… you are just dreaming it to be so.  Sorry guys.  Life is hectic and absolutely fabulous.  I *DO* have a few posts in play, so please don’t fret.  The emails and comments are incredibly encouraging to this mom/blogger/PERSON.  Thank you.  You don’t know how much it helps to know that this little blog does indeed help someone else manage their own gluten-free journey.

Managing two little ones and working full-time has definitely made me become much more organized about our family schedule and menu.   We’ve always eaten together and we continue to do so.  Now the baby joins in with congee (rice porridge) and other such fabulous baby friendly foods.  I can’t wait until she can dive into a cup of greek yogurt with me for breakfast.  🙂  Just a little while longer.

For now, I intent to savor the moments I have with my girls that happen when the cameras are far from handy and none of us are ready for a flash anyway.  I will treasure the laughter our little family of four shares while lying on the bed in our pajamas late in the mornings on the weekends.  I love hearing the girls squeal with delight while we lie about telling stories or talking about the “adventures” we will have during the day (even if the adventure is merely a trip to the grocer… it is always an adventure).

Or the moment this morning when I peered around the corner and spied Zoe laying at the edge of our bed with her hand jutting into the bassinet to hold her sleeping baby sister’s hand.  She smiled at me when she saw me watching and said “Mama, I’m blowing baby Ro-Ro kisses so she will wake up.”

Sigh.

Yeap.  My life is golden. 🙂

And as far as gluten-free baking and cooking go?  We are on a roll!  We’ve made some fabulous ricotta flatbread, perfectly balanced small peanut butter-oatmeal cookies (and froze the batch of dough for easy access in small quantities), etc.  Tonight, I thought I would post an easy bump to the cheese bread recipe I posted a year ago.  I know this recipe well now.  it is a go-to recipe in the middle of the week and leftovers are great for lunch (for me, as I have a microwave and a toaster (GF) at work in my classroom).  (JUST AN FYI for those of you who plan like I do:  The leftovers do need to be reheated somehow or they are dry in taste/texture.  So know that when planning for dinners that can be packed up for lunch the next day too.)

The Chicklet loves well seasoned spinach.  Particularly that found in her favorite Korean noodle dish:  jap chae.  Jap chae is made with GF sweet potato noodles and is fabulous.  However, it does contain soy sauce, so don’t order it when you are out and about unless you know they are using GF soy sauce (really UNlikely, FYI).  I will post a jap chae recipe in the upcoming weeks.  It’s easy and is a fabulous way to use up veggies too.

But because she loves spinach like that, and no other way.  I decided to make her some spinach-cheese buns for dinner one night.  In a way, I am lucky.  My girl doesn’t care for breads, pancakes, muffins nor cakes, etc.  She likes veggies, fruit, meat and the other basics.  But I knew she would like these.  I made rolls for us all and also smooshed some of the dough to make a mini-pizza crust for her dinner too.  (There’s nothing like cutting food into shapes to get a girl eating!)

If you are living a fast-paced week and looking for a quick recipe to incorporate veggies in a fun way, this is for you.  I can’t wait to hear what you all do with this base as well.  I am making some with sun-dried tomatoes this week.  And, I think they would be fabulous with pesto flavors too.  YUM!

Gluten Free Spinach-Cheese Bread Photo by Kate Chan

 

Gluten Free Spinach-Cheese Bread
Makes 12 – 1 1/2 inch wide biscuits/rolls

Ingredients:
1 – 1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 1/4 cups tapioca flour (same thing as tapioca starch)
2 cups shredded cheese (we used an Italian blend)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons dill
2 teaspoons dried chives

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 450F.
2. Quickly blanch your spinach leaves by dropping them into a pot of boiling water until wilted (2 minutes).  Remove from the water quickly.  Drain/strain the leaves.  Then squeeze the water out of the leaves.
3. Finely chop your blanched spinach – or pulse them in a food processor/mini-blender.
4. Mix together all ingredients in your mixer well.
5. Form in to balls (about 1 1/2 inches or 2 inches) and slightly flatten. (Almost make them in to small disks, if you want them to look like what is in the picture… or leave them as puffed balls! You decide!)
6. Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
7. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Serve warm with sandwich fixings or your favorite soup.

Please let me know what you serve with your buns.  I’m always on the look out for a great addition to our sandwich fixings.  Tonight, I am making these to accompany our chicken, mushroom and wild rice soup recipe that I have slowly cooking away at home while we are at work.  I can’t wait for dinner. 🙂

Hope you enjoy this recipe too!
~Kate