New Baby Goat and Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole

cuddling baby goat

I was out feeding the Kalahari goats yesterday when I noticed that one of the mamas was a whole lot skinnier than she had been that morning. Sure enough, over by the shed, was this pretty little girl newly born.

new baby goat

My buddy Tony was SO excited to pet her. 🙂

little boy with goat

She is a bit shy when humans get too close, but if you hold her snuggly so she feels safe and warm, she calms right down.

shy baby goat

She is a gorgeous little thing with interesting markings on her face and hooves that set her apart from all the others.

cuddling baby goat

She is doing so well, already nursing and standing up without falling over too often.

Kalahari kid nursing

This afternoon she met her older sister…and was promptly head-butted for her troubles.

goats butting heads

Thankfully she had some much kinder visitors, namely the other Kalahari kids who now look positively enormous next to her tiny self.

Kalahari babies

After all that socializing it was time for a rest and some nuzzling from mom.

Mother goat nuzzling baby

I know just how she feels. 🙂

Last week was one of the busiest we’ve had in recent memory, culminating in Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner with dear friends on Friday night.

It was the first time I’ve cooked Thanksgiving dinner all by myself, and definitely the first time I needed to make it gluten-free. At first I felt quite overwhelmed, but I tackled one recipe at a time, figuring out good substitutions, and finally everything was ready.

We had such a great time. 🙂 I couldn’t find a turkey so we celebrated with crispy roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, dilled carrots and peas, and my very favorite Thanksgiving staple: gluten-free green bean casserole.

This dish ranks right near the top of comfort foods, but the original is made with canned mushroom soup (gluten) and crispy fried onions (gluten) and I can’t eat it without getting very sick. So I made mine with a double garlic cream sauce thickened with cornstarch (you can also thicken it with chia seeds if you can’t have corn). I topped it with a combination of gluten-free crispy fried onions and gluten-free crispy fried garlic from an Asian market.

It was absolutely fantastic.

In fact, I’d say that it is far and away better than the original. That thrills me no end. 🙂 Eating healthy is hard enough around the holidays. I’m so thrilled that with a bit of creativity I was able to make one of my holiday favorites gluten-free.

gluten free green bean casserole

Next time I’ll tell you about my gluten-free Apple Raisin Pie with Walnut Streusel.

What is your favorite holiday comfort food?

Gluten-Free Triple Garlic Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

4 cans green beans, drained
2 cups milk (or nut milk)
3-4 Tbsp cornstarch (if you can’t have corn, replace with chia seeds. Stir into milk and let it thicken 20-30 minutes before stirring in remaining ingredients.)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp crispy fried garlic (look at Asian specialty shops for ones made without flour)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup crispy fried onions (look at Asian specialty shops for ones made without flour)
1/2 cup crispy fried garlic (look at Asian specialty shops for ones made without flour)

Directions:

  1. Dump beans into large mixing bowl. Set aside.
  2. Pour milk into saucepan and whisk in cornstarch, 2 Tbsp crispy fried garlic, sea salt, and minced garlic until cornstarch is incorporated.
  3. Place over medium high heat and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Let boil 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens.
  4. Remove from heat and pour over green beans.
  5. Pour into 9” by 13” casserole and smooth top.
  6. Sprinkle evenly with crispy fried onions and garlic.
  7. Bake at 375 F/200 C for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.
  8. Serve warm.

 

Brave Little Goats

little goats looking alert

Our baby Kalahari goats are getting very brave these days and I love watching them.

Instead of staying glued to their mothers sides, they’re gallivanting all over the place, exploring rocks, leaping off logs, and balancing precariously on any surface they can find.

baby goats exploringToday was a big day for I decided to take them out to the fields with the rest of the herd.

They galloped along at first, strutting up the driveway as if they were old hands at field grazing.

baby goats marching

But they were a bit apprehensive when the big girls headed into the tall grass and the air was filled with bleating until they bit the bullet and leaped into the undergrowth.

They were so cute wending their way through the long grass, sometimes disappearing completely through thick patches.

baby goats in field

Their mothers were intent on eating so the littles grouped together like a tiny goat gang, moseying along, head-butting each other and having a marvelous time until one of them noticed that they couldn’t see their mothers anymore. Then all play stopped as they peered through the grass trying to spot a familiar face.

little goats in field

I kept a close eye on the tiny cuties, making sure they didn’t get lost in a tangle of undergrowth and giving the mothers a nudge in the right direction when they got nervous about not seeing their babies.

goat girl

Once mamas and kids were reunited, much nuzzling, inspecting, and licking ensued as the mothers made sure their babies were all in one piece.

little goats with mama

Then they were off again, playing and nibbling through the paddock.

little goats on the road

After all that frolicking the Kalahari kids were tuckered out and quickly found a warm, sunny spot to sit.

little goats looking alert

And within moments they were fast asleep.

little goats sleeping

Do you have any animals at your house that you love to watch?

Baby Kalaharis, Jacaranda Blooms and Homemade Beef Sausage

baby Kalahari

I always know when Spring has arrived on our Kalahari Goat Stud when the Jacaranda tree blooms.

jacaranda tree

It is a glorious sight with the entire massive tree covered in elegant spires of delicate blossoms in the palest lavender.

Our Kalahari goats love them too! When I let them out of their pen to feed, they make a beeline for the base of the tree, gobbling up as many tender, fallen blooms as they can find.

jacaranda blossom

It makes me smile to think of our goats feasting on flowers.

This particular tree is particularly climbable, and I love clambering up into its sturdy branches, losing myself in glittering sunlight and thousands of blossoms.

jacaranda blooms

I also know it’s Spring when the Kalahari kids arrive.

One of our oldest goats gave birth to twin girls yesterday and they’re all doing wonderfully. These two are particularly lovely, wobbling up for cuddles and pats before galloping awkwardly back to their mama for a feed.

baby Kalahari

Since we’re spending so much time outdoors on these gorgeous Spring days, I’m sticking to simple fare in the kitchen that can be made ahead and easily reheated.

Yesterday it was homemade beef sausage on potato mash. I love sausage but so much of it is full of nasty nitrates, too much salt, and way too many additives. So I make my own with good lean ground beef, lots of garlic, grated onion, sea salt, parsley, and smoky sweet Hungarian paprika.

It is wonderful tossed into soup, stew, or chili, delicious folded into a potato gratin or frittata. For a quick lunch, gently press the sausage meat into loose patties and fry in a hot pan about 2-3 minutes per side until the outsides are crispy and savory. Dust with sea salt and serve.

homemade beef sausage

What is the first sign of Spring (or Autumn!) in your area?

Homemade Beef Sausage

Ingredients:

1 kg (2 pounds) ground beef
1 onion, grated
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 Italian parsley, chopped
1-2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika

Directions:

  1. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
  2. At this point you can force the meat into sausage casings or simply chill, covered, until ready to use.
  3. You can also freeze it for later use.