Kung POW! This One's a Knockout!

With November comes my husband’s birthday. Since there are many dishes he loves that, frankly, make me gag (think crab, fish, most Chinese food) I try my darnedest to give him a little treat… a little taste… of the things I don’t make for him the rest of the year. (You know, on paper… that sentence sounds incredibly selfish. Huh.)

Anyhoo….

Last year, it was Shrimp Fra Diavolo. *shudder* Nasty stuff, but he loved it. So, mission accomplished. This year, I wanted to go a different route… maybe something in the Chinese food world. But, I knew that I would also be feeding the kids, my mom and my aunt who is visiting us from Ohio. Why is that a potential problem? Tim loves spicy food. The spicier, the better. Why, I’ll never know. Personally, I like to be able to actually taste my food, not melt the inside of my mouth. But that’s another subject.

So typically, I would make him a spicy dish. Since I wouldn't be cooking for just Tim, I needed to keep the spice level down. Way down. This year, I went with Kung Pao Chicken. And by jing, it was quite good! Not spicy, bursting with flavor… and my daughter even liked it! (Truthfully, that’s not much of a shocker. The shocker would have been if my 3 year old liked it, but since he doesn’t like much, I didn’t bother with him. Better to focus on the positive, right?)

I served this up with some sticky rice (…yummmmmmm) and steamed broccoli. It was simple, it was easy, it was delicious. Sorry, by the way, for the slightly blurry picture. It was my hubby’s big day and I just took a quick shot to be able to show you the dish.

Cheesy pun coming your way, courtesy of Katie…

Want a little Kung POW on your tongue? Try this Kung Pao!

Gluten Free Kung Pao Chicken

¼ cup Catalina dressing, divided

¼ cup peanut or almond butter

1 Tbsp GF soy sauce

2 tsp chili sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp minced gingerroot

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces

In a small bowl, mix together 2 Tbsp Catalina dressing, peanut/almond butter, soy sauce and chili sauce until combined.

In a large skillet, add the remaining dressing and warm on medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for about a minute. Turn the heat up for medium-high and add the chicken, stirring frequently. Cook for about 2 minutes then add the peanut/almond butter mixture. Cook for about 7 minutes until the chicken in cooked through, stirring frequently to scrap up brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Serve over rice with a side of steamed broccoli. Serves 4.

The Dessert That Almost Wasn't

Yesterday was one of those days. My daughter is part of a performance of The Nutcracker with her ballet school and she had a long practice in the evening. My aunt was arriving from Ohio for a visit right around dinner time, so I was in the middle of preparing dinner when it occurred to me that a dessert might be nice to have after dinner, to celebrate my aunt’s arrival.

So with my brain churning away, listing everything I needed to get done before leaving for the ballet rehearsal, I embarked upon an experimental recipe. In the middle of making dinner.

In hindsight, not a good combination.

Things started off well. I took a moment to look over the recipe again, making sure I had my gluten free measurements correct. I smiled, feeling pretty confident that I had things right.

I measured out my dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another. I then added the wet to the dry and began to stir. It was then I realized something wasn’t quite right. The batter was rather… thick. Goopy, really. I thought I would be pouring my batter into the bundt pan, but the way things were looking at the moment, I was going to have to scoop large blobs of it in there.

‘Ah well’, I thought to myself, ‘I’m sure it will be fine. Perhaps being GF makes it… goopy.’ I also vowed NOT to use the word "goopy" in my recipe directions.

I prepared my bundt pan and… plopped… the batter into it. I was just about to place it in the oven when something told me to take another look at the recipe.

Uh-oh.

Sugar. I totally forgot the 2 CUPS of sugar. In my hurry to get things done amidst my tickertape list going around and around in my brain, I just totally left it out.

Sooooo… the batter went back into the bowl, the sugar was added (thus making the batter pourable!), back into the pan and into the oven it went.

And can I tell you…. this recipe ROCKS! My family all agreed it doesn’t taste like gluten free, it doesn’t have the texture of gluten free… it’s really good!

My dessert that almost wasn’t… was a hit! *whew*

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

3 cups Pamela’s Baking Mix

2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground ginger

4 eggs

1 cup oil (veggie or canola)

1 15oz can solid packed pumpkin puree

Optional: 1 cup of chopped pecans, chocolate chips or raisins

Glaze:

4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 Tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the baking mix, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ground ginger.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and pumpkin. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until completely combined. Add optional pecans, chips or raisins and stir to incorporate.

Pour into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Cook in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and finish cooling on a cooling rack.

To make the glaze: Beat the cream cheese until very creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat to combine. Add 3 Tbsp of milk and stir until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake or individual slices.

Taste Buds of Happiness

Ah yes, the changing of the seasons. It brings such joy to my heart to watch the leaves change into the bright colors of fall, knowing that my favorite season, winter, is right around the corner. Autumn and Winter bring with them wonderful smells, sights and tastes.

When you think of Autumn, you can almost smell the cinnamon and cloves of your favorite goodie baking in the oven. Your mind’s eye remembers the bright reds, golds and oranges of the trees. Remember Christmases past and you’ll drift through the taste of your Grandma’s renowned cookies and smell the rich scent of the fresh Christmas tree in your home.

We really do experience the seasons will all our senses.

Today, I had all of autumn in my mouth. Yep. Right there, lying on my tongue. It was pumpkin, it was cinnamon, it was allspice, it was nutmeg. It was happiness! I had autumn in my kitchen. You should have smelled the aroma coming from my oven!

If you are like a lot of my friends who suffer from a lack of appreciation for the colder months (you know who you are!), then this cookie is for you. It takes all that is comforting and endearing about autumn and plops it into one little package. OK, I might be exaggerating… just a hair… but still, you get the point. A cup of tea and this sweet little confection and you, too, will experience the smells and tastes of autumn that bring joy to my heart!

Happy Autumn, my friends! Enjoy all the smells, sights and tastes that makes this season so amazing!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

1 cup butter, softened

1½ cups sugar

1 egg

¾ cup pumpkin puree

2¼ cups GF all-purpose flour

2 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp cream of tarter

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

Sugar Mixture:

⅓ cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

¼ tsp ginger

¼ tsp nutmeg

Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and pumpkin and mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Roll into balls size of a large walnut and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Refrigerate cookie dough for 30 minutes.

Mix sugar mixture ingredients in a small bowl. Remove cookies from the fridge and roll cookie dough balls in sugar mixture.

Place 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes at 400˚ until slightly brown and still soft.

Makes 48-60 cookies.

Wow.

It’s snowing today. A beautiful, steady snow with big, fat snowflakes that practically plop when they hit the ground. It’s a winter wonderland!

Did I mention it’s October 29^th?

We were given an autumn treat today in the form of snow. It’s so beautiful… the changing colors of the leaves outlined by pure white snow. *happy sigh* Our family loves snow. We practically celebrate it! In fact, this morning we did that very thing. As the flakes began to fall, I got to work on a new recipe. (I wish I could take credit for this one, but alas, the wonderful people at www.thebakingbeauties.com came up with this one.)

My review of this new recipe is so complex and detailed that I found it difficult to really express it. How does one put into words the happiness that occurred with each bite? Instead, I decided to keep it simple. Here it is.

Wow.

This isn’t something to whip up on a busy Sunday morning. This is something to bring out when you want to celebrate a birthday or Christmas… or snow. It’s a little labor intensive and there is a waiting period as you let the buns rise before baking them, but it is completely, totally and utterly worth it. I promise.

The next time you check the weather report and it says snow is on its way, do yourself a favor. Run to the store. Forget the basics you usually buy in the event of a storm. Get the ingredients for these cinnamon buns. In the quiet of the morning, make a cup of tea or coffee and get to work on these babies. After that, there is but one thing left to do.

Celebrate!

Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns

Topping:

4 Tbsp butter

½ cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp heavy cream

Pinch of salt

Dough:

2 ½ cups all purpose gluten free flour blend (without leavening or xanthan gum)

½ cup tapioca starch

1 Tbsp yeast

3 Tbsp white sugar

½ tsp salt

3 tsp xanthan gum

¼ cup instant vanilla pudding mix (dry)

1 tsp baking powder

4 Tbsp butter

½ cup water

¾ cup milk

1 egg

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp oil

1 tsp vanilla

Filling (may want to double this if you like really thick filling):

2 Tbsp butter, very soft

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

½ cup raisins, chopped walnuts or pecans

Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray.

For the topping: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir until the brown sugar loses its graininess, then add the vanilla and heavy cream. Remove from the stove and pour into the prepared pan.

For the filling: In a small bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir with a fork until completely combined. Once combined, add the raisins, walnuts or pecans (if you choose to use them).

For the dough: In the bowl of the stand mixer, mix all the dry ingredients until combined.

Put the water and butter in a glass measuring cup and microwave until the butter has melted. Remove from the microwave and add the remaining wet ingredients. Stir to combine. With the stand mixer running (use the paddle attachment), pour the wet ingredients into the dry, scraping down the sides as needed. Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes.

Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it out on a slightly dampened countertop or cutting board, so it covers an area bigger than 8” x 16”. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp of sugar on the plastic wrap and lay the ball of dough on it. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap and pat the dough down into a rectangular shape, approximately 8” x 16”.

Remove the top plastic wrap and spread the filling across the dough’s surface, leaving 1 ½” of space without filling on one of the long sides of the rectangle. This will seal your cinnamon rolls.

Starting along the long end, use the bottom sheet of plastic wrap to lift the edge of the dough and roll it up, forming a long cylinder. Start with edge that has filling on it (which will be the center of your cinnamon roll).

Using a long piece of thread, cut the long cinnamon bun log into 8 even pieces, about 1 ½“ wide. You do this by placing the thread under the roll, crossing it at the top and pulling the threads so they cross each other, pulling it through the dough.

Place the rolls, cut side up, in the topping in the pan, spacing them evenly. With damp fingers, flatten the rolls slightly.

Cover with a damp paper towel and allow the cinnamon buns to rise in a warm, draft free place for about 30 minutes, until nearly doubled in size. (I place mine in my second oven with the light on.)

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, until the tops are a nice golden brown.

Allow the buns to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Invert a bun on a plate and scoop additional syrup from the pan over the bun.

Best served warm, but can be reheated in the microwave for a few seconds if they are a day old.

Makes 8 cinnamon buns.

Kiss Peanut Butter Goodbye??

As I’ve mentioned before, on top of the gluten intolerance we also have a potato intolerance and peanut allergy in our house. My poor husband is the only one left in our little family that doesn’t have a food allergy. We are pretty sure he’ll end up with something like… an allergy to all things dairy… so that we are left to nibble on dry rice cakes for the rest of our lives. J

But back to our current issue, the peanut allergy. Giving up peanut butter wasn’t that tough. I like it, but I don’t love it. My mom…. she loves it. Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut Butter Swirl ice cream, Buckeyes… you name it, she loves it. Since she lives in the same house, she has graciously rid her home of all things peanut. She does, however, jump at the opportunity to sneak a little while out with friends. We can’t expect her to completely give it up, can we??

I, personally, am a chocolate chip girl. Take the example above of my mom, cross out peanut butter and replace it with “chocolate chip” and you have me. There’s nothing better than the smell of warm chocolate chip cookies. There are times, though, that I want to make something a little different. In the past, I would make something like a peanut butter cookie. They were my dad’s favorite, and I learned at an early age to master the peanut butter cookie.

Enter almond butter. Oh yes, my friends. If you have a peanut allergy in your home… or if you just love almond butter… TRY THESE.

At this very moment, my mom is munching on a little cookie experiment. She spread just a little Nutella (drooling yet?) between two of these almond butter cookies and is now simultaneously crunching and “Oooooo”-ing and “Ahhhhh”-ing over her creation. So, I think it’s safe to say that it might be worth picking up a jar of Nutella (it’s peanut free!) and be prepared to spend some time ooooo-ing and ahhhhh-ing over your creation!

Giving up peanut butter isn’t that hard. May I suggest some almond butter instead? Friends, I must end this post. There is an almond butter cookie with a little Nutella on it calling my name.

Happy munching!

Gluten Free Almond Butter Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup almond butter (I used Barney Butter)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup potato starch

1/4 cup tapioca starch

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars. Add the egg and almond butter, completely combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, baking soda, potato starch and tapioca starch. Add in two parts to the wet ingredients, beating to completely combine.

Roll into 1-inch balls, place on cookie sheet. Using a fork coated in sugar, press the traditional criss-cross pattern in the top of the cookies.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown on the edges. Cool for 3 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling racks.

Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

Role Reversal

Once in a while, when all other forms of dinner have been exhausted and the thought of another forkful of chicken, beef, pork or even pasta just cannot be entertained… we go for breakfast foods. There is something quite comforting about having breakfast for dinner. Scrambled eggs and toast… pancakes… heck, even cereal every now and then! (Don’t think badly of me after that last part.)

Pancakes are extremely diverse little guys. You can throw basically anything into them and make yummy goodness. We will often grab a couple of ripe bananas and some vanilla extract to make Banana Pancakes. My dear friend shared her secret love of Chocolate Chip Pancakes with peanut butter spread on them rather than syrup. (By the way – FABULOUS.)

For the fall, it seems only fitting to celebrate the season with the flavors that capture it. Pumpkin Bread Pancakes smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice… and, of course, pumpkin. Just the process of making them immediately makes your house smell incredible.

There is brown sugar already in these, so no syrup needed. Maybe a little butter on top, but that’s about it. They are seriously that good.

But…

If one DID want to have some sort of syrup to put on top, one COULD - hypothetically, of course - heat up about 1 cup of apple cider and about ¼ cup of real maple syrup in a small saucepan until the cider reduces and becomes thick. One MIGHT enjoy the parade of autumn flavors that march on your palette as a tiny little band plays “Autumn Leaves”.

Just sayin’. Hypothetically.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread Pancakes

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 eggs

¼ cup canola or veggie oil

½ cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp allspice or cloves

2 cups Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix

1 cup milk

In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, eggs, oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Add Pamela’s Mix and whisk to completely combine. Add milk ¼ cup at a time, until smooth and completely incorporated.

Let batter sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken and to let flavors blend.

If using an electric griddle, set temperature between 300 and 325 degrees. Pour ¼ cup of batter on the griddle and spread to about 4” round circles. Watch pancakes carefully, as they don’t bubble as much as “regular” pancakes. Flip when golden brown on the bottom.

Makes about 15-18 pancakes.

Soup? Or a Cheeseburger? YES!

I have this strange quirk about me. You see, I love to make soup. It’s probably one of my most favorite things to cook. I love to chock my soups full of veggies and deep flavors. There’s only one problem.

I don’t really like soup. I endure soup, but it’s never really a culinary event for me. Know what I mean?

I know, I know. Quirky. What this phenomenon has done, though, is set me on a quest to find soups I really do like! So be prepared, there will most likely be a lot of soup recipes on this blog in the future. The ones already posted… Broccoli Cheese, Creamy Cauliflower… they are probably the top two out of three soups I like. What’s the third, you ask?

After covering the veggie-based soups, I wanted to find something really different. Not your everyday chicken noodle or even the beloved Italian Wedding Soup. Thus, I give you… Cheeseburger Soup.

This is one hearty soup. Save this recipe for a cold winter’s night when you’ve been out all day and are chilled to the core. This soup will thaw you right out. It begins deep within, slowly warming your chill. Don’t eat this at the table, though. Grab a bowl, spoon, blanket and your favorite movie and feast on it whilst curled up on the couch.

Now, you see? That, my friend, is a culinary event worth having.

Gluten Free Cheeseburger Soup

1 Tbsp butter

½ lb ground beef

¾ cup chopped onion

¾ cup shredded carrots

¾ cup chopped celery

3 cups chicken stock

4 cups cubed potatoes

¼ cup cornstarch

2 cups cubed cheddar cheese

1 ½ cups low-fat milk, divided

¼ cup light sour cream

2-3 tsp yellow mustard

1 Tbsp ketchup

In a large soup pot, melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook until slightly tender.

Add the chicken stock and potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes.

Add 1 ¼ cups of milk, bring almost to a boil, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, mix together remaining ¼ cup milk and the cornstarch. Add to the soup and stir until it becomes thickened. Lower heat and add cheese, mustard and ketchup (when cheese is almost completely incorporated, taste test to see if more mustard and/or ketchup is needed). When the cheese is melted, add the sour cream and heat through, but do not return to a boil. Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat at a later time.

Serves 8.

Deep Fried No-No

You know those foods that you LOVE but just cannot get yourself to eat because they are so incredibly bad for you? I have a list. It includes Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream (or any ice cream that comes in that small container that screams “757 grams of fat per spoonful!”) and anything deep fried. I think Funnel Cake was made to torture us… so yummy, sooooooooo very bad. And don’t even get me started on Mozzarella Sticks. Seriously, folks. Batter dipped, deep fried cheese. The food of champions, right there. Still, those sticks were probably my Achilles Heel in the war of Katie versus Deep Fried Food. If anything was going to get me to eat fried food, it was that.

And let’s not forget doughnuts. Yes, I know they are no longer on my list of safe foods (unless, of course, you make my outrageous GF Pumpkin Doughnuts… for guests, of course!) but still, there was something about the smell of a Dunkin’ Doughnut that had the ability to almost make me forget my list and snarf one down. Hey, don’t judge me. I said almost. *wink*

If doughnuts were at the top of your list prior to giving up gluten, I have a sweetly wrapped little gift for you. A nugget of love.

Donut Bites. No deep frying involved. Yes, you read that right.

Below you will find a recipe for little bites of doughnut goodness, BAKED. Let me make something clear, though. It may not be fried, but that doesn’t mean it’s actually good for you.

Make these for a Sunday brunch with friends as a little sweet treat to compliment your omelets and fruit. Have one (let’s stress the importance of the word “one”) with a cup of tea after a long, tiring day.

A nugget of love. For you, my friend and fellow gluten-free foodie.

Do you feel warm and fuzzy?

Gluten Free Doughnut Bites

½ cup sugar

¼ cup butter, melted

¾ tsp ground nutmeg

½ cup milk

1 cup Pamela’s Baking Mix

Topping:

¼ cup butter, melted

½ cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375. Spray 24 mini-muffin cups with non-stick spray.

Mix ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup melted butter and nutmeg in a small bowl. Stir in the milk and then add the Pamela’s until combined. Fill the mini-muffin cups half full.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Put remaining ¼ cup melted butter in a small bowl. In another small bowl mix together remaining ½ cup sugar and cinnamon. Remove muffins from the cups, dip each in butter and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Allow to cool completely.

Makes 24.

Cauli-WHAT?

I don’t like cauliflower. I really, really want to like it, though. It’s pretty, it’s good for me… what’s not to like? I’ve tried it raw, cooked, covered in cheese, dripping in butter, mashed like potatoes… all with the same results. Gagging.

Until now.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup. I like creamy. I… sort of like soup, mostly when it’s creamy. So why not, right? One last hurrah before giving up on cauliflower.

This recipe is a 6 on the scale of 1 to 10 for labor intensive, mostly because it requires pureeing the cooked veggies to ensure maximum silky smoothness. There are two kinds of labor intensiveness, “Well THAT wasn’t really worth the effort” or “Yowzers, that’s yummy!” This definitely falls into the Yowzers Category, which is why I didn’t place this recipe higher than a 6. It’s completely worth the work involved.

Trying to get your kids to eat more veggies? Try this. It’s creamy (did I mention I like creamy?), it’s mild. IT’S COMFORT FOOD. It actually tastes a little like cream of broccoli soup.

But really, the biggest reason you should try this is because this girl, the one who has gagged her way through endless cauliflower dishes, LOVES THIS.

‘Nough said.

Gluten Free Creamy Cauliflower Soup

1 large head cauliflower, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups water

2 Tbsp butter

2 ½ cups chicken stock, divided

2 Tbsp cornstarch

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dash of nutmeg

½ cup heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream)

In a large pot, place cauliflower, celery, onion and water. Cover. Bring water to a boil and cook veggies until tender. Puree veggies (with water) in batches in a blender until smooth.

In the same large pot (wiped clean), add butter and melt over medium heat. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and heat to just before boiling. In a small bowl, mix together remaining ½ cup chicken stock and cornstarch. Add to pot, stirring as you add. Continue to stir until the stock boils and thickens. Stir in pureed veggies, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring just to a slight boil. Remove from burner.

Add heavy cream and heat through (do not boil) on lower heat. Serve with a small sprinkle of grated cheese. Serves 8 (one cup servings).

Fuhgetaboutit!

There are certain things in my house that give me great joy… mostly because I can “set it and forget it”.

First, the dishwasher. I can remember, in one of our pre-kids apartments, mentioning to Tim that the sound of a dishwasher running in the evening was so relaxing, mostly because it was the sound of dishes being cleaned… without me doing them.

Second, the washer and dryer. When shopping, I purposely avoid buying any article of clothing with the wretched words “hand wash only” or “lay flat to dry” on the tag. I mean, really. The majority of women purchasing the clothing are most likely working full-time in the working world or working full-time in the home… or a happily retired lady who is way too busy with her social schedule. Either way, who has time to hand wash clothing? Any way you look at it, the washer and dryer are lovely things. You pop in your dirty stuff and an hour or so later you have clean, fresh clothing, towels and sheets!

Third, the slow cooker. Seriously now. 15 minutes or so of work in the morning and – voila! – a scrumptious, warm dinner waiting for you. One pot, no sweating over the stove or watching the oven to make sure you don’t burn dinner to a blackened crisp.

I usually utilize the slow cooker on those days when I know that dinner won’t even cross my mind until, at the earliest, Tim is walking in the door. Yesterday, I kept thinking about making a stew only to realize at 4:30pm that this particular recipe was an all-day slow cooker meal.

Note to self: CHECK THE RECIPE. EARLY.

So because of my goof, tonight’s dinner was Slow Cooker Beef Stew. Sure, it wasn’t one of those crazy days. Both Tim and I were home all day… but there was still great satisfaction in knowing that dinner was percolating away and I wasn’t doing a darn thing. At least not having to do with dinner.

Gluten Free Slow Cooker Beef Stew

1 ½ to 2 lbs cubed stew meat

¼ cup rice flour

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

4 medium red potatoes, cubed

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 cups beef stock

Place the stew meat in the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle the rice flour, salt and pepper and toss to coat the meat. Add the bay leaf, carrots, celery, potatoes and onion. Toss everything completely. Pour beef stock over everything. Set slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours. Remove bay leaf and serve. Serves 8.

Tradition or Tradition?

When I was a girl, my paternal grandmother would make the most amazing Italian desserts. There were these pieces of fried dough covered in powdered sugar called scrippelles. We would literally drool on the way to her house, knowing those delicious morsels would be there, waiting for us to inhale. I have loved baking since I was very young and really wanted to learn to make our grandmother’s beloved recipes.

I’m using the term “recipes” very loosely here, mind you.

I found that, for the most part, her recipes consisted of “a handful of that” or a “pinch of this”. There were no measurements… it was intuition and a feel for the ingredients that made it work. Things always came out great, but I was pretty sure I was going to need a little more info than handfuls and pinches.

I did manage to get a real recipe for the family’s favorite cookie, Pizzelles. My original copy is written in my little girl handwriting. There may have even been hearts for the dots over the “i’s”. Nonetheless, it’s been the version I’ve gone to for decades now, once the baking was officially passed on to me. The tradition is to have them at Christmas, though once in a while for special occasions I’ll whip out the recipe and make them. My brother has a special love for these cookies, so I’ve been known to make them for him when he visits from Ohio.

I was recently reminded that Christmas is right around the corner. Well, not exactly around the corner… but once September kicks in it takes only one or two blinks of the eyes and it’s December 1^st! It got me thinking of my little family’s Annual Christmas Cookie Baking Day… where we literally take an entire day to bake way too many cookies. I’m talking ridiculous amounts. Obviously, we’ve had to alter the choice of cookies drastically. I was perfectly fine to give up many of the different varieties we used to make… except pizzelles.

After all, there are traditions… and there are traditions.

So… here it is. I cannot believe I’m saying this, but I actually like the gluten free version better than the original. Hear me out. My grandmother had this old, heavy, electric pizzelle iron that made perfectly crispy (but not too crispy) cookies. My iron is a modern day non-stick iron that makes fatter, chewy versions. Bleh.

This gluten free recipe makes the crispy ones like my grandmother used to… it’s a pizzelle miracle, I tell you. I may have given up gluten, but I got my grandmother’s pizzelles in exchange!

Not a bad deal. Not bad at all.

Gluten Free Pizzelles

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter

3 eggs

½ of a 1 oz bottle anise extract

1 cup tapioca starch

1 cup potato starch

¾ cup white rice flour

½ cup sorghum flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 Tbsp baking powder

Handful of anise seeds, slightly crushed

Melt butter and cool slightly. In a stand mixer (or in a bowl with a handheld mixer… or with a wooden spoon!), mix melted butter and sugar together using the paddle attachment. Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add anise oil and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the tapioca starch, potato starch, rice flour, sorghum flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and anise seeds.

Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix to fully combine.

Spray pre-heated pizzelle iron very lightly with non-stick spray. Add about a tablespoon of dough to the iron and cook until lightly brown. Remove immediately and let cool on a cooling rack.

Makes 3-4 dozen.

Autumn, I Salute You!

Oh, dear friends… it’s finally here. I spent the past few months sweating, hibernating in the A/C… waiting… and it has finally come. Autumn!

Sure, it’s not the official Autumnal Equinox… but it’s September, and that’s close enough for me. In fact, those lovely weather forecasters are saying it will only be in the 60s tomorrow. Do you KNOW how happy that makes me? Do you?!?

Happy enough to make an autumn cake. An apple cake, to be precise. The original recipe called for a glaze on top… but it is SO amazing without it… and who needs those extra calories?

My mom proclaimed a one-word critique: “PHENOMENAL!!” Later… after coming out of her euphoric state, she also mentioned it may be the best thing she’s ever put in her mouth, with the possible exception of her favorite dessert, The Bakewell Tart, made at her favorite tea room.

Pull out those warm sweaters from the closet, folks… Autumn is here (sort of)! While you’re at it… make this cake AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Just don’t invite my mom… if you want any leftovers, that is.

(In case you were all wondering, my dear mom was standing over my shoulder as a wrote this post! In fact, some of it was her idea!)

Gluten Free Apple Yogurt Cake

1 cup veggie or canola oil

2 ½ cups sugar, divided

2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt

4 eggs

2 cups peeled and finely chopped apple

1 tsp vanilla

2 ½ cups gluten free all-purpose flour blend (I used King Arthur)

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 ½ tsp cinnamon, divided

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 stick butter

½ cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the oil, 2 cups of sugar, yogurt, eggs, apples and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and 2 tsp cinnamon. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle the nutmeg over the top of the cake batter, distributing evenly.

Bake for 45 minutes.

30 minutes into the baking time, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the ½ cup sugar, brown sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon and stir until well combined. Reduce temperature to low, stirring occasionally.

When the 45 minutes are up, remove the cake from the oven and pour the butter mixture evenly over the hot cake. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the lower rack of the oven to catch any drips.

Return the cake to the oven and bake another 15 minutes, until the topping is bubbling and the center of the cake no longer jiggles.

Remove cake, cool for 15-20 minutes and serve. Wonderful warm or room temperature.

Cheater!

Cravings. They are just not our friends, are they? You go along... doing your thing... eating right and feeling great when all of a sudden - WHAM! - it hits. Something comes to mind that you haven't eaten in ages and is a total no-no... whether it's because it's chocked full of gluten or it has more fat in it than you are supposed to consume in a week... or BOTH.

I mentioned in a previous post ("Chinese Food, My Way") that I love... love... love... Sweet and Sour Chicken. The only problem is that I just cannot justify the deep fried chicken in sugary sweet sauce. It just screams "guilty conscience". So, I don't eat it. I just dream about it.

Often.

I do have, however, a really yummy recipe for a much lighter version of my beloved S&S Chicken. The chicken isn't breaded and deep fried and the sauce is not as sickeningly sweet. It's a light, gluten free AND diet-friendly version that I go to when I'm really feelin' the craving for the evil version.

Get thee back, Chinese takeout Sweet and Sour Chicken!

Gluten Free Sweet and Sour Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup chicken stock

2 stalks celery, cut on the bias

1 onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup each yellow and red pepper, cut in strips

1/3 cup pineapple juice

2-3 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

4 tsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp tamari sauce (or soy sauce)

3/4 cup pineapple chunks

Cut chicken in strips. In a large skillet brink the chicken and stock to a summer over medium heat. Add celery, onion and peppers. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Mix together the juice, vinegar, brown sugar, cornstarch and tamari sauce in a small bowl until blended. Add to skillet and bring to a boil. Cook for about 2 minutes until thickened. Add pineapple chunks. Simmer for about 2 minutes until heated through.

Serve over rice. Serves 4 people.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

It’s been raining here… a lot. 

People are posting things on Facebook like “there’s a river running through the store” and “gotta go round up two of every animal”. 

On days like these, I don’t want something elaborate for dinner. I also feel like anything remotely close to picnic fare would be completely inappropriate. It’s simply impossible to imagine oneself on a picnic when there is a deluge going on outside.

Rainy, dark days call for one thing. Soup. It’s usually a one pot meal, it’s comforting… and it doesn’t take a lot of effort to eat. Because, let’s face it. Rainy, dark days make a person rather groggy. (Or is that just me?)

So as I looked through the possibilities in my fridge today, I decided to pull out an ol’ stand-by for days like this. Broccoli Cheese Soup.

It’s warm, it’s creamy and it’s got your daily veggies, dairy and oil requirements covered for the day… and you’ll only dirty one pot. Not bad for a groggy girl.

What’s your rainy day meal? I’ll try yours if you’ll try mine!

Gluten Free Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 Tbsp butter

2 ½ cups fresh broccoli, cut into small pieces

¼ cup chopped onion

2 cups chicken stock

1 ¼ cup milk, divided

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup sour cream

In a big pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and stir until bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of milk and heat through. In a small bowl, mix together ¼ cup milk and cornstarch. Add to the soup and stir until thickened. Remove pot from heat and add the cheese, stirring until melted and completely combined. Add salt and pepper, if needed. Add sour cream and stir to combine. Serve immediately. Serves 4-5.

Crunchy Mama?

A friend of mine once defined herself as a “Crunchy Mama”. Before that moment, I had never heard of that title. Have you heard of it before now? No? I’ll explain.

You know that friend or person in your family who only eats organic, non-processed foods? The one who made her own baby food by pureeing fresh fruits and veggies rather than buying the little jars with that pudgy-faced baby on the package? The one who has banned refined sugar from her home forever?

Crunchy Mama.

Back when I heard that name, I was most definitely NOT a crunchy mama. I’m still not, really. I have white sugar in my home. Once in a while my kids eat Kraft Mac and Cheese. There are still boxed cheese crackers and microwave popcorn in my cupboard. I don’t use buckwheat (not that there’s anything wrong with buckwheat!).

I do, however, have leanings towards being crunchy. I don’t ever buy (outside of the mac and cheese named above) processed boxed meals. I cook from scratch… all the time. I try to avoid additives and preservatives as much as possible.

I don’t buy packaged cookies anymore. I bake my cookies and have a cookie jar on the counter.

I would call that crunchy tendencies, no?

Today, I actually laughed at myself. I came across a recipe for homemade chewy granola that was both peanut and gluten free. As I scanned the ingredients, I thought, “Oh, and look! No refined white sugar. Just honey!”

I think I may be crossing over to the dark side, slowly but surely.

And I’m totally fine with it. Yikes.

Crunchy Mama status, here I come!

Gluten Free (and Peanut Free… and Dairy Free!) Chewy Granola Bars

½ cup almond butter (I used Barney Butter)

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup oil (your choice – coconut, canola, veggie)

1 cup oats

1 cup total of any mixture of sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips, etc… be creative!)

In a medium saucepan, melt almond butter, honey and oil together over low heat.

Remove from heat and add the oats and the 1 cup total of your extras (I used coconut, dried cranberries and mini chocolate chips). Stir together and pour into an 8x8 pan.

Refrigerate for 2 hours and cut into bars.

Grass Skirt? I’ll spare you the sight.

I’m not a Hawaiian shirt kind of girl. I do love a good party, though. So when we were invited to a luau over Labor Day weekend, I had a harder time finding a Hawaiian-ish shirt more than I did finding a dessert to bring!

For dessert I brought Tropical Squares. They are sort of like lemon squares… in technique only. The flavors are completely different! It’s quite the tropical dessert, but in a very gentle way.

If you suffer from mid-winter blues (a concept that completely eludes me… let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!) you should hold on to this recipe for mid-January. Whip this up, crank up the heat in the house and take a mental holiday on the beaches of Hawaii.

In case you were wondering, my selection of shirt for the luau was a dismal failure. Not Hawaiian in the least. But the dessert was great! Which we both know is what really counts, right?

Tropical Squares

2 ¼ cups gluten free Bisquick, divided

1 ¼ cups powdered sugar, divided

5 Tbsp butter, cold

2 ¼ cups granulated sugar

6 eggs

The zest and juice from one orange (about 6 Tbsp)

¾ cup coconut

¼ cup additional orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 15x10 pan with non-stick spray.

In a food processor, pulse together 2 cups of Bisquick, ¼ cup of powdered sugar and butter until crumbly. Press into prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

While the crust is baking, whisk together the remaining Bisquick and granulated sugar. Add the eggs, zest, juice from the orange and coconut. Pour over the hot crust and bake for 25 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining powdered sugar and ¼ cup orange juice until smooth. When the squares come out of the oven, immediately brush glaze over them.

Cool completely before serving. Chill them for a refreshing, cool snack!

Who Are You Calling Turkey?

I love the alternatives we have available to us today. Turkey, for example, is being used in so many creative ways. Besides the usual suspects of bacon and hot dogs, I’ve even seen turkey ham! Not sure, exactly, how that works considering that ham comes from a pig and turkey comes from, well, turkey… but I think sometimes it’s better to just not ask.

I was especially excited to give turkey bacon a try when it first appeared some years back. I bought it, brought it home and wasted no time in whipped up a few slices. As I fried the slices, I dreamed of crispy, salty deliciousness containing a quarter of the fat of its regular counterpart. I was most egregiously disappointed. It was flimsy, it was chewy.

It was nasty.

It was then that I hopped off the turkey bandwagon. Temporarily. It wasn't until I spotted turkey kielbasa one day that I decided to give it another try. So glad I did!

You have to be just a little bit more on the gentle side with it, but otherwise… it’s yummy. Hillshire Farms Turkey Kielbasa and Turkey Sausage are both gluten free!

Today’s recipe is a light, slightly sweet meal that is a snap to make. Try it – I think you’ll get on the turkey bandwagon, too!

Hey, listen. If you just can’t get yourself to like turkey for some reason, it’s OK. Go ahead and make this with regular ol’ kielbasa or sausage. It will still rock.

Gluten Free Turkey Kielbasa with Caramelized Onions and Apple

2 lbs turkey kielbasa or smoked sausage, cut into slices on the bias

2 Tbsp oil

3 onions, thinly sliced

½ tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

¼ cup butter

2 apples, thinly sliced

1 ¾ cups chicken stock

1 tsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp water

1 tsp sugar, optional

Over medium-high heat, heat oil in a large, deep skillet and add kielbasa or sausage. Brown the meat and remove from the pan to a plate. Lower the heat to medium-low and in the same skillet add the butter until melted. Add onions and cook until caramelized (about 10-15 minutes), using the butter and onion to deglaze the pan. Stir in the apple slices and chicken stock and bring to a brisk simmer.

In a small bowl, mix together the water and cornstarch until smooth. Add to skillet and stir until thickened. Add the kielbasa or sausage back into the pan and stir until heated through, about 2 minutes. If needed to balance flavors, add one tsp of sugar and stir to combine. Serve alone in a bowl or over buttered noodles or rice. Serves 6.

Shhhhh.....

I know. There are days when you just don’t feel like cooking. It’s a hot day or it’s a busy day or it’s just one of THOSE days. Doesn’t matter what the day is, the point is when a day like that comes around it’s good to have something in your arsenal that takes care of YOU, rather than you taking care of it.

You are looking for a dinner recipe that is your friend.

I have one of those. I’m even willing to share it with you. But there is a catch.

You must never, ever tell ANYONE sitting around your table how embarrassingly easy it was to make. If you do, it will unravel the very foundation that is the Secret Recipe Society. An entire underground network of women will essentially crumble into nothingness, leaving moms and wives with no choice but to frantically run about the kitchen, rummaging through cupboards to find something for dinner.

You don’t want to single-handedly be responsible for such a catastrophe, now do you?

Repeat after me: “I solemnly promise to neither admit nor deny the lack of difficulty in making the recipe below. If approached, I promise to skirt the issue completely, using every known tactic to avoid answering any questions. I also promise to accept, whole-heartedly, any accolades that are expressed from the recipients of this meal. I will only share this recipe with those I fully trust to handle the magnitude of responsibility needed to preserve and protect the Secret Recipe Society.”

You know, now I’m questioning whether I should have put this recipe on a public blog site. And who is that repeatedly knocking on my door?

Uh-oh.

Gluten Free Pulled Pork BBQ

1 can of Coke or Pepsi

1 2-lb pork tenderloin

1 bottle of BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory and Brown Sugar)

Place the tenderloin in a slow cooker. Pour the can of soda it. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Drain the liquid from the slow cooker. Shred the pork and return to the slow cooker. Add BBQ sauce and stir to combine.

It May Be Little, But It Packs a Punch!

Good things come in small packages.

You’ve heard that one before, right? For this girl, that’s not always true. I don’t want a small little Corvette like my husband does. I want a HUGE, gas guzzling SUV that is larger than 3 of his little Corvettes. I want a Toyota FJ… or a Hummer!

When I cook, I rarely make dainty little dishes. I’m Italian! I only know how to cook in large portions. Lots of leftovers in this house.

When I was still single, I was always drawn to big guys… broad shoulders, strong forearms. I still am! I married a guy with both of those things.

So imagine my surprise when I found something good that really DOES come in a small package (besides babies and diamonds, of course)!

These little beauties are small, but they pack a major punch! Lemon Poppy Seed Cups are sweet and tangy and light. The “cup” part of this dessert is for you to explore possibilities with your imagination. I chose to add a small dollop of raspberry jam. If you really, really love lemon (like I do) try a small spoonful of lemon curd right on top! If you prefer the light and refreshing side of dessert, a small dollop of homemade whipped cream would be amazing. Goodness, even a drop of slightly warmed canned icing would be yummy, too! You really can’t go wrong. Be creative!

Enjoy. Savor each bite.

So now I’m wondering if a Lemon Poppy Seed Cup can teach a girl to really look for good things in little packages.

I would say it’s a distinct possibility.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cups

4 Tbsp butter, softened

½ cup + 2 Tbsp sugar, divided

1 egg

2 Tbsp lemon zest

4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided

1 tsp poppy seeds

1 cup Pamela’s Baking Mix

¼ cup low-fat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and ½ cup sugar. Add the egg, lemon zest, 2 Tbsp lemon juice and poppy seeds. Stir to completely combine.

Add the Pamela’s Baking Mix and buttermilk. Stir until smooth.

Fill muffin cups about ½ full (be sure to use all 12 cups). Bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned.

In the meantime, in a small bowl mix together the remaining 2 Tbsp of lemon juice and 2 Tbsp of sugar. Stir until the sugar completely melts and becomes a light syrup.

Remove muffins from oven. Immediately poke the muffins with a toothpick all over the top (9-10 pokes each). Gently brush the tops with the lemon sugar syrup, going over each one twice.

Let cool completely before topping the cup with your choice of topping.

Makes 12 cups.

The End Is Almost Here...

Autumn is right around the corner. Soon the leaves will change, pumpkins and dried corn stalks will adorn neighbor’s porches and the air will turn crisp. I can almost imagine the cool breeze coming through the window, quickening my step and making the house smell wonderful.

And oh… the tastes of Autumn! Stews and pies, apples and pumpkin! I can almost taste the spices of the season… cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger. I can smell the aroma of them drifting in the air…

Oh, wait. Maybe that’s just this pumpkin muffin I’m munching on.

There are times I need an “Autumn Fix” in the middle of miserable summer. The air is so thick you can cut it with a knife, the grass is dead and crunchy and the bugs are in full force. Ugh. It’s then I take myself on an imaginary journey into October. As these muffins bake, I’m suddenly on a hayride through cornfields or picking apples at the orchard.

Inevitably the timer goes off and I’m reminded that it was only a dream. Sure, I’m still in the throes of summer, but there is still hope. We are well past the halfway point to a more glorious season! To those of you longing for that crisp, clean air… take heart! Autumn is right around the corner!

Go now. Bake these. Enjoy the imaginary journey.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

3 eggs

2 cups light brown sugar

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 15-oz can pure pumpkin

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups Pamela’s Baking Mix (or 2 cups GF all-purpose flour blend, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cloves

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two muffin tins with non-stick spray (24 muffins).

Whisk eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add applesauce, pumpkin and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add Pamela’s (or GF all-purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder), cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Stir to completely incorporate.

Pour batter into muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing muffins from the pan to finish cooling.

PS – for a little something more, add 1 cup mini chocolate chips as a last ingredient!

On a Side Note...

I confess that more often than not I totally forget about side dishes. I’ll get so involved in making a new gluten free main dish that the notion of having something along with it goes right out of my head. (Perhaps this is the reason I love the one-dish sort of meal. Everything is thrown together and served in bowls with a spoon! Side dishes need not apply.)

When I actually DO remember to throw some side dishes together, I find that I am bored stiff with them. I try to always have a green veggie at dinner. After a while, salad or steamed broccoli or green beans (the main veggies everyone likes – except for the picky toddler) get old. Boring. Bland. That’s when I go on the hunt for inspiration… a way to spruce up my boring veggies!

It’s got to be easy, though. I don’t want to spend as much time on my side dishes as I do my main dish. I want to be able to pop my main in the oven and whip up my sides while it bakes. (Did that last sentence create a picture of cooking frenzy? I’ve been told that others should just stay out of the kitchen when I’m working, lest someone gets run over.)

I recently went on the hunt for a creative way to serve fresh green beans. I found many – an overwhelming amount, actually – and ended up tweaking one to make it my own. Hence, a very pretty side dish that offers a change of pace!

Is your dinner fare lacking these days? Need a little something new thrown in there to wake up the taste buds of those who gather around your table?

I’ve got your back.

Gluten Free Green Bean with Tomatoes

1 ½ lbs fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into two-inch pieces

1 ½ cups water

4 Tbsp butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp pepper

½ tsp Italian seasoning

2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped into large bite-size pieces

Place green beans and water into a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, pepper and Italian seasoning and stir until garlic begins to soften. Add tomato chunks and stir gently until just soft. Add the green beans in and stir gently to combine. Serve immediately. (Garnish with parsley, if you so choose.)

Nut Free, Gluten Free… But Certainly NOT Yummy Free!

In our household, we have been challenged with not only gluten intolerance… but a peanut allergy and white potato intolerance as well! The potato intolerance is actually pretty easy to control. Dessert, however, can sometimes be hard to pull off for the combination of gluten intolerance and peanut allergy. Chocolate, for example, is difficult. Hershey Chocolate is safe for my son and his peanut allergy (except for the miniatures), but not safe for my gluten intolerance. Toll House chocolate chips are safe for me, but not for my son! And the list goes on.

Fortunately, I have come across two different brands of chocolate that, for the time being, are safe for both of us! One is a higher quality, one is lower.

My lower quality chocolate comes from Wegmans Market. In fact, the chips are Wegmans store brand! It comes in your typical 12oz bag and is both gluten and peanut free. One bag is usually around $1.99… so I’ll use them for various cookies and bar cookies.

If your grocery store has an organic section, check out Enjoy Life mini-chocolate chips. They are dairy, soy, gluten, casein and peanut free! This is the higher quality chocolate… and the price will reflect that. Around here, they are about $5 for a 10oz bag. I use them when I want to melt chocolate to drizzle over a dessert, as more of a finishing chocolate.

And for brownies. It would be a crime to use the lower quality chips! What are we usually trying to accomplish when making brownies? We want a big pan of fudgy, rich chocolate goodness. To use a lower quality chocolate really does make a difference. Don’t deny your inner chocoholic the satisfaction of really, really good brownies.

No worries if you can’t find them at your local grocery store… check out this link and get yourself some great chocolate! http://www.amazon.com/Enjoy-Life-Semi-Sweet-Chocolate-10-Ounce/dp/B000HDJZWO/ref=sr_1_2?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1313511776&sr=1-2

Once you get your lovely new chocolate chips, you might be tempted to just sit and stare at the wonder that is really good gluten free chocolate. Don’t. Get in the kitchen ASAP and make these brownies. They are chewy, they are rich, they are ridiculous. You’ll be in love!

Brownie tip for the day… use a plastic knife to cut your cooled brownies! No more globs of brownie stuck to your knife. Although that also means no globs of brownie to swipe off the knife and “sample”. Let’s say it this way… if you are serving brownies to guests, use a plastic knife for clean cuts. If you are cutting a brownie for your family, use a regular knife and swipe away!

Gluten Free Brownies

½ cup rice flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

28oz gluten free semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

4 Tbsp butter

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11x7 baking pan with non-stick spray.

In a small bowl, combine the rice flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.

In a medium microwavable bowl, melt 16oz of chocolate chips and the butter, stirring regularly until smooth. Set aside.

In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Place the bowl over a simmer pot of water (do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl, only need an inch or so of water… just be sure the bowl is a little larger than the pot so it rests on top yet leaves a gap between its bottom and the water). Continually whisk the egg mixture over the simmering water until it is just slightly warm. Remove bowl from the pan and add the chocolate mixture. Whisk together until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir to completely combine.

Quickly fold in the remaining 12oz of chips and pour into prepared baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Cool completely before cutting with a plastic knife.

Southern Roots?

There are times I’m sure that somewhere in my heritage there are Southern Roots. Not sure how that’s possible, logistically speaking, since my father’s side of the family is Italian and lives in New Jersey and my mom’s side is German/Irish/English and hails from Ohio. There has to be a little bit o’ southern in there, I’m sure of it. That would explain my love of all things cornbread.

Yes, I’m on that subject again.

I do love it so. Because of my love affair with cornbread, I look for any opportunity to incorporate it into my meals. Can you imagine my joy when I came across something called Creamed Ham on Cornbread? Oh joyous day! This is one of those “all-in-one” dishes… unless, of course, you feel overly ambitious and throw some side dishes out there, too! But in this house, to add side dishes would be downright wrong. The possibility of marring the loveliness on the tongue with other flavors would do this dish a disservice.

It wants to shine alone. And I, for one, am not going to allow anything to steal its spotlight. We have an agreement, Creamed Ham on Cornbread and I, to let it be the star of the evening when it is on the menu.

For the record, the food I cook does not literally talk to me… I just have a sixth sense about these things.

Call me the Dish Whisperer.

Gluten Free Creamed Ham on Cornbread

1 recipe for gluten free cornbread (cut the sugar to 1/3 cup)

2 Tbsp butter

1 tsp minced dried onion

½ tsp dry mustard

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 ¼ cups of milk, divided

½ cup Colby Jack or Cheddar cheese

1 ½ cups diced ham

1 cup canned green beans

Make cornbread as directed (see link above).

In a large skillet, melt butter. Add dried onion and stir for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of milk and heat to a pre-boil. Add dry mustard and stir or whisk to incorporate.

In a small bowl, mix together remaining ¼ cup of milk and cornstarch. Add to heated milk and stir until thickened. Reduce heat to low.

Cut cheese into small cubes and add to skillet, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted. Fold in the diced ham and green beans and stir gently until ham and beans are heated through.

Serve creamed ham over a square of cornbread. Serves 4.