Moist Fudgy Brownies (Gluten Free)!

It's really hot outside. The air quality is horrible because of nearby forest fires and I just want to hide inside. I've closed up the windows, cranked on the AC and started the oven. Crazy, I know. It is summer; the time to be outside away from baking in a hot oven... but when you eat this chocolatey goodness, you'll know it was worth it :)

Moist Fudgy Brownies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix
1 3/4 cups sugar
12 tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2 tsp bourbon vanilla extract
1 cup water
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Add all ingredients (except chocolate chips and walnuts) into a standing mixer and combine on medium until smooth
3. Stir in chopped walnuts and chocolate chips
4. Pour into a greased (I used butter) 9"x13" glass baking dish
5.  Bake for ~35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean! Let cool and slice into squares.

ENJOY! Being 8 months pregnant, I might have to hide these wonderfully delicious brownies from myself as I seem to have no self-control at the moment!

 brownie batter...

ready for baking

 now moist delicious brownies are ready to eat!

Recipe inspired by Confessions of a Gluten-Free Mom

Strawberries with Chamomile Cream and Shaved Chocolate

Happy Mothers Day!

It's been awhile since my last post, but I wanted to share a easy and beautiful recipe with you. My brother-in-law made this as our dessert for brunch. I could not have asked for a more light and luscious dessert. Whipped cream perfectly infused with honey-vanilla chamomile topped over fresh strawberries is now one of my favorite treats.

                                   Strawberries with Chamomile Cream and Shaved Chocolate
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 cup chilled heavy cream, divided
2 Honey-Vanilla Chamomile tea bags (Celestial Seasonings)
2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 chunk best quality chocolate, for shaving

Directions:

1. Heat 1/2 cup cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form around edges of pan. Remove pan from heat; add chamomile tea bags. Let steep 20 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cover and chill until cold, about 2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, toss strawberries with 2 tbs sugar in a medium bowl to coat. Set aside to allow juices to form.

3. Strain chamomile cream through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Add remaining 1/2 cup cream and remaining 1tbs sugar. Using a standing mixer (or electric mixer) beat chamomile cream until soft peaks form.

4. Divide berries among bowls.

5. Spoon whipped cream over berries and top with shaved chocolate.

Recipe inspired by BonAppetite yet made extra delicious by my brother-in-law, Cory, who's a fantastic chef!

Swedish Semlor: Sweet Almond and Cream Filled Cardamom Buns

While listening to NPR this morning I was intrigued by the segment on the traditional Swedish dessert, Semlor. A semla is a cardmom spiced bun filled with sweet almond paste and whipped cream and dusted with powdered sugar. Yum. It was traditionally associated as a dessert to eat before Lent or on Fat Tuesday. I am neither Swedish nor an observer of Lent, yet I still wanted in on this delicatessen. I scoured the internet for  a gluten-free recipe of Semlor and thankfully came across "Cooking Gluten-Free with Anna". The only thing I changed in her original recipe was an exchange from guar gum to xanthan gum. I give her full credit for this delightful recipe and am now a follower of her delicious blog. 

                            Swedish Semlor: Sweet Almond and Cream Filled Cardamom Buns


Ingredients:
Makes ~24 buns

Semla Bun:

6 tbsp butter

1 1/2 cups milk

2 tsp dry yeast

2 tsp psyllium husks ( see below, on resources)

1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tsp for the yeast liquid

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp kosher salt

2tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp gelatin, unflavored

2 large eggs, whisked

3 tsp ground cardamon

1 1/2 cups corn starch

1 cup white rice flour, plus 1/3 cup for rolling the dough

1 cup tapioca starch

Egg Wash:

1 large egg, whisked

1 tbsp water

Filling:

7 oz GF almond paste

1 -2 tbsp milk, enough to blend with almond paste

Whipped Cream:

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 tbsp confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Add the milk to the melted butter and heat until about 110-115 degrees F. Pour the heated liquid into a medium-sized bowl.

Add the yeast, psyllium husks, 1 tsp sugar and whisk together until yeast has dissolved. Let sit for 10 minutes to proof and activate the yeast. The liquid should expand.

Pour the yeast liquid into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar, honey, salt, xanthan gum, gelatin, the whisked eggs, cardamom, and gluten-free flours to the mixer. Beat on medium speed for 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl occasionally. The dough will be sticky, do not worry, this is normal.

Remove the mixing bowl. Drape a clean kitchen towel, or plastic wrap, over the bowl. Place the mixing bowl in a warm part of the kitchen, and let the dough rise for 75 minutes.

Shape the dough into 3" balls by scooping the dough out with a large spoon. Using wet hands, gently press into shape. You might need to wet your hands in between each roll, to prevent the dough from sticking and to create a smooth surface. But take care not to make the dough soggy.

Place the rolls onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Allow the rolls to rise, loosely covered with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, for 40 minutes.

During the last 20 minutes of the rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove covers from the baking sheets. Using a pastry brush, brush each roll with the egg wash.

Bake near center of the oven for about 15-18 minutes, or until golden.

Transfer the rolls to a wire rack, cover with the kitchen towels, and let cool to room temperature. The buns are also delicious on their own, sliced and spread with some butter.

Once cool, cut a slice off the top of the bun. Scoop out the center of the bun.

Blend the almond paste with the milk until smooth. Add additional milk if needed until the filling is nearly as soft as pudding.

Whip cream with the confectioners' sugar to soft peaks. Fill each bun with a spoonful of the almond mixture. Pipe whipped cream on top of the filling to about 1/2 inch over the top of the bun. Replace the top onto the bun, and dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

I hope you love these as much as I do. 

Enjoy semla without the filling. Warm and spread with pat of butter!

Enjoy!!

*Psyllium husks are the same as Metamusil, which is gluten-free. Get the unflavored variety. This adds fiber, texture and elasticity to the dough.

Asian Noodle Salad with Grilled Chicken

Asian Noodle Salad with Grilled Chicken

Vinaigrette:
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp allspice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tbs honey or agave
2 tbs sesame oil
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp sea salt

Reduce orange juice with allspice to 1/2 cup over medium heat. Then whisk in vinegar, honey, salt and sesame oil. Slowly whisk in olive-oil. Remove from heat and set aside.

Salad:
10-12 cups baby greens
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (grilled with olive oil and salt and pepper)
8oz package 100% buckwheat soba noodles (cooked according to package directions)
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
1/2 cup carrots, julienned
1/2 cup sunflower sprouts
1/4 to 1/2 cup roasted peanuts

Mix all the ingredients, except chicken, together.  Add desired amount of vinaigrette and toss gently. Divide evenly among 4 to 6 plates and top with grilled chicken and extra peanuts and sprouts.

(I didn't have sunflower sprouts, so I used fresh peas for the photo)

Pasta with Petite Peas and Bacon

Pasta with Peas and Bacon

• Ingredients:
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 slices bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 package ( about 10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 package GF spaghetti or fettucini noodles 

Directions:
Set a large pot of water to boil. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain (leave fat in skillet).


Add shallots to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add peas and half-and-half; season with salt and pepper. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes


Cook gluten-free pasta in boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Pour pea sauce over pasta; toss to combine, adding some reserved pasta water a little at a time to coat (if needed). Sprinkle 
with bacon, and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food, March 2008

Agave Pumpkin Pie with Walnut-Brown Sugar Topping

                                   Agave Pumpkin Pie with Walnut-Brown Sugar Topping

Filling:
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 can (15oz) pure pumpkin
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/3 cup light agave nectar
2 eggs

Pie Crust:
1 unbaked 9" gluten-free pie crust (found at natural food markets)

Topping:
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add pumpkin and spices. Continue beating until smooth. Add agave nectar and eggs one at a time. Mix until fully incorporated. Pour filling into gluten free pie-crust.

Bake for 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 350°F and bake 30 more minutes. While pie is baking, combine all topping ingredients and blend into fine crumbs. Use a blender or small food chopper to do this.

After 30 minute time, sprinkle topping evenly over top of pie. Continue to bake pie for 10 to 15 minutes longer (or until knife inserted in center comes out clean). Let cool and then refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Can be made 1 day ahead. Tent with foil and chill.

ready for a feast...

Thanksgiving dinner complete with pear and spinach salad, 

lemon-garlic green beans, braised carrots, maple roasted sweet-potatoes,

 GF cornbread stuffing, cranberries, turkey and of course PIE. 

Thanksgiving Side-Dish! Colorful Roasted Potatoes with Sage

This is probably one of the easiest and healthiest side-dishes you could have at your Thanksgiving dinner. Plus, it tastes delicious!

                                                        Colorful Roasted Potatoes with Sage

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. mixed fingerling potatoes (red, purple, yellow), cleaned and cut into about 1/2" to 3/4"cubes
1 1/2 lbs. red skinned sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" to 3/4" cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tbs coarse kosher salt
20 medium fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl;  toss to coat well. Spread mixture in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until potatoes are tender and begin to brown around the edges. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring at the 1/2 way (20 min) mark. Serve roasted potatoes warm or at room temperature.

Holiday Iced Sugar Cookies

This recipe has been adapted from a Cooks Illustrated recipe: Foolproof Holiday Cookies. Of course cooking with gluten-free flours is far from foolproof. The recipe in Cooks is simple, straightforward but I had to do a bit of tweaking to make them gluten-free and acceptable. I was shocked when I could actually roll out the dough as I have experienced many gluten-free sugar cookie failures that have ended up in the trash...

Holiday Sugar Cookies

1 cup Bistro Blend All-Purpose GF Flour

1.5 cups sweet rice flour

3/4 cups fine sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

16 tbs butter, cut into 1/2" pieces, softened

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbs cream cheese, softened

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix flours, sugar, salt, baking powder and xanthan gum until combined, about 5 to 10 seconds. With mixer running on low, add butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. Add the vanilla and the cream-cheese and mix on low until dough begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. 

Remove bowl from mixer; knead dough by hand in bowl to form a large cohesive mass. Turn out dough onto a piece of parchment paper, and divide in half. Pat into two (2) 4-inch disk. Wrap each in parchment paper and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. 

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375°F. Roll out 1 dough disk to a fairly even 1/8" thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters and place on a parchment paper- lined baking sheet, spacing cookies about 1-inch apart. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough ball. Cool cookies on wire rack to room temperature. Do not ice cookies until completely cool. 

(These cookies can be simply made non gluten-free. Follow all instructions, but omit baking powder and xanthan gum and use 2.5 cups white flour instead of the GF flours) Enjoy!

All-Purpose Glaze (Cooks Illustrated Nov & Dec 2011)

2 cups confectioners sugar

3 tbs milk*

2 tbs cream cheese, softened

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Spread glaze onto completely cooled cookies. Let glaze dry completely before serving, about 30 minutes. 

*For citrus flavored glaze, substitute orange, lemon, or lime juice for the milk. The glaze can also be flavored with 1/2 tsp of your favorite extract. Or you can add a bit of lemon, lime or orange zest to the glaze for a subtle flavor. 

Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette

There is something about fall that I really love yet also feel very sad about. The warm smells from the kitchen, the abundance of pumpkins and squash at the farmers markets, the warm days and cool nights...yes these are the things about autumn that make me smile. But all too soon, it comes to a screeching halt and I am left with cold bitter days, wind, fallen leaves, loads of snow, and the daylight is far too little. On cold days, I want warm comforting food so I turn to one of my favorite blogs for inspiration: Smitten Kitchen. Of course Deb at the Smitten Kitchen does not have a gluten-intolerance so I must adapt accordingly!

In my younger days, aka when I didn't know I was gluten-intolerant, I would make galettes for my vegetarian hubby. There is something beautifully rustic about them. Maybe it's because they remind me of a quaint french bistro or maybe it is all the savory or sweet goodness that is inside. Whatever the reasoning, today I wanted a Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette (original recipe here).

I haven't mastered my own flakey, buttery, gluten-free pie crust, so I used the recipe from Bella Gluten-Free to make a savory crust (no sugar). I was able to see "Bella" in action at a recent Boulder County Celiac Meeting and her pie crust was a big hit with the attendees. I purchased a bag of All-Purpose Baking mix to test out in my own kitchen. The recipe for sweet and savory pie crusts are on the back of the bag.

                                                                          Gluten-Free 

                                             Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette

Filling:
1 small butternut squash (about one pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons butter (if you have only non-stick, the smaller amount will do)
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
3/4 cup fontina cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces), grated or cut into small bits
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

Pastry:
1 cup +2 tbs Bella Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Mix
1 tbs ice water
6 tbs cold butter

Instructions:
1. Make pastry crust by following instructions on Bella Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix.

2. Prepare squash: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into a 1/2-inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt and roast on foil lined (for neatness sake) sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if your oven bakes unevenly. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Caramelize onions: While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.

4. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.

5. Assemble galette: roll the dough out into a 10-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.

6. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Serves 4.

fontina and sage

pastry flour

galette, before baking

Spicy Chicken Fajitas

I adapted this recipe from Jaime's Food Revolution cookbook. Naturally, being from NM I like a little more spice than recipe calls for, so adjust the seasonings to your liking. 

                                                                     Chicken Fajitas
                                                                        (serves 3-4)
Ingredients:
1 red or orange bell pepper
1 yellow onion
1 portobello mushroom
2 small zucchini/ summer squash
2 skinless, boneless chicken bread fillets (preferably organic or free-range)
1 tsp smoked paprika
generous pinch of ground cumin

2 tsp red chile powder
2 limes
olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
corn tortillas
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 avocado
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

fresh salsa (homemade or store-bought)
fresh cilantro (optional)

Use a grill pan or large skillet on medium-high heat. Halve and seed your bell pepper and cut it into thin strips. Slice mushroom and squash into thin strips. Peel, halve, and finely slice your onion. Slice your chicken lengthways into long strips roughly the same size as your bell pepper strips.

Put the bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, squash and chicken into a bowl with the paprika, chile powder and cumin. Squeeze over the juice of half a lime, drizzle over a lug of olive oil, season with the salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside to marinate for 5-10 minutes.

Use a pair of tongs to put all the pieces of bell pepper, onion, and chicken into your preheated pan to cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is golden and cooked through. As the pan will be really hot, keep turning the pieces of chicken and vegetables over so they don’t burn – you just want them to lightly chargrill to give you a lovely flavor.

Halve the avocado, scoop out the flesh from both sides and slice. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the avocado slices.

Warm your tortillas up in a microwave or on a warm dry frying pan. Divide your warmed tortillas between your serving plates. At the table, carefully help yourselves to the chicken and vegetables straight from the hot grill pan.

Halve your remaining lime and squeeze the juices over the sizzling pan. Serve fajitas with bowls of plain yogurt/sour cream, avocado alongside your shredded cheddar and your fresh salsa. Garnish with cilantro. 

                                                                        Fajita Feast!