Quick and Easy Fun Dessert

When Chas needed to make a dessert for Boy Scouts, he wanted something simple yet super yummy (they were being judged). He picked peanut butter and chocolate since it is a favorite combination for many including him. We came up with a simple layered bar, even using a box mix for the bottom although you could use your favorite cookie recipe. The end result was delicious even though he didn't win.

Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

One box of your favorite
     gluten-free cookie mix
     (or a favorite recipe)
1 c. creamy peanut butter
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 T. dairy-free margarine
1/4 c. crushed gluten-free cereal
6 oz. dairy-free chocolate
3 fluid oz. coconut milk, full fat
chopped peanuts

Prepare your favorite gluten-free cookie mix or recipe according to directions. Any cookie that goes well with peanut butter and chocolate and is appropriate for a bar should work. He used Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix.  You can use dairy-free margarine. Spread in a 9 x 13 in. pan (lightly grease bottom). Ours was just a thin layer of dough, just the thickness of the chips. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees F or until lightly browned and a little soft in the middle yet (it will depend upon the thickness and type of your cookie). Don't over bake or cookie will be dry. Let cool.

Mix peanut butter, sugar, margarine and cereal. Spread over cooled cookie. Increase ingredients proportionately if you prefer a thicker layer.

Blend coconut milk before using if it has separated. Melt chocolate and coconut milk together in the microwave at 50 % power, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool to room temperature. Stir well and pour evenly over peanut butter. Sprinkle with nuts, if preferred. Let set and cut into squares. Store in refrigerator  for 1 - 2 days or freeze.

The topping is like a peanut butter cup, so it's like eating candy. It's a great one to take to a pot luck where you'll be "sharing" with a lot of other people. Enjoy!

Still Crazy For Quinoa

Quinoa is one of my favorite grains, and being a complete protein, it's considered a super food by some. Shortly after being introduced to quinoa for the first time and loving it, I decided to try to make a salad with it. Mediterranean food is on my favorites list, so I headed in that direction. This easy salad has a simple dressing and is easily altered for personal preferences. See below for suggestions. It tastes delicious the next day, so it's great for a make ahead potluck or lunch.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

2 c. water or vegetable broth
1 c. rinsed uncooked quinoa
1/3 c. chopped red onion
1 medium yellow pepper, chopped
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives
3 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 t. dried crushed basil or
     1 T. chopped fresh basil
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
sea salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Cook quinoa according to package directions using water with 1/4 t. salt or broth and quinoa. Scoop into a bowl and gently mix in onion, pepper, tomato, olives, parsley, basil and garlic. In a separate cup, combine lemon juice, oil and vinegar. Pour over salad and mix. Salt and pepper to taste.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving to blend flavors. Serve on mixed greens if desired.

Variations:

1. Add chopped cooked chicken to the salad.
2. Add 1/2 c. cooked asparagus cut in 1 inch pieces.
3. If you eat dairy, add 1/4 - 1/2 c. feta cheese or use appropriate alternative.
4. Cucumber is a nice addition to this recipe also. I add it at the end and just to the part of the salad that will be eaten since it doesn't keep as well as the rest of the salad.

Enjoy!

Easy and Creamy Non-Dairy Ice Cream

Ice cream can be a perfect treat alone, with fruit or your favorite dessert. If you cannot tolerate dairy, the choices in the store are much more limited and expensive. Coconut milk makes really good ice cream. It's super creamy with just a light coconut flavor. Besides, the fat in coconut milk has been shown to be a good fat. And if I make it myself, it's much more economical.

Easy Vanilla Non-Dairy Ice Cream

1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz.,
     regular not light)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 c. sugar

Blend ingredients well in a blender and freeze in an ice cream maker or in an 9 x 13 pan.

If using the pan, freeze 2 - 3 hours or until just a little soft in the middle. If you freeze too long, just let it warm up and soften a little. Blend again just enough to make the ice-cream smooth. It may need to be frozen again before serving.

Store in air tight container in freezer. It gets fairly hard when frozen for extended periods of time. Let thaw a little before serving.

Notes:

1. Agave may be substituted for the sugar. Use 1/4 c.
2. Try making chocolate ice cream. Add 1/4 c. cocoa to the blender in the beginning. If desired, increase your sweetener.

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Truffles

Besides being scrumptious, chocolate has a long and fascinating history. In ancient civilizations, cacao beans were ground and "chocolate" was consumed as a bitter drink with seasonings. The Aztecs even used cacao beans as money because of its perceived value at the time. The Spaniards brought cacao beans back to Europe and the chocolate drink was sweetened and enjoyed by the wealthy for hundreds of years. During the Industrial Revolution, chocolate became a solid confection that was affordable worldwide.

While I enjoy chocolate any time of the year, Valentine's Day and chocolate just seems to go together. So, this Valentine's Day I made a batch of one of my favorite chocolates - the truffle.

The truffle middle has a silky chocolate inside. They can be dipped in chocolate or rolled in cocoa, coconut, nuts, etc...  For many years, truffles were my Christmas tradition. Unfortunately, butter and cream are used with chocolate to make the creamy inside. I read that coconut milk can be used as a substitute. I tried it and everyone loved the new truffle. I use a can of regular coconut milk. Light just doesn't work as well nor does the coconut milk beverages sold in half gallons for drinking.

These are relatively simple to make but are somewhat time consuming since the chocolate has to be melted, mixed, solidified and rolled. The following recipe is the liquid/chocolate combination that worked with coconut milk to give me the truffle texture I love. Remember that the texture can vary with the brand of chocolate you use since different chocolates can absorb the coconut milk differently. Also, your truffle is only as good as your chocolate. If you want a fantastic truffle, use a fantastic chocolate. A wonderful dark chocolate flavor will not be masked by the coconut milk in this recipe. My favorite is Callebaut - a Belgian chocolate.

                              Dark Chocolate Truffles

                              6 oz. of dark chocolate, chopped
                              3 fluid oz. ( use measuring cup) plus 2 t. of coconut milk
                              chocolate, chopped nuts, coconut, and/or cocoa for dipping and rolling
      
Blend coconut milk from can to mix it well before measuring since it can separate in the can. Heat milk until almost boiling in saucepan or microwave. Pour over chocolate in heat safe bowl. Stir until melted. Cool chocolate. Use the refrigerator if desired, but cover chocolate to prevent it from picking up any odors and watch it carefully as it can get too stiff. When chocolate stiffens whisk, stir or beat it until it is fluffy and lightens in color. When stiff enough (refrigerate again if needed), roll in 1 - 1 1/4 in. diameter balls. Roll immediately in desired toppings. If you want to dip them in melted chocolate, place balls on wax paper first and let air dry for an hour or two, bringing them to room temperature. Roll in chocolate and let harden on wax paper. Place in paper candy cups if desired. Store covered in cool place. Makes 12 - 16 truffles.

Notes:
Pure chocolate contains cocoa butter and needs to be tempered to stabilize the cocoa butter and produce a firm hard chocolate. To avoid the need to temper chocolate, you can use confectionery coating in which the cocoa butter has been replaced by other fats. However, if you are avoiding dairy, many of these will not work for you. The real thing is better anyway and healthier, but you still need to check the label of the dark chocolate to make sure it does not contain dairy. Another option is to add 1 T. of shortening to 6 oz. of chocolate when melting it for dipping. Use the microwave at 50% power and stir every 1/2 minute just until it's melted. Always remember to keep moisture out of chocolate during the melting process so it doesn't seize up (thicken).

They make a beautiful gift if you can part with them. Yum.

Enjoy and celebrate Valentine's Day year round!

That Favorite Recipe

Did you ever have a favorite recipe that everyone seemed to like and was just so flexible and easy? That's how I feel about the banana bread recipe I wrote about in my first blog. I had lowered the sugar to 1/2 cup and made the bread into muffins. They always turn out so nice and since you don't need zanthan gum, I've give the recipe to others with a gift of rice flour so they can easily try a gluten-free recipe. It was the inspiration for other goodies along the way.


I picked up an idea to have the flavors of peanut and toffee with banana bread in a magazine while waiting for an appointment one day. Their recipe had yogurt, wheat flour and toffee bits in it, but I took the idea home and modified my favorite recipe one more time. It was a hit! See what you think.

                         

Banana Peanut Muffins                    print recipe

1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. dairy-free margarine
1 T. canola oil
2 eggs
1 t.  gluten-free vanilla
1 c. mashed banana
1 1/4 c. brown rice flour
3/4 t. gluten-free baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/4c. chopped peanuts
dairy-free mini chocolate chips and extra peanuts for decoration on top, if desired


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with 12 papers and lightly spray.

Cream sugar, oil and margarine until creamy. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Stir in banana.

Whisk remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl before adding to banana mixture. Stir into banana mixture just until mixed. Spoon equally into muffin cups. Decorate tops with peanuts and chocolate chips, if desired.

Bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove to rack to cool. Store in cool place for a day or wrap and freeze.


                      

Note: Butter or margarine may be used in place of the dairy-free margarine if dairy is not a concern for you. No zanthan gum is required for this recipe.

Enjoy,

Homemade Granola Is So Easy

One thing my whole family really enjoys is homemade granola - for breakfast or snack. A batch just doesn't last long in our house. And it's so easy to make. My favorite flavor is cherry pecan. Use your favorite dried fruits and nuts. Our local health food store just started carrying bulk gluten-free oats which made making gluten-free granola much more economical.
                                                                                  Print Recipe

Homemade Granola    
4 1/2 c. rolled oats
3-4 T. ground flax seed
     (or rice bran)
1 c. coarsely chopped nuts
    (walnuts, pecans, almonds)
1/2 T. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. honey
3 T. water
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 T. gluten-free vanilla extract
3/4 - 1 c. dried fruit of choice
     (coarsely chop large pieces
      like cherries)

Combine oats, flax seed or rice bran, nuts, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Combine brown sugar, honey and water in a small saucepan and bring to a full boil. Add oil and vanilla. Pour over oats and mix well. Spread in a large cookie sheet lined with tinfoil. Bake at 250 degrees F for about 1 3/4 hours or until lightly browned/toasted. Loosen in pan immediately. Cool and add fruit. Store in airtight container.

Simple and delicious!

Chas' Chips

My kids are "starving" when they get home from school. They love chips, of course. And to make them is even more fun.

Chas likes his homemade chips both sweet and salty. He likes them sprinkled with sugar and pumpkin pie spice. He also likes to sprinkle non-dairy cheese shreds (we use Daiya) on them, sometimes mixed with chopped natural salami. Waiting for them to get done is the hardest part.

Print Recipe

Homemade Tortilla Chips              
one medium rice tortilla
1 T. sugar
1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

Cut tortilla into 12 wedges with pizza cutter. Arrange on cookie sheet. Combine sugar and spice and sprinkle over wedges. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 7 - 9 minutes or until lightly browned and crunchy.

Note: If you desire savory chips, try lightly sprinkling with sea salt and herbs of your choice or non-dairy cheese as mentioned above. If you use the cheese, bake at least 3 - 4 minutes longer to melt the cheese and dry out the chips. The Daiya cheddar style shreds work well on the tortilla and get extra crunchy where the cheese bakes against the pan. Yum!

Sweet Memories

One of my fondest memories of Christmas of years past is of my grandmother. She lived nearby and was an important part of our life. My grandfather died when she was 70 and she lived independently in that same house for another 28 years. She loved to bake and help others.

I specifically remember enjoying her "Mexican Wedding Cakes" (or melting moments) around the holidays. They were covered in a gummy powder sugar layer and melted in your mouth. She gave me the recipe and explained that she shook the cookies in a bag of powder sugar twice. Once when they were still warm and once after they cooled. Yum!

In honor of my grandmother, I here is my gluten and dairy-free version of her wonderful holiday treat.

                                                                                  Print Recipe

Grandma's Mexican Wedding Cakes

1/2 c. plus 2 T. brown rice flour
3 T. cornstarch
3 T. potato starch
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. zanthan gum
pinch baking powder
1/3 c. dairy-free margarine
1 t. vanilla
powdered sugar or frosting   

Whisk dry ingredients together in a small bowl. In a separate bowl cream margarine with vanilla. Work in dry ingredients until completely mixed in. Form 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 - 12 minutes or until cookies are very lightly browned on the bottom and set. Cool until cookies are just warm not hot to the touch. Put about 1/3 c. powdered sugar in a plastic storage bag. Shake 2 - 3 cookies at a time in the bag to cover with sugar. Repeat again after cooled. If desired, frost instead. Cookies keep covered in a cool place for 2 - 3 days. Freeze any leftovers. Makes 14 - 16 cookies.

Remember, if you don't have a lot of GF cookie recipes for the holiday, it's easy to make different versions of your favorite recipes. Make meringue cookies with different shapes and colors like candy canes, put toppings or sprinkles on brownies or use nuts, jellies and chocolate to spruce up your sugar cookies. Be creative and have fun.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Simple Traditional Sage Stuffing

I read somewhere that all you have to do is change the bread to gluten-free to make stuffing gluten-free. We wanted some for Thanksgiving, but wanted to make it like my mother's recipe.

I tried it (and changed the butter, too). I couldn't find bread crumbs, so I used a loaf of Udi's whole brain bread, chopped it into 1/2 inch cubes and toasted it in the oven at 250 degrees until it was dried out. It took about an hour stirring every 10 minutes. The flavor of the stuffing was fabulous, but it was a little dry even though I put in extra broth.

So, here is the adjusted the recipe. It goes nicely with turkey, chicken or pork. If convert your favorite recipe, you may need extra liquid.


Traditional Stuffing                        Print Recipe

1/2 c. finely chopped onion
3/4 c. finely chopped celery
3 T. ghee or dairy-free margarine
6 1/2 c. dried gluten-free bread cubes (1 loaf of Udi's whole grain bread)
1 1/2 t. sage
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 3/4 - 2 c. gluten-free chicken broth

Saute onion and celery in ghee or dairy-free margarine for 5 minutes or until tender on medium heat.

Mix bread cubes, sage, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in onion mixture. Pour broth over bread crumbs and mix until moistened. Put in greased casserole dish, covered, and bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until heated through. Leave cover towards the end of baking if you like a crunchy top.

This recipe can be dairy-free if you use dairy-free margarine. If you are just concerned about casein or lactose and are not familiar with ghee see link for ghee.

I think the flavors of the gluten-free bread really added to the overall flavor of the stuffing. I took it to our extended family Thanksgiving gathering and brought the dish back empty. Yum!

Easy Cherry Pecan Chicken Salad

When you are wondering what to do with leftover chicken or turkey, here is a tasty yet simple way to make chicken salad with a hint of citrus. This is a very easy recipe to adjust with more or less dressing, fruit, etc. to make it how you like it. Yum!

Cherry Pecan Chicken Salad                                 Print Recipe

1/4 c. plus 1 T. mayonnaise
1 1/2 T. orange juice concentrate
1/4 t. basil
1 1/2 c. of cooked and diced chicken or turkey
2 T. chopped dried cherries
2 T. chopped pecans, toasted if desired
2 T. finely chopped celery
dash of salt as desired

In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, concentrate and basil. Mix until smooth.

In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix. Pour dressing over and stir until all ingredients are covered.

Enjoy with greens as a salad or on a sandwich. If preferred, mix together all ingredients together except for the chicken and spread over slices of meat on a sandwich. Serves 3 - 4.

Simply Easy GF Apple Crisp

I to like to use fruit when I can for dessert since it has some nutritional value. Apple pie is delicious, but the crust takes some time to make. While you still have to peel, core and chop the apples, making a crisp is easier and still very tasty. You can load up on the apples and skip the bottom crust.

Depending on the kids ages, this can be a fun recipe to help out with. And you might find other desserts you want to sprinkle the topping on.

I like to use half firm apples and half soft cooking apples when I make the crisp to help make liquid but still have some firmer texture. I tried replacing half of the apples with frozen blueberries last night and it turned out great.

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp                     print recipe

Topping:
1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. plus 2 T. gluten-free oats or quinoa flakes
1/2 c. brown rice flour
1/2 t. zanthan gum
1/3 c. ghee, shortening, or canola oil

Filling:
6 medium apples (about 7 cups), cored, peeled and chopped
1/2 T. lemon juice
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 t. ground cinnamon
1 T. cornstarch

Lightly spray an 8 x 8 x 2 inch pan or 6 - 8 individual serving dishes (oven safe) with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together all topping ingredients in a bowl before adding ghee, shortening or oil. Mix well with fork until crumbly.

Mix apples with lemon juice to coat all apples right after chopping. Mix sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch for filling in a small cup and pour over apples. Stir until all apples are coated. Pour into pan or dishes and spread evenly. Sprinkle topping over apples and bake at 375 degrees for about 25 to 35 minutes for individual serving dishes and 35 to 40 minutes for 8 x 8 inch pan or until topping is golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Note:  Try different fruits. If the fruit is a little more sour or juicy, you made need to add a little sugar or cornstarch.

This recipe can be dairy-free if you use oil or shortening. If you are just concerned about casein or lactose and are not familiar with ghee see link for ghee.

Simple and Easy Gluten-Free Dumplings

     Now that the cool weather is back, soup sounds soooooo good. And there's something very simple you can add to your favorite soup to make it extra delicious, even more of a comfort food - dumplings! I took my favorite dumpling recipe and converted it to gluten- free.

Simple Gluten-Free Dumplings          print recipe
3/4 c. brown rice flour
1/4 c. potato starch flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. zanthan gum
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. non-dairy milk
1 1/2 T. olive oil

     Mix all dry ingredients together well in a small bowl. Make an indentation in the flour mixture and pour milk and olive oil in it. Mix together until the lumps are gone. Dough will be wet. Let dough set for a few minutes until it thickens and will hold a shape.
     Drop by spoonfuls into a hot liquid such as soup or stew. Cover and simmer on low/medium for 12-15 minutes for small dumplings and 20 minutes for large dumplings. Recipe will make about 54 small or about 18 large ones.

Notes:
     Make dumplings small if you like them "gummy". Make them large and add 1/2 t. baking powder if you like them fluffier.
     If you want to add some flavor to the dumplings, try adding 1/2 t. of dried Italian herbs or 1 t. finely chopped fresh parsley along with 1/8 t. of onion powder and 1/4 t. garlic powder to the dry ingredients.
Or use your imagination and add other herbs and have fun.

Easy Homemade Gluten-Free Pancakes

My son loves pancakes for breakfast. Though there are mixes on the market, making your own is really easy. Besides being cheaper, you can change the flours and flavors from time to time. And they turn out light and fluffy just like wheat based pancakes.


Easy Homemade Gluten-Free Pancakes                print recipe

3/4 c. brown rice flour
1/2 c. sorghum, buckwheat or quinoa flour
1/4 c. tapioca starch flour
2 T. brown sugar
2/3 t. zanthan gum
3 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon, if desired

2 eggs
1 c. non-dairy milk
1/2 c. water
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 t. vanilla

Measure first eight ingredients and whisk together in a small bowl

Whisk eggs until creamy and blended in a separate bowl. Mix in milk, water, oil and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients until just blended. Let dough rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat skillet on medium heat. Pour dough into desired size pancakes in greased skillet. Turn pancakes when they start to bubble on top. Fry until golden.

Be creative. Remember pancakes can be topped with many things besides syrup...melted jelly, nut butter/ bananas/honey, applesauce.... Have fun!