Mommy? Im Hungry! Recipe Blog

Parmesan Meatloaf {Gluten Free}

2012-02-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

Are you tired of your same old meatloaf recipe? If so give this one a try. I made it gluten free but you can use regular breadcrumbs if you're not. The flavors were great in this with the Italian flavors. We particularly like how the meatloaf held up, it wasn't really dense, it was tender and stayed together, it didn't crumble when sliced. I was also thinking next time I will try layering the meatloaf with some sauce and cheese in the middle for more Mmm. What do you think? Do you prepare meatloaf different ways sometimes?

Parmesan Meatloaf {Gluten Free}

slightly adapted from Full Bellies Make Happy Kids

1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground beef
2 eggs
1/4 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup marinara pasta sauce (homemade here, minus the meat)
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
minced parsley for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey and beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. To not over handle the mixture otherwise it will get tough. Place the mixture in the greased loaf pan and form into a loaf. Top the meatloaf with pasta sauce.

Place filled loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.
Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired.

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enjoy,

Rice Pudding

2012-02-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

Here's a wonderful, easy recipe to use up leftover rice. Mine came together in less than 25 minutes. Let it cool a little and you've got a creamy rice pudding to enjoy. It's been so long since I've made this, it was a nice treat to have. (silly me, I've made this before in '08, it's been that long.)

Rice Pudding

slightly adapted from allrecipes

1 1/2 cups leftover cooked white rice

2 cups milk, divided

1/3 cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup raisins (optional)

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

dash of cinnamon or nutmeg

In medium saucepan, combine cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook, stirring over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg and raisins. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter, vanilla and cinnamon. Serve warm.

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Soft Flour Tortillas {Gluten Free}

2012-01-31T08:07:00.000-08:00

It's been since before October since I've had a flour tortilla. I've had those GF brown rice tortillas, but they just crack and turn kind of hard. I finally gave in and tried out a recipe I had found a while ago. WHY did I wait? These were great. I made grilled chicken fajitas to celebrate my soft flour tortilla. The tortilla was soft and pliable and lasted through every bite. Now I don't know how they'd hold up for enchiladas, but they work great for tacos and maybe a sandwich wrap to eat right away.

Soft Flour Tortillas {Gluten Free}

adapted from Gluten Free Cooking School

(makes 8 tortillas, but I made 6, 8"ish size)

2 C. Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Mix

1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 C. warm water

Combine all the dry ingredients into a food processor. Once combined, add the warm water streaming in until all is combine and processed. Pulse it until a soft dough ball forms and "cleans the sides of the bowl". Remove and let rest 10 minutes. Cut into 6 or 8 equal sized pieces. Cover the dough balls with a damp towel.

Heat a large skillet on medium, may use a little non-stick spray as you cook each tortilla.

Take 1 dough ball and lay between two pieces of plastic wrap, then roll out the ball into a somewhat uniform thin circle. (if you have a tortilla press, that'd work great too).

Carefully peel away the plastic wrap from flattened tortilla and cook 1 minute in hot skillet, you may see little bubbles forming, flip and cook for another minute or so until brown spot start to appear. Set aside covered with foil in a warm oven as you cook the rest.

Freeze leftovers in layers of plastic wrap for later use.

(for hand mixing directions and commentor tips, see her blog)

cell pic

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Flatbread {Gluten Free}

2012-01-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

When I first went gluten free (GF), I made this for my burger bun. It worked ok, but I soon found out that it was just better for using as you would torn pita bread with hummus. So what did I do when I ran out of GF bread for my egg salad sandwich? I made a batch of this flat bread. It was soft and warm from the oven and just perfect to scoop up my egg salad. I keep this is a large baggie in the pantry, but it has to be eaten with in a few days or it may mold. Now since this doesn't really brown, I keep mine in the oven for 25 minutes, it'll get a little color and still not be dried out. This time I made it, I added some garlic, onion and parsley. Wow it made it even better. Think of the flavorful possibilities for your flatbread.

Gluten Free Flatbread

slightly adapted from Gluten Free Cooking School

1 c. brown rice flour

1/2 c. corn starch
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp dried parsely

3/4 c. water
1 tsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 eggs

Mix all dry ingredients in medium size bowl (or pulse in food processor).
Combine wet ingredients and slowly add to dry, mix thoroughly (Process until well combined)
Grease two 8 in. square baking pans and dust with brown rice flour.
Spread half of batter evenly into each pan. Use the back of a wet spatula if the dough is sticky.
Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 15 minutes (I bake for 25), or until bread pulls away from the sides of the pans.

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Get Your Snacks On

2012-01-28T11:46:00.000-08:00

Now we're not football people (Mr. likes his Nascar), but I hear the Super Bowl is coming up so let me help you prepare your snacky food menu. Now remember I have two blogs with recipes on them, so some may be going way back, some you probably haven't seen before. OK let's see what I've got for you, if you're still hungry, let me know...

Sweet and Spicy Sticky Hot Wings

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Loaded Nachos

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Chicken Bites

Sloppy Joes

Saucy Roast Beef Big Mouth Sliders

Cheeseball Dip

Chicken, Bacon and Cream Cheese Mini Taquitos

Sparkling Watermelon Lemonade

Puppy Chow

Chocolate Oreo Cake

Cheesecake (top with your favorite topping)

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enjoy,

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins {Gluten Free}

2012-01-27T07:09:00.000-08:00

I was worried these would come out dry, buy was I wrong. The zucchini and sour cream help keep these muffins moist and flavorful. I made 18 of these yesterday morning, and last night there were only 6 left. I guess I won't be able to freeze some for my next chocolate-baked-goods treat. These were just the right amount of chocolate flavor too, not real rich, can't taste the zucchini and little chocolate chips, yummm. My little ones never asked what the green stuff was either lol. This recipe is a keeper since we all loved them.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins {Gluten Free}
from Gluten Free Cooking

2 cups sorghum flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup low fat sour cream

3 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini

3/4 cup gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° F / 176° C

Spray two 8-inch loaf pans OR two 12-cup muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.

Place flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Use a wire whisk to combine.

In a large bowl, place oil, sugars, eggs and vanilla and mix with an electric hand mixer until fluffy. Stir in sour cream and shredded zucchini. Stir flour mixture into batter until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Divide batter between prepared loaf or muffin pans and bake for 50 minutes for loaves or 25 minutes for muffins or until a toothpick inserted in the center of loaf or muffin comes out clean.

Allow to cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out.

Yields about 24 muffins or 8-10 slices per loaf. (I was able to get 18 muffins from this)

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enjoy,

Penne Pasta with Sausage and Peppers {Gluten Free}

2012-01-25T18:42:00.000-08:00

You know when you see someone in a TV show make something and you can't stop thinking about it? Well I was watching Khloe & Lamar (Oh shhh!) and she made a dish like this for her Father in Law and it was so simple and they loved it. Well I woke up thinking about it and had to find a recipe for it. A friend pointed this to me and of course I added my own little touch. I used gluten free sausage, broth and pasta. The bell peppers and onions were already sliced and ready to cook in a package my store sells for fajitas (Fresh & Easy stores).

Penne Pasta with Sausage and Peppers {Gluten Free}

adapted from allrecipes

1 pound gluten free Italian sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. crushed garlic
8 ounces gluten free penne pasta
3/4 cup gluten free beef broth
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

5 large basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 C. parmesan cheese
1/4 C. mozzarella, shredded

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
While pasta is cooking, cook sausage and onions in large skillet over medium heat until sausage is brown and juices run clear. Set aside sausage mixture and add bell peppers to the pan, sautee for a few minutes until just tender, set aside. Pour in the broth, season with black pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes, return the sausage and onions to the pan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and add peppers back to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Toss pasta with sausage sauce, sprinkle in cheeses and basil and serve.

ready to toss in pasta

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enjoy,

Fajita Turkey Burgers {Gluten Free}

2012-01-24T12:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a great twist on a plain turkey burger. Amp it up by making them into Fajita Burgers. Topped with a tomatillo salsa gives them that "Oooh!" factor, and Mr. raved about them. I've added my gluten free changes to the ingredients. As for the finely chopped veggies, I just threw them in my food processor. These are much too soft to grill so a hot pan works great.

Fajita Turkey Burgers {Gluten Free}
adapted from Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light July 2006

1/4 cup bottled tomatillo salsa

2 tablespoons chopped avocado (I used smashed avocado)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

2 (1-ounce) slices white bread (I used my gluten free bread)

Cooking spray

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

2 teaspoons fajita seasoning, divided (I used Amazing Taste it's gluten free)

1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 egg white
4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted (I used gluten free buns for mine)

Preparation
Combine tomatillo salsa, chopped avocado, and cilantro; set aside.
Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until crumbs measure 1 cup.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and bell peppers; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon fajita seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cool.

Combine breadcrumbs, onion mixture, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons fajita seasoning, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, tomato paste, turkey, and egg white in a large bowl. Using damp hands, divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. Heat pan over medium heat. Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun. Top each serving with 1 1/2 tablespoons salsa mixture; top with remaining halves of buns.

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enjoy,

Flourless Caramel Almond Brownies {Gluten Free}

2012-01-19T08:45:00.000-08:00

Mmm, almonds and chocolate are my favorite. When I saw this in my magazine, I quickly tore it out and gathered the ingredients to make. Being gluten free now, I don't eat many sweets so this was perfect for my craving. These came out great, however, once the topping sets, it's not all gooey like their photo was. But it still tasted great. So if you want gooey, I suggest eating them soon after you pour the caramel almond topping on. Oh and yes, they say to cut them into 1" servings, because these are RICH. =)

Flourless Caramel Almond Brownies
from Good Housekeeping
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60 percent to 70 percent cacao), chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons butter, no substitutions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cups roasted, salted chopped almonds
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/3 cup heavy cream, warmed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8x8-inch baking pan. Line with foil; grease foil.

In 4-quart saucepan, combine chocolates, 4 tablespoons butter, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Melt on medium-low 4 minutes or until smooth, stirring. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs, 1 at a time, until well blended.

Into same pan, sift cornstarch and cocoa; fold to incorporate. Stir batter vigorously for at least 1 minute or until batter thickens slightly and begins to pull away from sides of pan. Fold in 1 cup chopped nuts. Spread evenly into prepared baking pan. Bake 25 to 27 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from edge comes out almost clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

While brownie cools, in 4-quart saucepan, stir remaining 3/4 cup sugar, water, corn syrup, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook on medium-high 9 to 12 minutes or until sugar dissolves and mixture is amber, swirling occasionally to get even color. Working quickly, remove from heat and add cream. Once bubbling begins to subside, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter until incorporated. Stir in remaining chopped nuts.
Pour caramel over cooled brownie, tilting pan to spread evenly. Let stand at least 2 hours or until caramel has set. Cut into 1-inch squares. Store brownies in airtight container, layered with waxed paper, at room temperature up to 2 days.

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enjoy,

Baked Potato Rounds

2012-01-09T18:18:00.000-08:00

Do you love baked potatoes? We do. These potatoes were really really good. They're just like a baked potato with all the fixings and probably easier to eat since they're all ready dressed and hot ans cheesy from the oven. This is a recipe keeper for sure.

Baked Potato Rounds
slightly adapted from allrecipes

4 large baking potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch slices (I used Russet and Yukon)
1/4 cup melted butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 TBL crushed garlic
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
sour cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Brush both side of potato slices with butter, add salt, pepper and garlic; place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides, turning once (I forgot to turn them, they were fine).

When potatoes are ready, top with bacon, cheese, and green onion; continue baking until the cheese has melted (I just turned the oven off and let the heat melt it all). Serve with sour cream if desired. (I forgot it for my pics)

enjoy,

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Chicken Bites

2012-01-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

I brought these tasty bites to our New Years Eve party at friends. Bacon, chicken, jalapeno & cream cheese, grilled. YUM. I made so many, (I used 2 packages of bacon worth and 1 8oz neufchatel cheese) and when I went to get another to eat at the party, they were GONE! They are a little time consuming to make ( make ahead and keep chilled, until ready to grill) but I will make them again.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Chicken Bites
adapted slightly from salad in a jar

8 chicken tenders, slightly flattened and cut in two
3-ounce package softened cream cheese
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 TBL crushed garlic
8 slices bacon, cut in half
Salt & pepper to taste

Combine the jalapenos, garlic and cream cheese together. Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper. Dab 1/2 teaspoon (more or less) of cream cheese on top of each chicken tender. Fold or roll chicken to enclose cream cheese mixture the best you can. Wrap each roll with one piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Grill until bacon is brown and crispy on both sides. About 8 minutes a side (you want the bacon done), just cut in half to see that it's done.

I thought threading them onto skewers would be easier to grill (then cut the skewers into pieces), but it didn't matter, most burnt apart.

enjoy,

Deep Dark Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

2012-01-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

I made these for Christmas and boy they were fantastic. You have to eat these on day 1 or 2 if you want a chewy, soft cookie. After that they become "old" and get a dried out sort of texture inside.

Deep Dark Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

from Divine Baking Makes about 18

1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces), divided
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring twice, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.

Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme.
Whisk 1 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, beat dry ingredients into meringue.
Stir in lukewarm chocolate and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dough will become very very stiff).

Place 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly. Place on a pachement lined cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets on rack 10 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.

enjoy,

Fiddle Faddley Popcorn + Stovetop Popcorn

2011-12-31T12:09:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years! I just made a batch of this popcorn for a party at friends tonight, and well I may have to make more by them time we leave. It is SO good. I don't have a popcorn popper and I hate microwave popcorn (always burns), so I did mine on the stove in a big stock pot. {see my video below}

Now, I ended up making double the glaze, it was so hard to coat all that popcorn and nuts before it started to set up, so mine will be extra yummy. I wanted to be sure all the popcorn and nuts got some.

Stovetop Popcorn

Add 2-3 TBL canola oil to a large stock pot, let it get hot over medium heat, add 3/4 C. kernals, add lid to pan and shake to coat the kernals. After a few minutes the kernals will start popping, keep the lid on and when you hear the popping come to a slow (about 3 seconds between pops) take it off the heat. Serve as desired.

Fiddle Faddley Popcorn

food snots

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 quarts plain popcorn, popped (20 Cups)
2 cups nuts

In a medium saucepan combine sugar, syrup, and butter. Bring to a boil, and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Slowly pour over popped popcorn and nuts . Quickly stir hot syrup mixture into popcorn until evenly covered. Cool and serve.

20 Cups of fresh popped popcorn

enjoy,

Korean Crock-pot Beef Tacos {Gluten Free}

2011-12-31T09:56:00.000-08:00

These tacos were so good, looks like another crock-pot keeper recipe. I can only imagine what the food trucks taste like, but since I haven't even eaten from one, these will do just fine. They're delicious.

Korean Crock-pot Beef Tacos {Gluten Free}

from crockpot 365

3-4 pounds beef chuck roast

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Tamari sauce
3 TBL garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 onion, diced
1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 whole jalapeno, diced, seeded

Spray your crock-pot dish and add beef and jalapenos. Combine the rest of the ingredients ina bowl then pour over the roast. Cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove from pot and shred beef, add some of the leftover liquid. Serve in warm corn tortillas with slaw.

Slaw:
1 bag shredded coleslaw
1 tablespoon Tamari sauce
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Toss together and serve over beef. (can make up to a hour before)

enjoy,

Light and Fluffy Biscuits {Gluten Free}

2011-12-30T07:28:00.000-08:00

I had originally planned to use this biscuit dough for chicken and dumplings, but when I saw that recipe was not working out, I didn't chance wasting the dough. I made regular biscuits instead and froze them to use as I'd need them. They turned out pretty good, great with butter and jam and even breakfast sandwiches. I've even had them dipped in my hot beef stew as the rest of the family had dinner rolls.

Light and Fluffy Biscuits {Gluten Free}

from Gluten Free Cooking School

(Yield: 16 large biscuits)

1 1/2 c. brown rice flour
2 c. corn starch
1/2 c. soy flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 stick of cold butter
1 1/4 c. milk
1 1/4 c. water
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl thoroughly combine the flours, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and xanthan gum.

3. Grate the butter into the flour using the small holed side of a box grater. Mix the butter into the flour so that there are no large balls of grated butter.

4. Add the milk, water, vinegar and beaten egg to the flour and stir until the dry and liquid ingredients are combined.

Using a large spoon (I used my large scooper), drop the dough onto a greased pan to make 16 biscuits. Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
-Can be frozen, thaw before use.

enjoy,

Lemon Chicken

2011-12-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

Pinterest has become my new recipe box. I saw this there and it looked so good, but we're not big on lemon chicken. I made it anyways. It was really good. The skin crisped up and the chicken wasn't too lemony. I used a cut up whole chicken and threw in extra legs for them. This need marinating time, so keep that in mind.

Lemon Chicken

from Annie's Eats

2 tbsp. lemon zest

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2-4 lbs. of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks
2-3 tbsp. melted butter
Thinly sliced lemons, for garnished

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large zipper-lock plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake well to blend. Place the chicken pieces in the bag with the marinade, pressing out excess air and sealing once more. Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and transfer to a baking dish, skin-side up, reserving the leftover marinade. Brush the top of each piece of chicken with melted butter.
Bake for 50-55 minutes (check the breasts after about 40 mins so they don't dry out), until the skins are crispy and well-browned. Halfway through baking, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken pieces in the baking dish. Once fully baked, cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with lemon slices and serve.

enjoy,

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

2011-12-28T12:16:00.000-08:00

When I saw a fellow blogger Lori aka Recipe Girl (also from San Diego) post about her gluten free cookies, I had to try them out for Christmas. I loved gluten ones I made years ago and since I can longer have them, these are a must try. They came out just the way I like my cookies, soft, dense and chewy and the spices weren't too strong, subtle infact. My kids enjoyed them as well. These freeze well too.

Molasses Crinkle Cookies {Gluten Free}
from Recipe Girl

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour (aka Mochiko)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 (scant) teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, melted
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup dark molasses
additional small bowl of sugar for rolling

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients- flours through cinnamon.

2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter and sugar. Blend in the egg and then the molasses. Add in the dry ingredients, a little at a time, until you can no longer see any streaks of flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats. Scoop out a spoonful of the dough, roll it into a ball with clean hands and roll it in the bowl of sugar. Place it on the cookie sheet and continue with the remaining cookie dough. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are crackled and set. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

enjoy,

Baked Pineapple Glazed Ham

2011-12-26T13:21:00.000-08:00

I have always done a basic baked ham, this year I decided to dress it up with pineapple and cherries. This recipe also has a glaze of brown sugar, pineapple juice and lemon lime soda. Everyone loved it and it looked so pretty, so pretty we wanted to hurry and eat it so there are no after photos.

Baked Pineapple Glazed Ham
slightly adapted from allrecipes

1 (11 pound) bone-in ham
1/2 cup whole cloves
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple rings in heavy syrup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 (12 fluid ounce) bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage
1 (4 ounce) jar whole maraschino cherries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).

Place ham in a roasting pan. Score the rind of the ham with a diamond pattern. Press a clove into the center of each diamond. Drain the juice from the pineapple rings into a medium bowl, and stir in the brown sugar and lemon-lime soda. Coat the ham with this mixture. Arrange the pineapple rings over the outside of the ham. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring, and secure both with a toothpick.

Bake covered with foil for 2 hours 45 minutes (about 15 mins/pd), basting frequently with the juices. Remove toothpicks and cloves before serving.

enjoy,

Christmas Pretzel Candies

2011-12-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

The easiest recipe of all. Perfect for parties and snacks. I made these for the 3rd grade class. My little boy helped me sort the M&Ms into colors, then helped me count them and bag them up in an A, B pattern. You can use any small shape pretzel and chocolates. For our Christmas treat plate, I'm going to use rolos and toasted pecans on the pretzels. A friend who made these said the peppermint kisses were also good, so I'll make some of those too.

Christmas Pretzel Candies
from family fun

Bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels
Hershey's Hugs (fyi- 2 bags gave me 150 treats)
M&M's plain candy

Heat the oven to 170F. Set a number of bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels (one for each treat) in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Hug.
Bake for 4 to 6 minutes (white chocolate will melt more quickly), until the chocolates feel soft when touched with a wooden spoon. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and quickly press an M&M's candy into the center of each Kiss.
Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. (I kept mine in the garage where it's cold) Allow them to set completely before bagging up.

bagged up, ready for the class party

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enjoy,

Christmas Goodies Wrap Up

2011-12-18T10:54:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for Christmas goodies to bake this week, I have a round up of past recipes here. There you'll find photos and links to Candy Cane Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Candy Cane Chocolate Crackle Cookies, Gingerbread Men Cookies, Cherry Blinks and Gingerbread Cake.

I also have these goodies I made last year:

Christmas Peanut Butter Balls

Christmas Crunch Bark

Cream Cheese Mints

Eggnog Quick Bread

Minty Hot Cocoa Cookies

I forgot all about this, Peanut Brittle

Also, Chocolate Truffles

New for this year, Christmas Pretzel Candies

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enjoy,

Apple Puff Pancake {Gluten Free}

2011-12-12T06:25:00.000-08:00

I made this for breakfast this weekend and it was a big hit with everyone. Cinnamon apples in a baked pancake? What's not to love? I am thinking this for Christmas breakfast.

Apple Puff Pancakes {Gluten Free}

adapted from Cook It Allergy Free

1 stick Butter, melted

2 Apples, peeled and very thinly sliced (I used Granny Smith)

3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups Milk

1 cup + 1 TBL All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour blend (below)

3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

3/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Shake of Ground Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place melted butter in bottom of 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Place thinly sliced apples on top of the butter, then sprinkle the apples evenly with 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar. Place in pre-heated oven for 5 minutes. While apples are in oven do the following:

In high speed blender, blend the eggs at high speed for 1 minute. Next add: Milk, Gluten-Free Flour Blend, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Salt. Blend on high speed for 1-2 minutes.

Remove baking dish from oven and pour batter evenly over apple mixture. Place back in middle rack of oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until pancake is puffed and brown.

Serve immediately. Note that the pancake will start to fall as it begins to cool. This is normal and what it is supposed to do.

*To make gluten, use regular All purpose flour in place of the GF blend.

Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix

3 parts brown rice flour
3 parts corn starch
2 parts soy flour or sorghum flour
1 part masa harina

I used a 1 cup measure, so I end up with 3 c. brown rice, 3 c. cornstarch, 2 c. soy flour and 1. c. masa harina.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. (If you’re new to mixing flours, then you want to make sure that you don’t see any clumps or streaks of indiviual flours. By the time you’re done it should be one homogeneous bowl of flour.) Transfer the flour to a canister or other storage container, this is a master mix to use with a few recipes.

click photo to enlarge

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enjoy,

Ham and Potato Hash with Eggs

2011-12-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

This has been my favorite breakfast lately. I use leftover baked potatoes, leftover Thanksgiving ham or steak from the night before. There really isn't a recipe I follow, just dice up some cooked potatoes, start frying in a little oil in a large hot skillet, toss in some diced meat of choice, diced onion and bell peppers, season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and let it get a little crispy. Meanwhile, start frying up your eggs how you like them, then top over the hash.

steak hash & eggs

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enjoy,

Chocolate Birthday Cake {Gluten Free}

2011-12-10T15:54:00.000-08:00

my kids left me notes all over the house =)

The other week was another year older for me and when I saw this gluten free cake posted I knew that would be my birthday cake. I also knew that if anyone was going to give me a cake, I could bet it wasn't going to be gluten free, and it wasn't. So I had two cakes that night. Lucky me. I thought this came out pretty good, it's my first GF cake and tasted pretty much like a regular all-purpose flour cake. I frosted this with a pink cream cheese frosting.

Chocolate Cake {Gluten Free}
from The Happy Tummy

1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup Potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup Hershey’s Special DARK Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup strong black coffee
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare 2 x 9″ (or 3 x 8″ for slightly shorter layers) cake pans with butter and flour or parchment paper. In bowl of electric mixer, sift all dry ingredients. Add all remaning ingredients to bowl with the dry ingredients and with paddle attachment on mixer, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed and pour into prepared pans. Batter will be liquidy.

Bake for 20 minutes and rotate pans in oven. Cakes are done when toothpick or skewer comes clean about 25-35 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 20 minutes then gently invert onto racks until completely cool and frost.

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enjoy,

Autumn Salad {Gluten Free}

2011-11-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

I saw this on Pinterest and thought it would be great for Thanksgiving. Oooh the flavors in this are great, toasted pecans, smoky bacon, tart and tangy cranberries, sweet pears with the feta. I was able to find gluten free dressings for this recipe. It's delish.

Autumn Salad {Gluten Free}
as seen at Espresso and Cream

6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 medium pears, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
8 slices thick-cut (gluten free) bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
3/4 C. Poppy Seed Salad Dressing (Brianna's is GF)
1/4 C. Balsamic Vinaigrette (Wish Bone is GF)

On a large platter, combine the lettuce, pears, cranberries, pecans, bacon and feta cheese. Combine poppy seed dressing and balsamic together. When ready to serve, drizzle over salad.

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enjoy,

Crab Cake Stuffed Shrimp {Gluten Free}

2011-11-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

I made these for our Thanksgiving lunch/appetizer/snack time. They were my splurge for everyone. I adapted the recipe for gluten free but if you're not GF, go ahead and use the regular ingredient. The only issue I had with these is, 1 Tablespoon of the crab cake mixture was almost too much per shrimp, so I recommend using a little less or you may not have enough for all the shrimp. They were a great 2 bite appetizer. I had, oh...a few. =)

Crab Cake Stuffed Shrimp {Gluten Free}
slightly adapted from Taste of Home

20 uncooked jumbo large shrimp (about 1 pound)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup soft (gluten free) bread crumbs
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend (Mrs. Dash is gluten free)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
Dash cayenne pepper
1 (6 ounces) real lump crab meat, drained if canned
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon paprika

Peel and devein shrimp, leaving the tails on. Butterfly each shrimp along the outside curve (cut almost all the way through). Open shrimp flat and place butterflied-side down in a greased or parchement lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan.

In a small bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, lemon juice and seasonings. Stir in crab. Place about 1 tablespoonful of mixture over each shrimp; sprinkle with cheese and paprika. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Serve warm. Yield: 20 appetizers.

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enjoy,