Recipe 9: GF Chocolate Chip Cookies

I got this recipe form Elizabeth Hasselbeck's Deliciously G-Free cookbook. This recipe has a lot of steps but is relatively easy to make.

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato flour (which is also called potato starch)
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup millet flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup salted butter, at room temperature ( i used unsalted butter)
1 packed gluten free light brown sugar
3/4  cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract
1 12 ounce package gluten free bittersweet chocolate chunks ( i used semi sweet)
Nonstick cooking spray

1. Preheat the oven 350. Coat cookie sheets with non stick spray.
2. Place brown rice flour, potato flour, tapioca starch, millet flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir until well combined, and then set aside.
3. Place butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until the mixture is light brown and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat again on medium speed until just combined.
4. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the butter mixture over the butter mixture, and add the chocolate chunks. Using a wooden spoon, stir until a soft dough forms, about 10 turns of the spoon. Using a tablespoon measure, drop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned but centers are still soft. Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies are delicious! I will definitely make this recipe again. I forgot to take a picture of the cookies after i made the recipe so i got one from Elizabeth Hasselbeck's website.



She used white chocolate chips in this picture.

Recipe 8: Black Bean Salad

I came up with this recipe in like 5 minutes. It is really easy and quite tasty too:

1 can of black beans

1 handful of strawberries

1 handful of black olives

1/2 of a tomato

Romaine Lettuce

Queso Fresco Cheese 

 Fresh lime juice

Salt

Arrange all the ingredients in a large bowl so that it is visually appealing, squeeze lime juice over the top, salt to taste, and enjoy

Recipe 7: Sweet Potato Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I first like to start out by saying i got this recipe from my aunt who got it from recipes for Gluten-Free kids: fun eats from breakfast to treats cookbook (because my cousins are gluten sensitive). These cupcakes are delicious especially with some milk! I know i said i do better when i make my own recipes but desserts are tricky and should not be messed with ;) Here's how this one goes:

For the cupcakes:

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes

1 1/2 cups Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend* 

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon xanathan gum 

1/4 ground allspice

3/4 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1/2 chopped walnuts or pecans ( I used walnuts, if allergic you can omit) 

1/2 cup raisins

(*flour blend contains: 1 cup white rice flour, 1 cup sorghum flour, tapioca flour, 1 cup cornstarch, 1 cup almond or coconut flour (i use coconut flour). Mix flours and there you have it)  

Preheat oven to 325. Line 18 standard muffin cups with paper baking cups. Whisk flour blend, granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, xanathan gum, and allspice in a medium bowl. Beat mashed sweet potato, oil, and eggs in a large bowl with electric mixer at low speed until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at medium speed 30 seconds or until well blended. Stir in 1/2 cup walnuts and raisins. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Prepare cream cheese frosting. Frost cupcakes; garnish with walnuts. Makes 18 cupcakes. 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese package

1/4 cup margarine 

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Beat cream cheese and margarine in a medium bowl with electric mixer at medium- high speed until creamy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until well blended. Beat in salt and vanilla. Makes 3 cups.

So this recipes might sound like a lot of work, especially for those not acquainted with gluten free recipes, but it is totally worth it! These cupcakes are very tasty and a huge hit! I will definitely be making these again. 

Recipe 6: My GF Bean Burritos

So since my last entree was a disaster ;) i have decided to make another one to redeem myself. I am still working on the other recipe so you wont be hearing form me about that one for a while. This time i made up my own recipe for bean burritos, because recently i have become a vegetarian and have decided to incorporate this in my gluten free trials. Here is goes:

1 Can of Black Beans (Slightly drained of the liquid)
1/2 of an Onion (Chopped)
2 Garlic Cloves (Chopped)
About 5 Corn Tortillas
1 Tablespoon of Tomato Sauce
1 Cup of White Rice (Cooked ahead of time)
Olive Oil (Enough to lightly coat frying pan)
1 Cup of Shredded Colby Cheese (Or cheese of your choice)
Garlic Powder (To taste)
Onion Powder (To taste)
Garlic & herb Seasoning Blend (To taste)
Adobo (To taste)

Heat oil in frying pan and fry the onion and garlic until they become translucent. Add in beans, tomato sauce, and seasonings then cook for about 10-15 minutes. Once the bean mixture becomes thick enough, turn it off.      In another frying pan, heat tortillas until they turn slightly golden. Next assemble the burritos: Cheese, rice, and beans. Preheat oven to 350 and cook burritos for about 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Take them out and enjoy with some salsa.
This recipe was so much better than last weeks. I had way more fun coming up with this one and it turned out 1000 times better. The burritos taste great! I will definitely make this again!!

Recipe 5: The Gluten Free Goddess' Vegan Garden Loaf with Maple Apricot Glaze

So for this week i wanted to try a gluten free vegan entree. I decided to find a recipe as opposed to making one up myself. The found this recipe on the gluten free goddess blog, if you want to see her story behind it you can click the link. Here is how it goes:

Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion- red or sweet
2 heaping cups chopped Baby Bella or Cremini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
5 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
Sea salt and ground pepper
1 cup cooked quinoa (I cooked it in my rice cooker- here's how)
1 cup toasted gluten-free bread or waffle crumbs
2 tablespoons Annie's Organic Ketchup
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Italian Herb Mix- basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, marjoram
1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary
3-4 scallions (spring onions) sliced thin, white to light green section
1 baked sweet potato, peeled, diced (take it out before it's cooked too much, not too soft)

Maple Apricot Glaze:

1/4 cup no-sugar apricot fruit spread

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

A sprinkle of cinnamon and cumin

Hot red chili flakes, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil a glass bread loaf pan.  

Or-- my latest tip is to line the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper that extends up above the longer sides. When the loaf has baked, and set a bit, lift out the loaf in one whole piece.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and cook the onion until it is translucent. Add the mushrooms and garlic; stir until softened. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir. Add the spinach. Season with sea salt and ground pepper. Stir and cook down until the mixture is soft- about seven minutes or so.

Spoon the skillet vegetables into a food processor bowl and pulse to make a grainy mixture. Don't over-process it, you want some texture.

Dump the mixture into a large bowl. Add the cooked quinoa, gluten-free breadcrumbs, ketchup, molasses and olive oil and stir to combine. Add in your dried herbs, rosemary, scallions, and mix to distribute. You want a moist mixture that sticks together when you press it with a spoon. if you need more ketchup to hold it together, add it now, maybe a tablespoon.

Last- add in the diced sweet potato and fold in gently.

Spoon the loaf mixture into the oiled loaf pan and shape it with moist fingers, pressing it tight into the pan. Smooth the top.

Make your glaze.

Pour the glaze all over the top of the loaf.

Tent loosely with a piece of foil. Bake in the center of a preheated oven until heated through and the edges of the glaze are bubbling- about 25 to 30 minutes.

Allow the loaf to set for ten minutes, tented with foil. This helps it to settle, and makes it easier to slice. Slice into portions and lift out with thin spatula. It should hold together.

Makes six slices. Wrap and store leftovers in the fridge.

So overall this recipe turned out to be a failure. The loaf didn't stick together and looked a mushy mess. The best picture i got was of it still in the pan.

It tasted okay but i don't think i will make it again. Here is the link for the recipe: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/05/garden-loaf-with-maple-apricot-glaze.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FMVjL+%28Gluten-Free+Goddess%29

Recipe 4: Guacamole & Chips

This is my own recipe that i have been making for a couple of years, it is doesn't need to be adjusted because it is naturally gluten free. It is really quick and easy. Keep in mind that this recipe is usually to taste and is not usually a structured- This is how it basically goes:

For the Guacamole-

3 Avocados (Mashed)
1/2 of an Onion Diced
2 Garlic Cloves Finely Chopped
1/2 of a Jalapeño Pepper (I include the seeds for the spice but you don't have too)
1 Fistful of Fresh Cilantro ( Probably 1/4 of the bushel) Finely Chopped
1 Tomato Diced
1 Lime (Juiced)
Salt (To Taste)

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients, except the salt. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, then salt the guacamole to your taste.

For the Chips-

10 Corn Tortillas ( Quartered)
Oil (For Frying)

Fry the quartered tortillas until they are golden brown, then place on paper towels to take out the excess oil. Salt to taste and enjoy with the guacamole.

Sadly, I was not able to get a photo of this recipe, but it is tasty nonetheless :)

Recipe 3: Snowy Lemon Cookies-Thanks to The Gluten Free Goddess

Soo here is the first dessert! This recipe came from The Gluten Free Goddess, which is a really great gluten free blog that i recently started following. If you click the link you can get the recipe and the story behind it. Here's how it goes:

Snowy Lemon Cookies
1 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup potato starch or white rice flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup tapioca starch
4 teaspoons grated lemon zest, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil or organic palm shortening
1/4 cup honey or organic agave
1 free-range organic egg, beaten
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Powdered sugar for coating

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sorghum flour, potato starch, powdered sugar, tapioca starch, lemon zest, xanthan gum, baking soda and sea salt.
Add in the coconut oil, by pieces. Using a whisk attachment or pastry cutter, blend the coconut oil into the flour mixture until it becomes sandy and crumbly.
Add in the honey, beaten egg, fresh lemon juice and lemon extract. Beat well until a smooth and taffy-like dough forms.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for one hour.
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll them into small balls. Place the balls onto the lined baking sheet, at least two inches apart (they will spread). Bake on the center rack for 12 to 15 minutes, until firm and slightly golden. They will still be slightly soft, so allow them to cool on the baking sheet for two minutes.
Scoop a cup of powdered sugar into a large zip-lock bag.
While still slightly warm, remove the cookies and place them into the bag; coat the cookies with the powdered sugar. Gently remove the cookies and shake off the excess sugar. Store between layers of parchment paper. Refresh sugar with sifted powdered sugar before serving, if needed.
Makes: 30 cookies.



*Notes
- Ener-G Egg Replacer will work in place of the egg.
- In place of coconut oil, dairy-free shortening or margarine will work.

So instead of using the coconut oil (which is really expensive) i used the margarine. The recipe was tasty, but i found the cookie dough a little too sticky ( I fixed that problem by wetting my hands slightly before rolling the dough) and that the cookies didnt really taste like lemon but more like honey. Overall, i enjoyed the recipe and would make it again.....but next time i am going to come up with my own recipe.