Chewy and puffy GLUTEN FREE chocolate chip cookies.

 

  If you have ever tried going gluten free, you know that without gluten in baked goods, they can turn out grainy and dry with an odd texture. Gluten provides chewiness in breads and goodies so its tough to find a gluten free recipe that compares.  My Mom was diagnosed with celiac disease 3 years ago (her guest post here) and since then she has put in a lot of hard work and study to find recipes that are as close to the real thing (with gluten) as possible. She drove over to my house late last night to share a few of these warm and chewy chocolate chip cookies with me. As I sat in her dark car and took a bite of this new experiment, she waited anxiously to hear what I thought of them. To my great surprise, these little delights are chewy, puffy, moist and full of great texture and flavor. These are not words that you would normally use in the same breath as a gluten free cookie. If you or someone you know is going gluten free or has celiac disease, you have got to make them a plate of these cookies. I guarantee you will get a big hug because they probably haven't had a treat like this is a while!!

{Greek Yogurt} Banana Oat muffins *FLOUR FREE but you would never guess it!*

  Do you have some rapidly aging bananas on your counter? Me too! I was craving muffins today and decided to put my old-ish bananas to good use. These little delights are moist, packed with flavor and very filling. They give you a little boost of energy and are perfect to grab and go... you know like on those Saturday mornings when you have a soccer game to be to? A lot of gluten free breads I have tried are dry and crumbly. These flour free muffins are moist, fluffy and delicious, not to mention totally healthy! If you are making these GF for a friend, make sure and use gluten free oats. Happy snacking!  

Recipe for Greek Yogurt Banana Oat Muffins
Recipe from: Emmy in her Element
 

1/2 cup greek yogurt (I use vanilla)

1/3 cup oil (can use sunflower, vegetable, or olive)

1/2 cup low fat milk or almond milk

1/2 cup honey (warmed for about 15-20 seconds in the microwave to help it thin and incorporate easier)

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar (this is optional but it makes them a little sweeter)

1 1/2 cups oat flour

1 1/4 cups oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 ripe banana's mashed

   chopped walnuts or pecans

 

 This recipe calls for oat flour. Don't have any? THAT'S OK! Here's how I made mine...

Take about 2 cups of oats and pour them into your food processor. Pulse for about 20-30 seconds until the oats have been blended into a thick flour looking like this...      This will give you your 1 1/2 cups of oat flour!   Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix egg, yogurt, honey, milk, vanilla and oil in a large bowl. Add 1 1/4 cup oats and let sit for a moment while you make your oat flour. This will help the oats soften and plump up as they soak in the liquid. Make your oat flour and measure out 1 1/2 cups of it. You may have a tablespoon or two extra to discard. Take your oat flour and to that add salt, soda, baking powder, brown sugar  and cinnamon. Slowly incorporate into wet ingredients until mixed. Add your mashed bananas and chopped walnuts and stir until incorporated. I like to save a little bit of my walnuts to sprinkle on top of the muffins along with some oats to make them look pretty... Spoon into a pam-greased muffin tin. The batter should make exactly 12 muffins. Bake for 17 minutes or until golden brown on top and toothpick tests clean.  

 

  These muffins could be made many ways.   I think next I will try to making them with chopped up Granny Smith Apples so they will warm up and soak in flavor just like the apple oatmeal! Oh and maybe a version with mini chocolate chips? Yummy...

Red potato and pepper vegetable medley

I love finding new ways to eat my vegetables and sneak spinach into dishes. For  a new side dish at dinner, I made a medley of veggies, sautéed them in olive oil and used some simple seasonings to flavor them. I was able to sneak over a cup of spinach into this side dish, and you can hardly tell because the warmth of the pan wilts the leaves down.  We thought it was delicious and I even had my 20 month old eating it! YIPEE.

 

  **This recipe does not have specific measurements because you can make it as big or as small in amount as you want to for yourself or family. Simply use these seasonings to flavor the veggies until you get the desired taste.**

Recipe:
Olive oil
French fingerling potatoes or red potatoes
sweet mini peppers (red orange and yellow)
sweet onion
spinach
parsley
Salt and pepper
onion powder
garlic powder

Pour some olive oil in a large sauté pan, and heat to medium. Chop red or fingerling potatoes into bite sized chunks, and add to pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add 1/2-1 sweet onion sliced, and some chopped sweet mini peppers. Sprinkle with onion and garlic powder and add more salt if needed. Cover pan and let cook for 15 minutes or so until the potatoes are tender, stirring every 5 minutes.
Once potatoes are tender, add spinach. You can add A LOT (I did about 1 1/2 cups) and you can hardly tell as it wilts down with heat. Stir for a few minutes until incorporated, remove from heat.
Add fresh parsley on top.

This recipe is not anything fancy or special, but it is a wonderful way to change up the way you eat veggies and add color, nutrition, and new flavors to your plate. I hope you try it and enjoy it!

  

 

 Want to know another great veggie recipe for roasted rosemary and olive oil vegetables? LOOK HERE

Roasted Steelhead with brussels sprouts, and mango raspberry salad {Gluten Free}

Are you in need of a quick, healthy, but still bright and beautiful dinner?

Look no further, I have a flavorful and tasty dinner idea (that happens to be Gluten Free) that you and your family will love.

 

Check it out!

 

Recipe:

Sprinkle the tops of your steelhead steaks with "Weber Kickn' Chicken" spice. Yep, its not just for chicken! It is so yummy on fish, it's filled with onion, sea salt, garlic, red and bell peppers, orange peel, and paprika. ITS ALSO GLUTEN FREE! Bake fish in a 375 degree oven until cooked through.

 

Next, make your Brussels sprouts. If you have never made them, check out this post I did. I would do everything the same except hold the bacon.

If you know how to prepare the Brussels already, I just added salt, pepper, a sprinkle of onion powder, garlic powder, and let them simmer in chicken stock.

 

As for the fruit salad, slice 1 mango into chunks. Add fresh raspberries on top.

 

Hope you enjoy!

Cooking, and how it saved me... plus my Roasted and stuffed Acorn Squash!

 

Since I became a Mother, November tends to be a much harder time of year for me. I always look forward to fall, the changing colors of the trees, the crunch beneath your feet as you take a walk out to the mailbox and the cool crisp scent of the changing air, making you want to rush back inside for a hot cup of apple cider. Then as the weeks go on, the trees become gray and leaves left dead on the ground lose their color. All the world becomes a bit monochromatic to me... and I find myself low on energy, wanting to sleep longer, and having less motivation to get projects done.

After my first child was born in November of 2009, he had really bad colic for about the first 4 months of his life. We would rock and swing and drive and try everything possible to stop the screaming. I realized after many weeks of this routine that things weren't going to change anytime soon, and I shouldn't expect to get much of anything done in the evenings. This made my days extremely short, and nights very very long. At that time my husband worked and was a full time student and although I wanted to beg him to stay up late with me so I would have someone to talk to, I thought it best that at least one of us get some sleep, especially if he was the one providing for our family.

 So there I was, alone, night after night holding a very unhappy baby. I would just get him to sleep and feel like if I moved an inch, he would wake up and scream again. Many nights I tried to sleep with him in my arms, sitting up on the couch.... waking up in a panic thinking he was going to roll off my lap. I found after a little while that he slept better with the soft sound of the TV on in the background. This was more entertaining for me, so it worked in my favor... or so I thought. I found myself wasting my brain away to pointless and silly reality TV shows and poor actresses getting paid to show off their dramatic lifestyle. "you want to see drama? Come to my house and see what I go through every night! Ill give you some drama..." I thought to myself.

 

All the brain draining TV was doing me no good. Finally I found The Food Network channel. I thought at least I would be learning something if I had to stay up late anyway. I started watching Giada De laurentiis, Guy Fieri, Paula Deen, Rachel Ray and The Barefoot Contessa ... Soon I was hooked and I was learning different skills from all of them. I learned that liver is best prepared by pre soaking it in milk, and room temperature ingredients make for a much better baked dessert because the ingredients are more easily incorporated at room temp. I started watching chopped and learned about people who had struggled through drug and crime addictions, depression or loosing a loved one and finding joy and success through cooking. Cooking had pulled them out of a dark place, and helped them become motivated again.

THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED. I starting doing a little more cooking and experimenting during the day, and trying new recipes (with baby in one arm of course). I even learned to make scrambled eggs while holding the baby, finding a way to crack the eggs, and add them to the pan one handed. I found that it rebuilt my self confidence in a new way. Cooking helped me though my post partum depression and made me feel like myself again. I wanted to have family dinners around the table, and if that was the only thing I could accomplish that day, well then it was ok because I did something great for my family.

I am so thankful for cooking and being able to enjoy spending time in my kitchen. Since all of this started in 2009 there have most certainly been many other trials that cooking has helped me though. It has become a passion and obsession. It makes me happy and brings me and my family so much joy. It helps me feel confident and secure because I know how to be self reliant by cooking and being able to store things away in my freezer for a rainy day.

So, on gray November days like this one when I feel the blues start sneaking back, I find some time to create something... a recipe that brings me happiness and makes me feel like myself again. A reminder that I can get though hard times and create my own happiness.

Todays recipe is another product of experimentation, and frankly cleaning out the fridge and panty. Sometimes I don't have everything I need to make a recipe, so I challenge myself by making up something new. Do they turn out bad? Sometimes yes! And then once in a while I get lucky a recipe will be really good. Here is what I made today from a few fridge, pantry and left over garden ingredients.

 

Roasted and stuffed Acorn Squash

This healthy recipe comes in handy if you are cleaning out your fridge or pantry because you can swap out something I did for something you have at home. The tasty hash stuffing is full of garlic and chicken flavor, with a crunch from the walnuts and a tiny bite of sweet from the craisins.

 

This dish serves 2 adults or can be cut in half or quarters and served to children. The hash can be doubled or tripled for larger quantities.

First, take an acorn squash and slice it down the middle. Gut the seeds and add them to a baking dish. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Let them bake about 40 minutes or until fork tested tender.

 

 

 

Next, chop half a yellow onion and add in an 8 oz container of mini bella mushrooms (or whatever you have on hand). I chose to use mushrooms as a healthy alternative to meat. These are very hearty mushrooms and they are like mini sponges that soak up all surrounding flavors.

 I also added 1 clove chopped garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and a dash of pepper.

Let them sauté in oil or butter until tender.

 

Prepare 1 box of chicken flavored rice a roni. This will add texture, flavor and creaminess to the stuffing. FOR A GLUTEN FREE OPTION ADD QUINOA PREPARED IN CHICKEN STOCK.

 

 

Once the rice is done cooking, remove about 1/3 of it and store it in the fridge for later. Add your mushroom and onion mixture to the rice. Add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley, and a small handful of craisins.

 

 

 

After your  squash is cooked through, remove them from the oven and add the filling. Fill them over the top.

 

I chose to add some of this fabulous cheese I had on hand. It is a cheddar onion cheese that has incredible flavor. I added it on top of my squash, but for more flavor you could add a slice half way through the filling as well.

 

 

Then I added them back inside the oven on Vari broil Lo to melt the cheese for a few minutes.

I love the roasted look of the squash but if you want to add them back into a warm oven to melt the cheese and avoid the dark spots that is great too!

 

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Not only did this sweet little recipe help clean out my fridge and pantry, but it added a little color to my gray November day. I hope you enjoy it!

 

Pumpkin Cheeseball and Severed Witch fingers- A sweet and GOOLISH treat!

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Here are a few treats I made today, for the special occasion.

They're easy, fast and super YUMMY!

These recipes also work well if you are planning a get together in a hurry.

At the end of the post is a quick and simple centerpiece I made today as well.

 

First I will start with my Cream cheese and bacon cheese ball.

 

 

 

Recipe:

 

1 8 oz package of cream cheese chilled

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

2 cups of cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and pepper jack)

a pinch of cayenne powder

1/2 teaspoon creamy horseradish

1/4 cup Hormel bacon bits.

 

 

Mix all ingredients together and form into a ball. Use wax paper to help you form it if the ball is too sticky. Put the ball into the fridge to chill and harden back up. Then after it has chilled, take a butter knife and make slices down the edges of the ball to resemble a pumpkin. Add a celery stock and leaf to the top for the stem.

Serve chilled with crackers, carrots, celery and any other veggies or snacks you prefer. 

 

 

 

 

Next recipe is a fun one I found on the food network here for severed witches' fingers.

This recipe is super easy, super cute, and super fast!

 

 

 

Recipe:

 

Dry ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

whisk together.

 

 

Wet ingredients:

Cream together 1 stick of butter and 1 cup of sugar.

Add 1 room temperature egg

and 1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Add the dry ingredients in two batches.

Mix well.

 

Take a tablespoon of the dough and form it into a finger (bread stick shape). Make an indentation with your thumb at the end of the finger, and add a slivered almond on top.

 

Take a paring knife and cut about 3 quarters of the way down into the dough. Make a few lines that resemble a knuckle.

 

 

Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool fully and then dip in a little bit of warmed up raspberry or strawberry jam.

 

 

 

I also made a little table centerpiece that was fast and simple and very inexpensive!

Here's how I did it...

 

I started by trimming a few branches from a tree in my yard. I had a half empty can of black spray paint in my basement so I thought there was no better time to use it!

Spray paint the branches black and let them dry. Then add them to a mason jar filled with candy corns and tie a colorful ribbon around the neck.

 

 

 Have a very SPOOKY DAY!