Dunkin' Who???

Or a.k.a. Ode to a Donut munchkin...

Every Sunday Morning, my brother-in-law shows up with a bag of Dunkin' Donut Munchkins. A treat that I would enjoy before going gluten free. Sigh. Dunkin' Donuts had become Dunkin' DO NOTS. BOOO HOOOOO!!!! I'd have to watch my kids, powdered sugar around thier lips. Knowing all the while that I could not eat them. My heart would sink every Sunday morning when he would arrive with that blasted pink, orange and brown bag in his hand. I know he was not being malicious. At least, I don't think he was!

I went in search of (see, where's Leonard Nimoy????) a donut recipe. I was shocked at just how many there were out there. I took one and sort of adjusted it according to other recipes.

Well...I have outsmarted Mr. Donut Man....HA HA!!!

Truly, days like today are the ones where I am thankful I am gluten-free. I really am. These things I'm trying, experimenting with are things I would have never tried without motivation. I would have NEVER made my own doughnut holes. I am thankful now that I have learned. How silly is that?

Enjoy.


Gluten Free Punkins

1 1/2 Cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1/4 Cup Corn Starch
2 teaspoons Xantham Gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 Cup Sugar ( a little more is okay, but don't overdo or they'll be too sweet)
3 eggs
1/2 Cup Milk (take out 2 Tbs and reserve just incase you need to thin it a little)
Oil for frying
Powdered Sugar for coating

Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Using an electric mixer (yes, I used my metallic-chromed beauty for this one!) beat together milk and eggs until fluffy. Add dry ingredients and mix very well.

Allow dough to rest for 20 minutes.

In a deep fryer or deep saute pan heat 1" of oil to 375 degrees.

After dough has rested, drop by tablespoons full into hot oil. Holes will flip to the next side when first side is complete. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

BE CAREFUL that your oil is not too hot...if it is the outside will burn before the inside gets cooked, I learned the hard way.

COOL COMPLETELY.

Shake in powdered sugar, or powdered sugar mixed with cinnamon to coat the outsides.

Serve with tea or coffee and feel normal. Be careful, they are very addicting. :D

In Search Of....

Navigating the waters of gluten free baking is sort of like an episode of "In Search Of..." . While I'm doing it, I feel like Leonard Nimoy should be leaning over my shoulders narrating each move. So many flours, so many starches, so many binders. Sometimes it feels like guess work. In my gluten days, baking was one of my passions. Not just a hobby, but a way to calm my soul and spirit. Always rewarded with a great tasting adventure.

I was not so lucky with Chocolate Chip Cookies. I've tried them several times. Each time elated to try something new, and then deflated when they spread to far, wouldn't rise, and generally didn't come close to what they were supposed. Of course, they always tasted good - but they would not pass for their gluten-filled counterparts.

Well, thanks to Gluten Free Mommy I found a great blog today. The blog is Easy Gluten Free Baking . After reading through her posts, I decided to drive to NY to attend a class. JUST KIDDING. I was once again inspired to find a gluten free chocolate chip recipe to try.

Armed with my flours, starches, and xantham gum (not to mention my new kitchen beauty), I decided to give THIS ONE a try.

Very easy to make, bake and they have a really nice mouth feel too them. My only suggestion is to give them room on the tray and use a large wide spatula to get them off so that they don't get mis-shapen. My husband's response was "You can't eat these, they MUST have regular flour in them."

So...time for me to log off and dip a few in a glass of milk. Hope you enjoy them too!!!!

Articoke Spinach Chicken Casserole

One of my all time favorite appetizers at a restaurant is Artichoke Spinach Dip. Due to the gluten factor, I can no longer order it out. I have made it at home many times. I serve the leftovers over a grilled chicken breast. I've decided to adapt this to a more "casserole" type dish. This takes an appetizer, and makes it a meal. Make sure to see notes at the bottom for different ways to prepare.

Another note: when using canned artichoke hearts, make sure to cut off the top 1/4" of leaves so that it's not too woody. You should not have this problem if you use frozen/thawed artichokes or fresh artichokes.


Artichoke Spinach Chicken Casserole

1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed out
1 14.5 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered (or 10 oz frozen/thawed & drained)
1 8 oz block cream cheese, softened
1 Cup Mayonnaise (Hellman's) or Sour Cream (or combo of the two)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 scallions, sliced thin
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 Cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
3/4 Cup parmesan cheese, freshly shredded
1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breast, grilled & sliced on a bias in thin strips

Mix spinach, artichokes, cream cheese, may, garlic, scallions, 1/2 Cup of the parmesan cheese and salt & pepper in a large mixing bowl.

In a 2 quart baking dish, lay out a layer of the chicken strips. Top with half of the artichoke/spinach mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat Layers. End with the last of the mozzarella and sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly.



OTHER PREPARATION OPTIONS:

1. OMIT chicken, bake artichoke spinach mix as directed. Serve with tortilla chips or vegetables.

2. CUT chicken into bitesized pieces and mix in with the artichoke/spinach mix before baking. Mix the Mozzarella cheese in too.

Miss me?

Where have I been? Well...let me tell you...no where. Here, in my home. Busy, crazy and no time for real life cooking. Well, maybe we're doing more real life cooking (out of jars and cans) lately. Completely nothing inspired.

I've been gearing up to try some new recipes, then on Sunday, fell while holding my toddler. In effort to keep the little one from cracking her skull open, I sprained my ankle. On the mend, yes, I am. Dinner last night was tuna salad on rice cakes for me! And on bread for my gluten-gluttons. Night before was hot dogs (bunless for me), night before that was leftovers, I think???

Well, tonight I actually plan on cooking - if my ankle holds out :D - and hoping to post it.

To hold you over, here is one of my favorite Salad Dressing recipes - homemade, in a pint jar, shaken, not stirred.


Balsamic Viniagrette

1/4 Cup GOOD Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 Tbs White Vinegar OR Lemon Juice
1 Tsp white sugar OR honey
2 tsp dijion mustard
1/2 cup GOOD olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a 1/2 pint mason jar, cover tightly and shake vigorously. Shaking provides emulsion and creates a creamy delicious dressing.

One of my favorite salads to serve this one on is thinly sliced romaine, thinly sliced scallions, thawed & drained frozen corn and dice tomatoes. Reminds me of ZuZu's Mexican Restaurants. :D

Tortilla Soup

The weather here on the east coast is still cold. Soup is a great food when you're cold. Well, to call this soup would be like calling whipped cream skim milk. It's more like a stew and really filling. I've adapted this recipe many times. It was really great and thick tonight.


Tortilla Soup

1 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
2 Cups Salsa (choose heat level)
2 Cups frozen corn kernels
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
3 Cups chicken broth (this time I actually used 3 cups water and 3 Herbox Boullion cubes - GF as of today confirmed)
2 cups crushed tortilla chips (or 6 uncooked corn tortillas cut into thin strips)

Toppings:

Grilled Chicken or Steak
Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Avocado dices
Sour Cream
Crushed Tortilla Chips
Sliced Scallions

Put beans, salsa, broth, tomato sauce, corn, tortillas in a large soup pot. Heat to boiling, stirring often. Reduce heat to a simmer for about 1 hour (so that the tortillas can become part of the soup and break down completely).

Serve with optional toppings and top your favorite way. Mine is always a dollup of sour cream, a sprinkling of cheese and a generous portion of avocado dices! :D

Feliz Dias!!!

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever"

I must be fair and let you know that those are not my words. Those belong, of course, to John Keats. We've also heard "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." The author of this statement is unknown. Shame, really, someone deserves the credit.

Wait, I need to step back in time a few moments. As a child, one of my first memories is making Nestle's Toll House Chocolate Chip cookies in my grandmothers kitchen. Flour dust on my face, sneaking chocolate chips out of the bag before they would get poured into the bowl to mix in. My grandmother wasn't much for cooking (even though she's a great cook), but she loved to bake. And she had a 1940's Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer. The one with the spinning wheel so the bowl spun around as the beaters mixed the contents. I can still smell the bac-a-lite cord that would burn everytime it was plugged in, I can hear the sound of the motor struggling to cream the butter and sugar, and the sheer weight of it to put it away. I had always hoped one day that I would inherit Gram's, but she's not done with it yet. It still whirs every once in a while when she wants to whip up an old family favorite. I'm still testing the Joseph Family Apple Cake recipe, as soon as it's blogworthy, it will make an appearance.

Anyway, okay, okay, back to yesterday....hope you didn't get nauseous in the time warp....

Well, this weekend, my love, my husband of almost 13 years, and I got to get away for the weekend (THANKS MOM!). We travelled west to Lancaster County. We stayed at a picturesque victorian inn in the town of Bird-in-Hand. (Sorry Dopps, we wanted a weekend alone...next time we'll call, okay?). Our room was beautiful, comfortable and wonderful.

We were so close to the outlet shops that we decided to hit a few. Hubby is starting a new job in a few weeks, so we hit the clothing stores to update the wardrobe, shoes stores for new dress shoes, a toy store for games for us and stuff for the kids. We also made a trip to the Le Gormet Shop. Cooking is a love and a hobby for both of us. As we were wondering around, he spotted a box. Several of them, sitting there, all stacked neatly. The box was stamped "REFERBISHED". On top stood a sign announcing that the treasure of all treasures sat inside. For a chef, no, a baker, that is the only treasure that can truly make our hearts soar....a Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer. Metallic Chrome Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer. Five Quart Professional Metallic Chrome Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer. As I quoted, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." It really should be a piece of artwork. But to quote Alton Brown, "I hate unitaskers".

Now, will this kitchen appliance survive armageddon? Solve world hunger? (well, maybe in MY world). Save just one life? No. Of course not, and it truly won't stand forever. I do hope that one day, I'll be able to hand it down to my daughter. I also hope that I can pass down the dreams and memories as well. Of course, the flour dust will be rice flour.

WOW! Thanks to all who voted...

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And again, thanks from the heart of my bottom, I mean, bottom of my heart :D.