Alton Brown's Coq au Vin

Every girl needs some inspiration, a challenge, and a willing audience. This has been true of me since the days that I played dress-up - the inspiration was my grandma's heels, the challenge was modeling, and the willing audience was my immediate family.

Little did he know, my husband (as well as seeing frozen pearl onions at Trader Joe's) inspired a recent challenge:

Inspiration = Karl, onions; Challenge = coq au vin; Audience = Karl

Shortly after we started dating, Karl happened upon the Good Eats chef himself at a local book signing. I whined when he excitedly told me he was planning to get a signed copy for his chef-roommate. I liked to cook, I was supposed to be what he thought of day and night and night and day, why wasn't I also getting a signed copy? So, being his sweet self, Karl got me a copy too. :)

That was two years ago (ish). And I have just now made something from the book...

I used rice underneath instead of glutinous pasta. Notice the greens...in every meal!

Alton's Brown's Coq Au Vin

Some things I learned along the way:

- The recipe calls for two bottles of wine...I thought that was a lot and I only had one in the house...so I used one. Definitely use the two. The sauce did not have as much flavor as I hoped.

- The recipe says to let the chicken sit in its sauce overnight. I had three hours...it needed the extra time to soak up all that great flavor.

Victories:

- I started with a whole chicken, a dull knife, and a knife sharpener we got for Christmas. That ended up being a winning trio. Plus, I used Martha's book for directions on how to cut a raw whole chicken into its proper cooking parts:

- I used rice flour to dredge the chicken instead of wheat...worked perfectly!

- I made a more difficult recipe for dinner! I always have a deep sense of satisfaction after breaking the dinner routine and cooking something more gourmet. Like I said earlier, every girl needs a challenge!

Note: I have scanned that cookbook for other recipes to try...and it is difficult considering our restricted diet. But I did make Alton Brown's cashew butter (after soaking my nuts) and it is delicious! I can't wait to try his variation of satay sauce using the cashews.

Homemade Oreos - Gluten Free

They look more like a whoopie pie than an oreo, but the recipe claims that they are not meant to replace the oreo - merely the combination of flavors is inspired by the favorite processed cookie. Well, this American staple happens to be my husband's absolute favorite treat. He would like nothing more than a bowl full of crushed oreos soaking in milk (or ice cream). So for his birthday, I thought I would do him one better than just the packaged kind. I decided to go all out and home-make him his favorite. :) And I wanted to make them gluten free so I could share as well.

I hurried home from work on his birthday to bake them before we headed out to dinner. The cookies greeted him as he came into the house and he scarfed one (two? maybe) up immediately. We had some more after a lovely dinner. Karl said he liked them after they had been sitting with their cream filling for a few hours. The icing filling softened them up a bit. Anyone like a slightly stale oreo too? I always preferred mine softer, which seemed to happen after leaving the bag open for a day or two...

You can definitely tell these are homemade - but they do the trick!

I used the cookbook I have mentioned before, Gluten-Free Baking Classics, by Annalise G. Roberts. I will be making these again - and hopefully sooner than Karl's next birthday.

Cream Filled Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups Brown Rice Flour Mix *
1/4 cup sweet rice flous
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 tsp/ salt

My creamed filling: from Firecracker Whoopie Pie filling
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. heavy cream

1. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed in large bowl until light and creamy. (I used a regular hand held mixer - but the directions mention the standing mixer.) Add egg and vanilla and beat well.

2. Add flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt; mix until a soft, smooth dough is formed.

3. Divide dough into two equal halves. Drop first half in small mounds across a large sheet of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic over the dough and shape into a long, 1-inch diameter log, leaving plastic open at the ends. Twist ends and flatten dough at each end. Try to smooth log by rolling back and forth on counter. Repeat with second half of dough. Refrigerate both rolls until well chilled.

(This is when I took my shower and got gussied up for my date!)

4. Preheat the oven to 350. Position rack in center of oven. Lightly grease cookie sheet with cooking spray. (My dad got me a mister for Christmas. You put whatever oil you want in it and it sprays it out - with some pumping. So I have been using olive oil for all my baking-spraying and it has been working out well!)

5. Using a thin, sharp knife, slice chilled dough into 1/8 inch-thick slices and place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake in center of oven for about 9 minutes or until cooked through. Cool slightly on cookie sheet and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

6. To make Cream Filling: straight from Firecracker Whoopie Pie Filling
To make the filling, whip the butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.  Mix in the confectioners’ sugar and salt, and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Mix in the vanilla and heavy cream on low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 4 minutes, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

The cookbook suggests using a filling made with vegetable shortening, which Karl detests because it is hydrogenated.

7. Spread filling on one side of a cookie and cover with another cookie. Store in airtight container. After three days, store cookies in refrigerator. They can be kept in the refrigerator for two weeks or frozen for up to one month.

**Gluten free flour blend:
2 parts (2 cups) brown rice flour, 2/3 part (2/3 cup) potato starch, and 1/3 part (1/3 cup) tapioca flour.

Happy couple...tummies full of GF homemade oreos :)

A Tale of Two Chocolate Chip Cookies

I used Ghirardelli 70% chips - which are not technically dairy free, but that little bit won't bother me, especially in a chip with such a high concentration of cocoa.

Twas the night before Christmas eve and all through the house there was not a safe baked good containing chocolate for me to have...

so I had to make a Christmas favorite, a Christmas tradition, and more importantly my dad's favorite since he was visiting in a few days!

Knowing that spending Christmas with my family would mean being surrounded by irresistible homemade baked goods (cookies, pumpkin bread - my fav, candies, cakes, pies, etc), I was determined not to cheat and cause my body havoc, but I was also determined not to deprive myself.

Over the summer I had tried my hand at GFCF chocolate chip cookies from one of my favorite sites, The Spunky Coconut. Recently, however, my body has not been taking kindly to flax - so when I made these cookies, eating just one made my stomach very unhappy. I will have to keep experimenting with this recipe, though, because I love the idea of using honey instead of refined while sugar. It was pretty hard not to have any after the first one gave me issues; they turned out looking irresistable:

I even doubled the recipe and made 2 batches! These are done - even browned at the edges though they still look like they may be raw

Karl brought them to work to get them away from me, and he actually shared. They were not the office favorite due to the healthy nature of the cookie, but they were well liked. Karl ended up eating most of them.

Alas, without this option and needing something to serve my dad in a few days, I turned to Google for another recipe to try. Lucky me, Alton Brown cooks gluten free! I found Alton Brown's GF version of his chewy chocolate chip cookie.

It felt miraculous: "The Chewy Gluten Free" Having 112 reviews with an average of 5 stars, I knew this would be a winner. The cookies turned out delicious and my dad even took some home with him - a sign that these were some good cookies.

These even look like the traditional homemade chocolate chip. Santa was a happy camper in this gluten free house.

The best part was that I got to enjoy Christmas treats after dinner alongside everyone else without the usual stomach upset. It felt like such a victory.

It's never too late for apple pie...Gluten Free! Part 2

I topped this with coconut "whipped" cream to lighten the dairy overload...but it would probably taste better with the real stuff. Everyone at our table used RediWhip - which looked very tempting...

We spent Thanksgiving in the mountains of North Carolina. Karl and I enjoyed plenty of opportunities to hike and work off all the delicious apple pie we ate. Making the pies the day before we drove up, I put them in the freezer unbaked and defrosted them Thursday morning. The pies baked while we ate the turkey dinner. They came out so well - no one even noticed they were gluten free.

I love hiking in the mountains. Especially with this guy ;)

This is a very normal looking stream. What I didn't capture was the stream running through the trail itself. That was not normal and we had to take some precarious jumps and sideways moves to get through the muck.

The hiking trail even had a ladder to get over the big rocks. We felt so hardcore.

Apple Pie with Crumb Topping

from Annalise G. Roberts from her book

Topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced

Apple Filling:
6 cups thinly sliced apples
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. butter

1. Preheat oven to 375. Position rack in the center of oven. Make pie crust. Partially bake crust in oven for 10 minutes. Cool on rack while preparing apples and crumb topping. Turn oven temperature up to 400.

2. Combine flour, sugar, and xanthan gum for topping in medium mixing bowl and cut in butter. (I used the food processor). Topping should resemble cornmeal in texture. Set aside.

3. Mix apples with sugars, corn starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Fill prepared pastry crust with apple mixture, mounding it. Dot with cut up butter.

4. Spoon crumb topping over apples and pat it down into place. Cover entire pie with foil. Place in center of oven and bake for 30 minutes.

5. Remove foil. Turn oven down to 375 and bake for 30-40 minutes more until filling is bubbling and top is golden. Cool on rack.

It's never too late for Apple Pie...Gluten Free! Part 1

Homemade apple pie, with crust and everything from scratch, is surely a glimpse of the awesomeness of heaven ;)

 My job for Thanksgiving this year was to make the apple pie. Since my hostess also eats gluten free, she sent me a cookbook to aid me in my task. What a happy discovery!

Baking pie from scratch is a lot of work! But soooooo worth it! Everyone raved about it - and leftovers were even better.

Traditional Pie Crust 

from Annalise G. Roberts from her book

1 cup plus 2 tbsp. Brown Rice flous mic
2 tbsp. sweet rice flour
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 large egg
2 tsp. orange juice or lemon juice

1. Spray 9-inch pie pan (I used the throw away aluminum foil since the pie was traveling) with cooking spray (I used a mister filled with olive oil). Generously dust with rice flour.

2. Mix flours, sugar, xanthan gum, and salt in large bowl of electric mixer (I used my food processor and it worked beautifully). Add butter and mix until crumbly and resembling coarse meal.

3. Add egg and citrus juice. Mix on low until dough holds together; it should not be sticky. Form dough into a ball, using your hands, and place on a sheet of wax paper. Top with a second sheet of wax paper and flatten dough to 1 inch thickness.

4. Roll out dough between the 2 sheets of wax paper. If dough seems tacky, refrigerate for 15 minutes before proceeding. Remove top sheet of wax paper and invert dough into pie pan. Remove remaining sheet of wax paper, and crimp edges for single-crust pie.

**Gluten free flour blend:
2 parts (2 cups) brown rice flour, 2/3 part (2/3 cup) potato starch, and 1/3 part (1/3 cup) tapioca flour.



Stay tuned for putting it all together!

Flourless Oatmeal Raisin Cookies + A Sinful Frosting

My baked goods never turn out like the professional pictures, but these cookies were a hit! I did overcook some of the cookies, so I remedied that by adding some whoopie pie frosting from the following recipe (delicious but unhealthy frosting/filling).

Here is the oatmeal cookie recipe.

And because what is better than one oatmeal cookie with frosting, but two!!! Putting two oatmeal cookies together with this excellent frosting was delicious! Enjoy!

Doesn't-Even-Taste-Like-Carrot Spread

This post is dedicated to my friend Tonya.

Here we are this past weekend getting our corn maze on!

Tonya and I have became friends because she became the girlfriend of a dear friend of mine. (How many times can  you use the word friend in a sentence?) We quickly discovered that we have many things in common: loving Jesus, loving jewelry, and loving food. We both also happen to own Vitamix blenders; which are pretty life changing. This post is dedicated to Tonya, because it is a recipe I discovered in my Vitamix Whole Foods cookbook. I needed a dip because I was hosting a jewelry party that needed great snacks. Tonya was the first to taste this and thought it was fantastic (another reason I'd like to have more of her in my life). The consensus was that it didn't even taste like carrot, but was reminiscent of pumpkin.

Since I gave up beans/legumes about a year ago, I have been keeping my eyes peeled for dairy free, bean free dip replacements - and this is a winner. It is easy to make, and you probably already have most or all of the ingredients.

This is the recipe as I made it (I changed a few things). It comes out pretty sweet, so if you want a more savory dip, I would leave out the sweetener (honey). I think it could be great savory - and I will have to try that next time.

I served it with celery and these gluten-free veggie chips. I will never buy those chips again; they were so bland! But the spread is so good, people will eat it on whatever you put next to it.

Carrot Spread 

(serve with crudites, or whatever pita-like chip you'd like)

1 tbsp. canola oil
2 1/2 cups chopped carrots
3/4 cup peeled, chopped onion
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup nondairy milk of choice (I used coconut, you can use regular milk if you eat dairy)
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 cup cashews (I used raw)
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tbsp. honey (The original recipe calls for maple syrup but I only had honey)
1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder (I think you could just use half cinnamon, half nutmeg as a substitution)

1. Saute onion and carrots in oil until is soft.

2. Add broth and simmer until carrots are cooked. Cool slightly.

3. Place carrots, onions and rest of ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.

4. Select Variable 1.

5. Turn machine on and guickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.

6. Blend for 1 minute, stopping if necessary to scrape down the sides of the container.

Shrimp Salad - Yum! even if you're not crazy about shrimp

I have mentioned before that I enjoy watching the Food Network while I work out at the gym. Giada always talks about making things taste fresh and having flavors that really pop in your mouth. Well, this recipe surely does both.

I made it the first time because I had shrimp in my freezer and didn't want to eat boring shrimp cocktail. I made it the second time because Karl and I thought it was d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s.

It comes from a cookbook called Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso. When I started dating Karl, he introduced me to the Paleo diet. It's foundation is based on the paleolithic man and what he would consume. Theoretically, human beings started out eating lots of meat and fat from the meat. They also ate vegetables and sometimes fruits, when they were in season, and only when they came across them on their nomadic journeys. Strict paleo followers will not eat any grains, any dairy, and absolutely no processed food. Eating this way is supposed to help alleviate gut problems.

Having plenty of gastrointestinal problems myself, I was happy to try this diet out with Karl. I am not strict on it, however, as I find it an incredibly difficult practice in the midst of community and by just being generally busy. But at home I try to stear clear of wheat, dairy, sugar, processed foods, and most grains except rice (and that we eat only occasionally).

Having said all this, when Sarah's book came out (I read a lot of paleo and allergy friendly food blogs), I was really excited to try it. There is something wonderful about an actual cook book. You don't have to print out the recipes ahead of time, or try to use your computer/phone to read the recipe while fearing that accidentally you will spill on an easily damageable electronic. I borrowed it from the library, tried the chicken piccata recipe (which I will post later), loved it, and decided to invest in the cookbook permanently.

Anyway, I made this from her book and it was great. I didn't have arugula, so we just ate it without. And I forgot to put the avocado with it both times - but I am sure that would make it even better.

Ginger Shrimp Salad

1 pound medium shrimp
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated (I only had dried, and it worked fine)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, diced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Pinch of sea salt
Black pepper to taste
4 cups arugula
1 avocado, sliced
EVOO to taste (extra virgin olive oil)

1. Toss the shrimp into boiling water. Bring back to a simmer.

2. Once the shrimp rise to the top, remove them and place in ice water. Then drain and pat dry with paper towels. Remove the shell, tail, and vein from each shrimp.

3. Toss the cold shrimp with the lemon juice, ginger, garlic, onions, red pepper flakes, and salt.

4. Serve on a bed of arugula garnished with sliced avocado, and top with a drizzle of the EVOO.

Two Chocolate Cupcakes For You (to try making on your own)

They may all look the same on the outside, but one is flourless and one uses coconut flour.

Last  week (I can't believe it was a week ago already!) was  long. And so was this week, surprisingly. But Thursday nights seem to find me baking lately, my favorite creative outlet.

I convinced myself of two things last Thursday:
    1. I needed  to make cupcakes (and why not chocolate!)
    2. I had two occasions that needed me to bake something (and why not cupcakes!)

The first was a glorious birthday party celebration with lots of fabulous women, wine, and nertz. The second was a beautiful trip to my in-laws for a weekend visit, and surely I needed to bring a gift of baked goods to my mother-in-law.

On a hike with Karl's dad in Boone over the weekend: the Elk Knob Summit Trail

In need of a simple and gluten free, dairy free (if possible) recipe, I searched the cupcake guru's, Elana Amsterdam's, blog. She just recently published a cookbook full of cupcake recipes (gluten free). I found two recipes that required ingredients I already had in my pantry. One was completely flour-less and one only used a slight amount of coconut flour. For my chocolate, I just used what I had on hand: Hershey's Baking Cocoa and Trader Joe's 72% Dark Chocolate One Pound Plus Bar. They worked very well. (I can't afford the expensive chocolate Elana uses, although I wish I could.)

The first batch I made with the coconut flour. I overcooked them a little and there was a black edge on some of them. Because of the coconut flour and the cocoa (the other recipe just uses straight up bar chocolate), they were also pretty dry. Next time I will increase the liquid (oil) ingredients.

Chocolate, with flour, Cupcakes

The second batch I made was flourless. Elana's recipe calls for almonds, but Karl and I have been wary of almonds lately so I used walnuts - and they worked well. These were by far the better of the two cupcakes. Karl thought they were too rich for him, but as my birthday-girl friend said, they are the epitome of a PMS treat - in other words, perfect for female chocolate lovers. The flourless cupcakes were moister and denser, almost having a brownie-like consistency. It was an easier recipe to put together too.

When I took them out of the oven, the tops still looked runny but I tested them and the knife didn't stick. If you make them, and I highly recommend that you do make them, beware that you don't overcook them; they might not look completely cooked when done.  I will definitely be making these again. These are even worthy of offering to gluten-eating people - and are an easy cupcake recipe. Well, easy if you have a food processor that can handle nuts.

Chocolate, flour-less, Cupcakes

And what is a cupcake without delicious frosting?

Karl is always willing to be my taste tester and utensil-licker. I feel this is either making up for being an only-child and not having younger siblings or preparing me for motherhood.

This, I have to say, is the most awesome frosting recipe. It is a feat of science, in my opinion. There is no butter in this yet it comes out with the consistency and taste of a chocolate buttercream. It is innovative, it is delicious, it is simple, and it is vegan.

Again, I used Elana's recipe:

Yes, that is the saucepan that I used to melt the chocolate with the oil. Then I froze it in the pan. Then I whipped it in the same pan. So cool.

All in all, this was a delightful cupcake adventure. I had fun making them, icing them, and of course eating them. I know the other gluten free ladies I shared with all enjoyed them immensely. And even if you aren't gluten free, this is a chocolate feast!

Strawberry Balsamic Pork Chops! Tastes better than it looks, I promise!

This is not the most appetizing picture, but this is a delicious way to eat a pork chop.

The recipe is a slight adaptation from one I read in the Parade section of the Sunday paper, originally from Jamie and Bobby Deen - yes, that's right, the Paula Deen offspring. I don't know about you, but I love Paula Deen and wish I didn't have so many dietary restrictions. I think so many of her dishes look divine - and I especially love her cooking show with her sons and other special guests - Paula's Best Dishes. I know this show well because I always go to the gym at just the right time - so I can watch this show on my personal gym TV while I ellipiticize or do the stairmaster.

Karl ate it and said, "This is really good, honey." Usually I have to ask first, "Hey, honey, how is it?" But with this recipe, he actually volunteered the compliment without my goading. Now, you should know this about my husband: he has never criticized anything I have cooked for him unless I used a processed food in the process (haha, definitely pun intended).  He will always say that it tastes good - but this time I know it is a good recipe because his knee-jerk reaction was complimentary - the way you can't help compliment a food that amazes your taste buds the first time you take a bite.

The original recipe calls for frozen cherries, but I happen to see strawberries on sale and thought they would work with the balsamic just as nicely. In the absence of having a real grill, I use the George Foreman one I have had since college, and it works fine. I originally made it with the frozen cherries and we liked that equally. If you like the flavor of cherry better, you can just substitute the 3 cups strawberries for the cherries and follow the recipe.

Here is the recipe with my changes.

Strawberry Balsamic Pork Chops

2 Tbsp. (plus 2 tsp.) olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 cups diced strawberries
1/4 cup chicken stock
3 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into cubes (I slice mine directly from the butter tray)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 (6 oz.) bone-in pork chops (I used bone-in and boneless, both worked fine)

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in large skillet over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar; cook for 30 seconds. Add strawberries and stock. Cook over high until liquid is thick and slightly syrupy, 5-7 minutes.

Do you use a garlic press? Do you want your hands to smell like garlic 8 hours after you've finished cooking?

I'll admit; it was hard to put those beautiful berries in the heat.

Whisk the butter, salt, and pepper into the strawberry balsamic mixture.

2. Coat chops with remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Optional: the recipe says to brush the chops with the glaze, but I did not since I was "grilling" on my George Forman. It tasted fine for us as just a topping - but if you are a grill master, it might be even more delicious to pre-glaze before grilling.

I love the convenience and speed of indoor "grilling."

3. Preheat your grill to high and cook those chops all the way through.

4. Let the chops sit for 5 minutes and top with your strawberry glaze. Yum!

Strawberry Cheesecake Nondairy "Blizzard"

This evening Karl and I wanted a healthy dessert. While I was perusing my food blogs earlier last month, I came across a recipe for Strawberry Cheesecake Nondairy "Blizzard" and wanted to try it 1. because it was an "ice cream" recipe of sorts that didn't require an ice cream maker, and 2. because it was nondairy and gluten free.

Well tonight was finally the night!

I had to wait awhile to gather the ingredients, particularly the coconut milk ice cubes and the gluten free graham crackers:

Those are whales and fish on those cups.

These are delicious, by the way!

Here is how mine turned out:

**If you haven't already clicked on the link to the original recipe, you should do that because her pictures are well done**


Result/verdict:

They tasted good, probably because the ingredients tasted good, especially the graham crackers. They did, however, not maintain much of an ice creamy consistency. I blame my ice cubes:

The one on the left is my version of a coconut milk cube while the right is the size of a regular ice cube. Since I did not have an ice cube tray, I used small paper cups. As a result, my cubes were very large and took a long time for the food processor to break down. I think this ruined the consistency of the "ice cream" because the strawberries got pulverized while the processor was still working on these chunks. There was one chunk of coconut milk that Karl found in the middle of his dessert:

He powered through and ate it anyway, good man that he is!

Karl said he would eat it again and I say that I'll eat it again if someone else makes it...wink, wink, honey.

Seriously, though, there are not many dairy free, sans ice cream maker recipes for those of us who are also allergic to bananas, so for that reason, this idea deserves some more tries and tweaking.