Victoria's Gluten-Free Pasta Workshop

Winter classes are just around the corner!  Come and join my Gluten-Free Pasta Workshop.  In this class I'll share my recipes and tips for making fresh gluten-free pasta.  You'll get hands-on experience with creating, rolling and forming the dough into pasta.  We'll create my Three Cheese Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce & Fettuccine with Tomato Sauce.  Hope to see you there!

Apple Spice Muffins

The leaves are falling and the wind is blowing, our gorgeous fall days have arrived.  This time of year one can typically find me in my kitchen, mixing different gluten-free flours together and baking.  Here is a little peek at my Apple Spice muffins; a warming blend of spices cozy up with bits of apple and plump raisins.

Sticky Sweet Balsamic Chicken

This dish pairs well with pasta (gluten-free of course) and quick sauteed greens.  Simply marinate chicken for a couple of hours and then roast until cooked through and caramelized.

Sticky Sweet Balsamic Chicken

Serves 4

12 chicken drumsticks

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup Tamari soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey

7 sprigs of rosemary

7 cloves of garlic, smashed

Place the drumsticks in a baking dish.  In a small bowl whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Tamari, brown sugar and honey.  Drizzle over the drumsticks and turn each piece to coat well.  Toss in the rosemary sprigs and garlic.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  

Once marinated for a few hours, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Roast the chicken uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until caramelized and cooked through to the bone.  Pull out of oven and brush the cooked marinated juices over the chicken pieces.

Serve with your favorite greens and pasta, or one of our favorites risotto.

Buon Appetito!

Recipe Developing: Chocolate Chip Cookies (Patience is a Virtue), Take 2

I decided on Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour for Take 2 today.  An improvement for sure!  I'm planning on working on my own blend of flours but for now this recipe is quickly becoming a favorite in my kitchen.  So alas, my first of many takes on this classic american cookie.  A recipe that is worthy of sharing with  you all.  Now if you aren't dairy-intolerant go ahead and create this recipe using one stick of softened unsalted butter in place of the butter substitute.  If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear your comments.  One special note, please have patience, this dough must rest in the fridge for 24 hours prior to baking to yield the most decadent texture.

Happy Gluten-Free Baking!

Victoria's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 2 dozen (2 tablespoonfuls) 


1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
1 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 ounces butter substitute, Spectrum Shortening or Earth Balance Shortening (or whatever butter substitute you like, make sure to leave out the sea salt if your substitute has a high content of sodium)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed, light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
9 ounces chopped, 70% dark chocolate

In a small bowl whisk together flour, xanthan gum, baking soda and sea salt.  Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream shortening for a few minutes until light and fluffy.  Add both sugars and set on medium speed for a few minutes until a creamy and fluffy consistency.  Add the egg and vanilla and stir until well mixed.  Add the flour mixture and stir until well mixed, stir in the chopped chocolate.

Now I know this next bit is going to be difficult to do, but if you can muster up the will power it will make all the difference in the consistency of this classic cookie!  Pack the dough in an airtight container and pop into the fridge overnight.  This is an old trick that relaxes the gluten in traditional chocolate chip cookie dough or any cookie dough for that matter, but in this case it is obviously not relaxing the gluten, since this protein is non-existent; what it is doing is distributing the moisture throughout the dough leading to a more tender crumb when baked the following day.  If your inclination is to pop it into the oven now, please know that you will end up with a dry & crumbly texture, although a tasty cookie, but not as tasty as it could be!  Do try having a bit of patience, for the sake of the cookie.

After 24 hours:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
Using a small ice-cream scoop drop cookie dough on prepared baking sheets.  Bake in 350 degree F oven for approximately 16 minutes or until baked through and light golden.

Squash, Squash & More Squash

'Tis the season for warming spices and both summer and winter squash.  Miss M. gave me this huge ghostly white patty pan squash so I transformed this beauty into squash potato cakes and for all of those gluten-free bellies a lovely squash spice cake.  Fear not those of you that are dairy-free, you won't find any milk, butter or cream here.

Happy Autumn!

Squash Potato Cake

For the Squash Potato Cakes, grate several red potatoes and at least 1/2 of a giant patty pan squash or 1 large zucchini (squeeze out any squash juice and discard), sprinkle in about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup brown rice flour and fold in a few large pinches of sea salt, add a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper and moisten the mixture with an egg or two.  Warm olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and using a medium-size ice-cream scoop, scoop the batter and place in the saute pan, let cook until golden and then flip over and cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side.

Squash Spice Cupcakes w/ Maple Meringue

Squash Spice Cupcakes:
Makes 1 dozen
1 1/2 cups your favorite gluten-free flour mix (make sure to leave out the xanthan gum if your blend includes xanthan gum)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup almond oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated summer squash

Maple Meringue Frosting:
Makes enough to frost 2 dozen cupcakes
1 cup maple syrup
2 large egg whites, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners, alternatively oil a loaf pan.

In a large bowl whisk together all of the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, spices and sea salt.  In a small bowl whisk together the oils, eggs and vanilla.  Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until well mixed, fold in the grated summer squash.  Scoop into prepared muffin pan or loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until baked through and spring back when touched.
Let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting.  Using a stand mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peak.  Meanwhile, bring the maple syrup to a boil over a medium-high flame.  Once the maple syrup reaches 236 degrees F on a candy thermometer or reaches soft-ball stage, turn off heat and pour in a steady stream into the whipping egg whites on medium-high speed. Try to pour the syrup into the center of the mixture, otherwise you'll end up with little maple syrup flecks around the perimeter of the bowl.  Use the frosting right away before it cools as it becomes sticky to work with once cool.

Peach & Blueberry Cobbler

Late summer peaches and blueberries are gorgeous and juicy in the pacific northwest.  I picked fresh plump blueberries for this cobbler.  A quick recipe for any night of the week.  Bonus, it's not just gluten-free it's dairy-free too.

Peach & Blueberry Cobbler
Makes 4 large servings

drizzle of almond oil or butter substitute
4 peaches (your favorite variety), peeled & sliced to 1/3" thick
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Garbanzo Fava flour
1/4 cup almond meal/flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/8 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup Spectrum Organic Shortening or your go-to butter substitute (watch the sodium with some of the substitutes, leave out or adjust the salt level if your substitute has sodium)
1 large pinch of turbinado

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Using almond oil or your favorite butter substitute lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8X8 earthenware baking dish.

Place sliced peaches in a medium size bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons of sugar with the spices and vanilla.  Sprinkle over the sliced peaches and toss gently until well coated.  Place the sugar coated peaches in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with blueberries.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the flours, starches, sugar, xanthan gum and salt.  Cut in the shortening with a pastry dough blender or 2 butter-knives, mix until the shortening is a coarse crumb.

Top the peaches and blueberries with the flour mixture and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown and fruit is bubbling.

Serve with a dollop of your favorite ice-cream (dairy-free of course for all of those delicate bellies).

My Gluten-Free Belly's Gnocchi

My gluten-free gnocchi workshop began last night!  I shared one of my gluten-free belly's favorite dumplings sauced with both Bolognese and Sage Beurre Noisette. There was no ricer to be found in the classroom or gnocchi board (which isn't as important).  But none-the-less it was a little silly for a moment.  One of my students had the brilliant idea of grating the potatoes, so if you find yourself without a ricer or food mill then try using a grater, even a food processor with the grater attachment works which is what this lovely student suggested, however watch out because you'll find mashed potatoes forming at the top of the attachment and this is something we don't want in our gnocchi due to the starch development, no mashing allowed!  So when you've looked through every cabinet in the kitchen and can't find the correct tool reach for the grater.  The texture is a little more dense but we all enjoyed our handmade gnocchi!

Buon Appetito!

My Gluten-Free Belly's Gnocchi
Yields: 4-6 servings

1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, approximately 2 heaping cups riced
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2-3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Flour, more for dusting & dough if necessary
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, optional

Bake potatoes on a bed of kosher salt at 400 degrees F for approximately 30-45 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.  Let cool enough to handle.  Peel, cut in half, scoop out the flesh and pass through a ricer.  Place in a mound on a counter top or in a large bowl and create a well in the center.

In a small bowl whisk together the nutmeg, sea salt and black pepper.  In another small bowl whisk together 1/2 cup of Bob's Red Mill AP GF Baking Flour and xanthan gum, set aside.

Add the egg yolks, grated Parmesan and nutmeg mixture to the potato well and mix into the potatoes with your hands.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the GF flour and xanthan gum mixture and press into the potato mixture.  Fold the mixture onto itself and press down again.  Sprinkle on more flour, little by little, folding and pressing the dough until it just holds together.  Work any remaining bits of dough clinging to your fingers back into the dough.  If the dough is too dry, add a little water or even another egg yolk if it is too wet add more flour.  The consistency of the dough should be firm yet yielding.  To test, take a piece and roll it with your hands on a well-floured surface into a rope about 1/2 inch in diameter.  If the dough holds together, it is perfetto!  If not, add more flour, fold and press the dough several more times and if necessary test again.

Cut the dough into 4 pieces.  Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2" in diameter.  Cut into 1/2" pieces, roll on a gnocchi board for impressions or on the tines of a fork.  As you shape gnocci, dust lightly with flour and scatter them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil.  Cook the gnocchi in boiling water for about 1 & 1/2 minutes from the time they rise to the surface.  Toss directly with your sauce of choice sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.

September Dahlias & Biscotti

 September Blooms

Fig, Almond & Anise Chocolate Chunk Biscotti

September showers always send me into the kitchen.  Figs are a likely candidate for baking and preserving this time of year.  Today I dressed up my Fig & Almond Biscotti with a touch of anise and chocolate.  I'm sharing my classic recipe with students in my upcoming Gluten-Free Italian Festa. And for those of you that will miss out on the class I will post it for you very soon!  Autumn is the season for biscotti...the crisp chill in the air beckons a warm cup of coffee or tea, the perfect pairing with biscotti.  These twice baked cookies are meant to be dunked and eaten, in Tuscany we dipped our biscotti into glasses of Vin Santo, but any wine will do.  I  prefer a warming cup of chai or french-pressed coffee with cream especially during autumn and winter.

Gelato al Finocchio

Gluten-Free Italian Festa will begin soon at PCC!  In this class I'll show you how to make a few of my favorite autumnal sweets, gluten-free of course!!  We'll pair this fennel-kissed gelato with my fig & almond biscotti.  Depending on my mood I either crumble biscotti over my gelato or I'll let the gelato melt a bit and dip my biscotti; eitherway the two are meant to be eaten together.  Although individually both satiate my sweet-tooth, the two are the perfect pair.  The anise-like quality of the fennel seeds highlight the sweet creaminess of the figs and the delicately toasted almonds add a crunchy buttery texture.

Finocchio, pronounced like Pinocchio with an F instead of a P, this cute word is Italian for Fennel.  The biennial bulbous vegetable is native to the Mediterranean and is quite prolific, watch out as it will quickly take over your garden.  I tend to use it in place of celery in savory applications and the seeds...well scroll down and you'll see the best way to cook with the seeds.

Gelato al Finocchio (Fennel Gelato)
Yields: scant 4 cups

3 cups whole milk
3/4 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, crushed
1 cup sugar
5 large egg yolks
pinch of sea salt

In a medium saucepan bring the milk, cream and crushed fennel seeds to a light simmer over medium heat.  Cover, shut off the heat and let steep for 20-30 minutes.  Strain out the fennel seeds and bring the milk, cream and sugar to a light simmer over medium heat while stirring.  Once the sugar is melted turn off the heat.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks.  Using a ladle, temper the egg yolks with the warm fennel milk mixture (by adding a little of the hot mixture at a time).  Once tempered add the egg yolk mixture to the fennel milk mixture and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until thickened (mixture coats the back of  a spoon) and a thermometer registers 175-180 degrees F.

Strain the mixture through a sieve and stir in the sea salt.  Place plastic wrap over the top of the mixture and chill in the refrigerator, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.  Alternatively chill over an ice bath.

Once chilled, pour the gelato base into the bowl of an ice-cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.

Freeze for 20-30 minutes prior to serving.

Can be made several days ahead of serving.  If making ahead, pull out of the freezer 10-15 minutes prior to serving to soften.

Serve with Fig & Almond Biscotti (which I'll post very soon!)

Buon Appetito!

My Gluten-Free Belly's Birthday

T's. family is currently doing a kitchen remodel, so they are without a kitchen for 6 weeks!  If you find yourself without a kitchen for some time or you simply want to make something homemade without all of the baking....this cake is a simple semi-homemade gluten-free & dairy-free treat.  All you need is a loaf pan, a large spoon, 2 pints of your favorite Coconut Bliss ice-cream and a handful of gluten-free & dairy-free cookies.  

Simply set the ice-cream out on the counter for a few minutes so that it softens a bit, this makes it easier to spread in your loaf or cake pan.  For this cake, I layered Coconut Bliss' Vanilla Island & Dark Chocolate flavors with chocolate chip cookie crumbs.

Buon Compleanno sweetie!

Babycakes' Chips Ahoy!

These little cuties are scrumptious in fact I made a batch of Erin McKenna's gluten-free & dairy-free Chips Ahoy! and a batch of Martha Stewart's gluten laden chocolate chip cookies and the two gluten-tolerant (yes those of us blessed with a  gluten-tolerant belly) chose these cookies over Martha's...how about that?!  

Erin McKenna's Chips Ahoy! cookie is both gluten-free and vegan.  Absolutely perfect for my gluten-free belly! What I love about this cookie is that there is so much more depth and dimension than your classic chocolate chip cookie; typical of gluten-free baking as there are a myriad of grains rather than just one superstar (wheat) stealing the show.  

I chopped up a bit of Theo Chocolate 70% (my go-to chocolate bar for baking) which is vegan and gluten-free!  If you are yearning for classic baked goods, recipes that you have loved since you were a child and have now discovered that you are gluten and dairy-intolerant, I urge you to pickup a copy of McKenna's adorable cookbook, Babycakes Covers the Classics.  This cookie is a favorite in our house.  I think this cookie is much more flavorful the next day and I know gooey-warm-from-the-oven cookies are always preferable but I find these are much tastier once cooled to room temperature.  Mine are much smaller than McKenna's?  She states to drop by the "teaspoonful" which is what I did however mine come out as little drop cookies each time.  They aren't as thin and crispy as the old classic Chips Ahoy! cookies (granted they aren't pumped full of preservatives!)  However, the photo in her cookbook shows a much thinner and larger cookie. I've made this recipe twice and mine never look like hers?  Maybe next time I just need to drop by the tablespoonful...either way they are delicious!

Chips Ahoy!

adapted from Babycakes Covers the Classics by Erin McKenna

Makes 36 cookies

1 1/2 cups oat flour (make sure you pickup a gluten-free oat flour)

1 cup Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour

1 cup vegan sugar

1/4 cup ground flax meal

1/4 cup arrowroot

1 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons melted refined coconut oil or canola oil

6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 cup vegan gluten-free chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, flax meal, arrowroot, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. Add the coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla nd stir with a rubber spatula until a thick dough forms.  Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.  

Drop the dough by the teaspoonful onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Bake for 7 minutes, rotate the baking sheets, and bake for 7 minutes more, or until the cookies are golden brown and firm.  Let stand on the baking sheets for 15 minutes before eating.

Gluten-Free Gnocchi Workshop

We are finally getting a few days of sunshine here in Seattle.  We usually have beautiful summers here in the PNW, occasional rain but this year has been unseasonably gray and wet!? Anyhow, here we are in the middle of summer and I'm looking ahead to planning my autumn and winter classes.  This fall you'll find me teaching my Gluten-Free Gnocchi Workshop at PCC.  The class schedule should be posted very soon (Wednesday, August 3rd) at PCC Cooks. 

So if you have a dairy allergy the Parmesean can be left off and you can drizzle with extra olive oil and or cut a little Earth Balance  or other butter substitute into the tomato sauce. 

Come and check out my class, I'll also show you a fun way to use fennel and we'll make gluten-free fig & almond biscotti!

Buon Appetito!

Olives & Fish

I love olives and T. loves fish (well I love fish too). I've exposed T. to so many different varieties of olives over the years, he actually is starting to like them now. Persistence pays off!! 

Castelvetrano are a buttery vibrant green olive grown in Sicily. Not briny at all...which will make anyone an olive lover. Pairing the Castelvetrano olives with the flavor packed Nicoise olive for this dish is a brilliant match, use any of your favorite olives, my only request is this is not the time for the infamous Lindsay Olive that you'll find on most conventional grocery shelves. Branch out and go for the bulk olives. Taste and see what you like!

Summertime meals at our home often include fish, particularly Halibut. We are lucky as Halibut season runs from May-September here in the Pacific Northwest. This dish is equally as good with grilled Halibut or Seared Scallops.

Serves 4

Pounded Olive & Orange Sauce
1 small red onion, frenched
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup, Castelvetrano Olives
½ cup, mixture of your favorite olives (both with and without pits)
3 oranges, divided, 1 for juicing (ie. Valencia) and 2 for segmenting (ie. Cara Cara/Navel)
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
small handful of fresh basil, coarsely chopped
small handful of Italian flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
freshly ground black pepper & sea salt to taste

Cut the pitted olives in half or in quarters if particularly big.
With the blunt side of your knife press the olives with pits until they split, or using a heavy bottomed pan pound the olives until split.

In a saute pan warm ¼ cup olive oil over medium-heat.  Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, approximately 8 minutes.

Add freshly squeezed orange juice and olives and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add the orange segments and shut off the heat. Toss in fresh basil and parsley.  Drizzle in ⅓ cup fruity olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pan Seared Halibut
4 halibut fillets (6-8 ounces each)
⅛ cup safflower oil, or your favorite high-heat oil
a few healthy pinches of sea salt



Blot fillets dry and season the halibut fillets with  pinch of sea salt per side.

Warm a skillet over medium-high heat, add the safflower oil and let warm. Add the halibut fillets and sear until just cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of fillets).



Serve with Pounded Olive & Orange Sauce

Buon Appetito!

Recipe Developing: Chocolate Chip Cookies, Take 1

I'm experimenting with creating both gluten-free & dairy-free cookies.  This was my first take on the classic chocolate chip cookie.  I have yet to find the perfect blend of flour for cookies; as the texture of non-wheat flours tends to be a bit gritty so far in my testing. What I love about the classic chocolate chip cookie traditionally made with wheat flour and butter is that it melts in your mouth.  There is never any residual grain sticking around.  My first take of this classic was okay, let's just say I have lots of room for improvement!

Next time around I'll need to add more coconut butter and more sugar.  These cookies were a bit too thick for my liking and didn't brown without over-baking.  What did come from this first recipe is a good base for Chocolate Chunk Biscotti.

I only want the best for you and your bellies, therefore once I perfect this recipe I will plan on sharing it with all of you lovely food blog readers!

Babycakes Snickerdoodles

Erin McKenna has done it again. Created an adorable vegan and gluten-free cookbook.  These snickerdoodles are delicate & light.  A little persnickety in the way that they are gorgeous and crispy when they come out of the oven. However, give them an hour or so and they adopt soft bellies.  Still delicious, they just aren't that crisp.

Being that we aren't vegan, I do love using eggs in baked goods.  So I left out the flaxmeal and added one large egg.  Perhaps if I hadn't done just that they would have stayed crisp?  If you like Snickerdoodles or even if you don't (as I've never been a Snickerdoodle lover) you'll surely like these.

Thanks Erin for another lovely book!

Snickerdoodles

adapted from Babycakes Covers the Classics by Erin McKenna

Makes 36

1 1/2 cups plus 1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 cups rice flour

1/4 cup ground flax meal (I used 1 Large egg)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons melted refined coconut oil or canola oil

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon until evenly incorporated.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 1/3 cups sugar, the flour, flax meal (or substitute the egg), baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of cinnamon.  Add the coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla and mix with a rubber spatula until a thick dough that resembles wet sand forms.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Working in batches, drop the dough by the teaspoonful into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and roll around to coat the dough all over.  Place on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.  Gently press each cookie with  fork to help them spread.  Bake for 7 minutes, rotate the baking sheets, and continue baking for 7 minutes more, or until the cookies are crispy around the edges.  Let stand on the baking sheets for 15 minutes before serving.

Milk Chocolate Gelato

Creamy Milk Chocolate Gelato

Coconut Crepes

Yesterday I had a hankering for crepes, but T. and I got a little side-tracked along the way with Sushi, Cider & Gelato!  I made up for it today with my first of many gluten-free & dairy-free crepe creations.

A crepe that my gluten-free belly can enjoy too!

Coconut Crepe & Mango Slices

Dollop of Coconut Bliss, Drizzle of Tupelo Honey
&
Sprinkle of Coconut Sugar

Gluten-Free Cracker Bread

Super sticky dough yields a crunchy well-liked cracker in my house!

I felt like baking and T. and I had a wine & chocolate pairing planned. Therefore, I made a gluten-free cracker reminiscent of Lavash as a palette cleanser for my gluten-free belly.  

I think I'll work on the flour mixture as the dough was absurdly sticky and difficult to work with, I actually couldn't get much of it off of the top layer of parchment paper when I rolled it out....I think too starchy.  However, these are the gluten-free flours I had in my cupboard at the time and T. loved the result! So here it is the first run through, I plan on testing it a few more times and each time I'll post my findings.

Gluten-Free Cracker Bread 

Makes 15-20 rustic crackers

Take 1

1/2 cup millet flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

scant 1/2 cup sweet rice flour

1/3 cup potato starch

2 t xanthan gum

3/4 t sea salt

scant cup of warm water, about 110 degrees F

2 t active dry yeast

1/8 cup evoo

garnish: fresh rosemary, sea salt & olive oil 

In the bowl of an electric mixer whisk together all of the flours, starches, xanthan gum and sea salt.  Set aside.

In a small bowl combine the warm water with the yeast and set aside for a minute.

Fit the electric mixer with the paddle attachment and pour the yeasty water and evoo into the dry ingredients and mix on medium for a few minutes until the dough comes together and feels soft.  

Coat the inside of a medium size bowl with olive oil and place the dough into the bowl.  Cover with a flour sack towel and let rest in a warm place for about an hour until slightly risen (will only increase a touch in size).

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

This is where the recipe gets a little tricky.  Next time I go about this I plan on oiling a bit of parchment paper, however waxed paper might work well.  So grab a piece of parchment paper and lightly oil, place the dough on the parchment and flatten the dough with your hands.  Place a second piece of oiled parchment paper on top of the dough and roll out until 1/8"-1/4" thick with a rolling pin.  Peel the top piece of parchment paper off of the dough (most likely you'll have a thin layer of dough on this piece of parchment paper, scrape off as much as you can with a pastry scraper and add to the thinly rolled out dough). 

Drizzle the top of the dough with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, rosemary or both.  Keeping the bottom piece of parchment attached to the dough, place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes at 450 degrees F or until the edges have lightly browned and the dough has crisped.

Transfer the cracker bread to a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature.

Break the cracker bread apart into rustic crackers.  Enjoy with red wine and cheese.

Eat Your Greens!

This time of year I love kale, chard and spinach lightly wilted or softened with a vinaigrette and eaten raw.  For my current gluten-free class I create this salad as the first nibble for my students.

Raw Red & Green Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette
Serves 6-8
1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets & lightly steamed
1 bunch green curly kale, ribs removed & leaves torn into bite-size pieces
1 bunch red chard, ribs removed & leaves chopped into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Toss together all of the ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

Sherry Vinaigrette
1 small shallot, minced
1/3 cup Sherry vinegar
2 T honey
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 t sea salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, mix the minced shallot with the sherry vinegar and let macerate for 10-15 minutes (up to 1 hour).  Whisk in the honey.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil until well mixed.  Season with salt & pepper.  Drizzle  about half of the vinaigrette over the raw salad mixture and toss. Add more if needed to coat every leaf.

Depending on how big your bunches of kale and chard are you may have an excess of vinaigrette.  Place the extra vinaigrette in an airtight container and keep in the fridge until about 1 hour before use, then bring to room temperature.  Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

I enjoy eating this salad at room temperature however it is equally delicious chilled.

A Welcoming Cupcake

I've been cooking gluten-free savory meals and snacks for years. However, when it comes to sweets and desserts, this is where I've recently ambled down a path of pulverized ancient grains and stumbled upon an entire world of seeds, grasses & nuts. One of my first creations involved an Ethiopian love grass called Teff, which I used as the base flour in my Almond Butter & Raspberry Jam Thumprints, a crumbly first attempt at a gluten-free cookie. I've unearthed the mother grain, eaten by the Incas known as Quinoa.  Millet may have been cultivated thousands of years before rice and holds up well to both sweet and savory applications. 

I've learned that not all Oats are created equal. Although naturally gluten-free oats are traditionally grown in fields next to Wheat and Barley and therefore harvested, milled and transported using the same equipment. The grains inevitably mingle and as a result the oats become contaminated with gluten.

I've discovered that Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum are a MUST when baking gluten free. I create both gluten-free & dairy-free goodies so I've embraced Coconut Oil as my butter substitute. Although, Olive Oil, Safflower and nut oils work just as well. T. and I have never been milk drinkers, so for baking my go to is Coconut Milk, but soy milk, almond, hazelnut milk, rice milk and oat milk all have unique flavor profiles and are fun to experiment with.

Welcome, to My Gluten-Free Belly!  I hope that you discover something new and come back to visit often.

Sweet Potato Coconut Cupcakes & Chai Frosting

1 dozen

1 cup brown rice flour

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 extra large eggs, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1/3 cup maple syrup

2/3 cup lite coconut milk, warm or room-temp** (may need 1/4 cup more)

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup mashed roasted sweet potatoes

1/2 batch of Chai Frosting (recipe to follow)

2-4 large slices of candied ginger, julienned

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, coconut flakes, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and spices.

In a separate large bowl whisk together the eggs, vanilla, coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut milk and sugar. Stir in the mashed sweet potatoes.

Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until well combined. 

**Coconut flour is extremely absorbent so you want to get this batter into the muffin liners as soon as possible. If the batter seems a bit thick then go ahead and add 1/8 cup of coconut milk at a time until the batter is the consistency of regular cake batter, not too thick and not thin like crepe or pancake batter, somewhere in between.

Divide the batter evenly among the lined muffin cups.

Bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick comes out clean, 20 - 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before frosting.

Once cool frost with Chai Frosting.  

Chai Frosting 

Inspired by Flying Apron's Bakery Chai Buttercream

Enough to frost 2 & ½ dozen cupcakes

1 cup organic non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (Spectrum)

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

a pinch of sea salt

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup strongly steeped Chai tea, hot

In the bowl of an electric standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening and powdered sugar on low and work up to medium speed. The mixture should change in appearance from a coarse crumb to a soft dough consistency, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add the spices, salt, vanilla and Chai tea. Continue to beat on medium speed for a few minutes until no longer curdled in appearance yielding a smooth  and creamy consistency, scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Whip on high speed for approximately 2 minutes until light & fluffy.

Frost cupcakes. If not using right away, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. If preparing from the fridge then warm slightly in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl set over barely simmering water (making sure the bowl is not touching the water). Then place in the bowl of an electric standing mixer and whip until light and fluffy.

Garnish the cupcakes with 2-3 julienned pieces of candied ginger.