Raisin-Banana Quinoa Bread

recipe adapted from Delight Gluten Free magazine 

CLICK TO ENLARGE

You can find Amy's flour mix here or use your own GF all-purpose flour mix


DIRECTIONS:

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- In a large bowl, mix the cooked quinoa, flour, sugar/Splenda, salt, baking powder, and baking soda
- In a small bowl, mash the banana(s) (a fork works really well for this!)
- Add eggs and honey to banana and mix well
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well
- Fold in the raisins and nuts
- Pour into a greased 8x4 loaf pan
- Bake for 20-25 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean)
- Cool the loaf in the pan 10-15 minutes
- Slice it up, serve it up, and eat it up!! :-)

As always with banana bread, this recipe is very versatile. You can incorporate any fruit you want (raisins, cranberries, etc), nuts, chocolate chips, WHATEVER! I will definitely have additional versions of this recipe here on the blog in the future. Have another idea of what to try?? Send me suggestions!

Light and Fluffy Drop Biscuits

Recipe adapted from Gluten Free Cooking School

Talk about something worth writing home about! Go on...get your pad and pencil, or break out your fancy stationary...it is well worth it! We'll wait....

Alright...I can't lie...I've been looking forward to trying these. I have spent quite a bit of time looking over various recipes for drop biscuits. Having tried a few others, I will say that, without a doubt, this is the best recipe I have found. I am looking forward to using this versatile recipe to try a lot of different things. Have no fear...I'll share my successes (and my failures...just so you don't have to!)

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 1/2 c. brown rice flour (I did not have any brown rice flour left, so I used 1 cup of white rice flour and 1/2 cup of sweet rice flour. It worked really well!)

- 2 c. corn starch

- 1/2 c. sorghum flour (this is the trick to making these light and fluffy! I have made drop biscuits with other recipes that turn out much more dense. These are a WONDERFUL change.)

- 2 tsp. baking powder

- 2 tsp. salt

- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

- 2 tsp. xanthan gum

- 1 stick of butter (chilled in freezer)

- 1 c. milk (can use soy if you cannot use dairy, but I used 2% cow)

- 1 T cider vinegar (if you want, omit the milk and cider vinegar and substitute 1 cup buttermilk. This will serve the same role!)

- 1 c. water

- 1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- In a large mixing bowl, combine first seven ingredients (flours through xanthan gum)

- Grate the butter into the flour mix using the small-holed side of a box grater

- Mix the butter into the flour mix so that there are no large balls of grated butter

- Add the milk, cider vinegar, water, and egg to flour mix and stir until combined (How easy is this recipe?! I know..I'm excited too!)

- Drop the dough onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops start to turn golden brown

(The original recipe says that this will make 16 biscuits; however, mine made about 22. It totally depends on how big of biscuits you want!)

I could not be more pleased with how these biscuits turned out. Tonight I served them with Cowboy Beans (don't worry...that recipe is coming to you directly after this one). The meal was so good that it really kind of hurt *GRIN* Sam and I are still moving slowly around the house (if we're moving at all)!

I will definitely be using these for biscuits and gravy and all sorts of other things. Again, the light and fluffy consistency of this bread is FANTASTIC - especially since I am also allergic to yeast and just don't get that very often! Whew!

Another idea is to add garlic and shredded cheese to the dough. Once they are baked, I would brush the tops with butter and sprinkle on some garlic salt. Can we say Red Lobster-like?! I am excited!! It's the little joys in life....

Stay tuned for the Cowboy Beans and...if you're lucky...I'll even share our dessert!

Blueberry Breakfast Pound Cake

Alright folks. I need to apologize because it's been so long since I've shown my face. That's what happens when life gets hectic! ACK! Have no fear, though...I've been cooking and baking so I won't let you down!

This lil' dandy is well worth making. I can go on and admit that I'm addicted to this one (especially since, after sharing part of the cake with my aunt, she immediately sent me a text to let me know she was addicted and needed the recipe!!) *big grin* So...y'all ready?!

Originally, this is called Glazed Blueberry Pound Cake. I would LOVE to be able to tell you exactly what recipe I adapted this from, but it was copied out of a newspaper several years ago. This is the first time I have ever made it, and I adapted it to be GF. Now, that being said, I decided to make a truly more healthy version (not the "healthy" version where you add extra butter and sugar, even though I REEEEEALLY like THAT kind of healthy!) At the end of this I will include the glaze recipe. I am sure it's phenomenal (how can sugary glaze NOT be phenomenal?!) but I have not yet tried it. The healthy version was my attempt at making a delicious, enjoyable breakfast. For me, it worked out GREAT. Oh...and it makes a delicious, enjoyable brunch, lunch, afternoon snack, supper, and pre-bed snack, too *heehee*

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cup Amy's flour mix, plus 2 TBL. (or whatever GF all-purpose flour you prefer)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon (I'm a bit addicted to cinnamon, too, remember? So I use 1/2 tsp.)

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar (I use 1 cup of Splenda)

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup apple juice

1 1/2 cup blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (if you use a glass loaf pan as I did, decrease the temp to 325 degrees)

- Whisk 1 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon

- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (the recipe recommends an electric mixer. For those of us that don't have that sort of fancy-smancy appliance, a regular whisk and a lot of elbow grease gets the job done quite well) *grin*

- With mixer on low (or with your hands moving the whisk a little slower because now you're worn out from creaming the butter and sugar), add eggs one at a time and mix well.

- Add lemon juice and apple juice and mix well.

- Add the dry ingredients and whisk (on low if using mixer) just until mixed.

- Place blueberries in a bowl and dust with the remaining 2 TBL of flour, tossing to coat evenly.

- Add the berries to the batter and discard excess flour.

- Gently fold in blueberries.

- Bake 40 - 50 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then move it to cook on a wire rack (or a kitchen towel on the counter like I did!) for about an hour

And let's be honest...there's nothing better than cake/bread that is fresh out of the oven and still warm. So ask yourself....do I REALLY have to wait the entire hour?

- Cut into thick slices and enjoy (and if you'd like...drizzle with the glaze and enjoy it that way)

Glaze:

Whisk 2/3 cup powdered sugar with 2 TBL of apple juice. Drizzle over cake slices.

I will absolutely be making this again. It is incredibly moist, and, unlike a lot of GF recipes, it doesn't crumble the second you touch it! Super excited about that one! I'd like to give it a try with fresh strawberries next time, and I bet you could add some mashed banana! You could add nuts or chocolate chips or whatever in the world you want to. If you have some good ideas and think something should be tried (and maybe you don't have the time to try it yourself first), leave me a note and I'll make it soon. Sam needs to try this good stuff, so I can use the two of us as your guinea pigs!

Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe is made using the crescent roll recipe I use from Delightfully Gluten Free.

I mentioned that I'd be trying to incorporate the rolls into a few other recipes so....

Round One:

Sam's sister and brother-in-law came to visit us this weekend (along with their precious dog, Penny) and so I wanted to make us a treat for Sunday morning breakfast. This was the right choice! I'm here to say that these taste just like regular cinnamon rolls! They are not big and fluffy (such as Grands Cinnamon Rolls), but they have INCREDIBLE flavor and texture. Please go make these. You won't regret it at all. In fact, you'll only be sad that they're small and the recipe only makes enough for about 8 cinnamon rolls.

I will ABSOLUTELY be making these again. I need to get family to come visit more often so I have a good excuse to make them :-D

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 batch of crescent rolls

- 3/4 cup of brown sugar

- at least 1 tsp. of cinnamon (I like cinnamon a lot so I add more)

- OPTIONAL: 1/4 - 1/2 cup of raisins/nuts/etc.

DIRECTIONS:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees if using a glass pan)

- Roll out dough into a rectangle (approximately 14 inches long - give or take! You just don't want the dough too thin) Do this on a surface dusted with flour

- Sprinkle brown sugar-cinnamon mixture onto dough

- Roll dough into a log

- Cut the dough into 2 inch pieces (should make approximately 8 rolls)

- Place rolls into a greased baking dish (I use a Pyrex pie dish)

- Sprinkle remainder of brown sugar-cinnamon mixture on top of rolls

- Bake 20-30 minutes (rolls will be getting brown and crisp on the outside)

While the cinnamon rolls are baking, you can make the icing (and have time to lick the bowl)

- 1 cup confectioners sugar

- 2 TBL milk

- 1/8 tsp. vanilla

- 1 TBL honey

- Mix all the ingredients until smooth. Add or subtract confectioners sugar to meet desired consistency

- Drizzle the icing over the cinnamon rolls

"HEALTHY" VERSION (:-P)

- Melt 1 TBL butter and pour over half-cooled cinnamon rolls before topping with icing

Black Bean Brownies

You won't believe this.

You really won't.

I didn't.

I made them.

I didn't.

I ate them.

I didn't.

I ate them again.

I still don't.

INCREDIBLE.

Since going a bit more public with my Celiac Disease, friends have begun to suggest different recipes that they come across. During my time working as a Conservation Educator near the coast of Texas on a wildlife refuge, I was roommates with Evie, a lovely lady working on her M.S. research conducting bird research. Not only did I get to assist her with her research, but I gained a new friend. She thoughtfully suggested this recipe, and I just couldn't turn it down!

So about one week after making the Namaste Foods Gluten Free Brownies, I made these brownies. Admittedly, the others are a hard act to follow. Even then, the results of this recipe were INCREDIBLY impressive. The texture is certainly a bit different than the fudgy brownie AND the cakey brownie, but these black bean brownies have a spectacular texture and taste all their own. I told you once that I'd always be honest with you, and I am holding to that. These are genuinely good. My husband had no idea I had made them with anything but flour. After eating on them the first night, we covered the pan and kept them in the fridge. For the next several days we'd pull a couple out, top with some Homemade Vanilla Blue Bell Icecream, and thoroughly enjoy the delight. For all of you who are wondering: No...you do NOT taste any hint of "beaniness." The beans simply provide the bulk of the recipe (since there is no flour). This must have been the beginning of "flourless desserts" and, I must say, should definitely not be forgotten. I do believe you could serve these and no one would ever pose the question "what are these made of?" Take my word for it...it's absolutely worth trying. Thank you, Evie, for suggesting these! I'll definitely make them again!

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

- 3 eggs

- 3 TBL. oil

- 4 TBL. cocoa powder

- 1 tsp. vanilla

- 3/4 c. sugar

- pinch of salt

- 1/2 c. white chocolate chips (the batter is a little thin to hold the chips in place, so they sink to the bottom. Have no fear! They still taste great and are a good addition to the brownies if you like them)

DIRECTIONS:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- Pour beans into a blender, set on puree, and blend until smooth

(I took a picture on the slim, off-chance that you didn't believe that I was serious)

- Add the rest of the ingredients to the beans and blend until mixed evenly (since I used our Magic Bullet rather than a full-size blender, I emptied the beans into a bowl and whisked the other ingredients into the mix)

I felt that the mixing bowl deserved its own picture. On March 20, my husband and I had a wedding vow renewal ceremony on our one year anniversary. A couple weeks later, he gave this to me as a gift. It's THE BEST! I figure that food (especially desserts) are even sweeter when made when you're thinking about those you love. Sappy? Yes. Do I care? Nope! Just speaking truth!

- Pour the mix into a greased 8x8 pan

- Cook the brownies for approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean

Clearly I did not have a toothpick in the house...

Not only will I make these again, but I would recommend the recipe to others (who aren't even GF!) How can you go wrong when incorporating veggies into a tasty dessert?! That's right...you can't! Not when it tastes this good.

I also added brownie icing to my pan of brownies. The brownies didn't need icing, but what brownies aren't even better with additional sugary goodness?

ENJOY!

Bun in the oven...

It's NOT what you think!
They're just rolls... :-D

You know what I miss?

CRESCENT ROLLS

That's right. Those yummy "I'd-stop-eating-these-but-it's-just-not-humanly-possible" golden brown baked goodies. They're those nice, tasty, rolled-up packages of goodness. You know the ones I'm talking about...

Well...here's that...coming to you in a pretty tasty gluten free package :-)

INGREDIENTS:

- 1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup), room temperature

- 3/4 cup small curd cottage cheese (you can use regular, light, or fat free)

- 1 cup Amy's flour mix (this had GREAT flavor. I promise I'm not saying that because I'm biased...it really did)

- 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum (if you use a GF flour mix without any xanthan gum in it, use 1 tsp)

- 1/8 tsp. salt

- 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar (I'll be honest....I had to call my grandmother to ask where exactly to find this. If I hadn't, I'd still be wandering the baking aisle at H-E-B. Thanks for saving me, Nahn!)

- 1/2 tsp. baking soda

- 1 TBL sugar

DIRECTIONS:

- In a mixing bowl, combine butter and cottage cheese

- Add dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until a ball forms (I did it the simple way...just a bowl and a spoon - no mixer)

- Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- Dust counter top or parchment paper with flour

- Roll dough into 14" circle

- Cut circle into 8 triangles (use a pizza cutter - it's THE BEST)

- Roll each triangle up (just like those other crescent rolls you used to miss)

- Place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (unless you don't have any in the house *sheepish grin*)

- Using pastry brush (or your finger like I did!) brush the top of each roll with melted butter

- Bake for approximately 20 minutes (mine started to get a tad brown on the bottom before they were baked entirely, so I turned mine over. Sure, they weren't spectacularly pretty, but it worked! No burned bottoms!)

We added a little extra butter and ate these just "as is" with a meal of baked fish, squash, and green beans. They'd be a wonderful addition to any meal. Certainly, they aren't exactly like the crescent rolls you buy in the can at the store, but for a gluten-free, yeast-free bread option...these just can't be topped!

Stay tuned because I plan to use this recipe for apple dumplings (that I learned how to make from my mother and her Bed & Breakfast cooking), cinnamon rolls, AND pig-n-a-blankets!! CAN'T WAIT!!

Speaking of not being able to wait...Sam felt the need to point out that a bit of honey on these lil' babies would probably make a pretty good "follow-up" to the meal. We don't want to waste food, you know. We were too stuffed to try it right after the meal but now....

Chocolate fans, listen up!

Alright folks....this is worth hearing about. So put everything else down and listen up (pick up a pen and paper, too) and write this down....

Namaste Foods Gluten Free Brownie Mix

I would write it again to reiterate the importance, but just know that I spoke it again, directly to you, as I typed this.

My birthday was last week (*HAPPY BIRFDAY TOOOOOO MEEEEEEEEEEEE!*), and a good friend of mine, Megan, brought me some GF goodies as a gift. I was sooooo humbled and couldn't believe how thoughtful she was!! Sam was coming home on Sunday from two weeks out in the field and I wanted to have a little extra for us to share, so I started cabinet shopping. One of the treasures Megan gave me was this brownie mix. (I took a picture for you...let it burn into your brain so you'll be sure to know it when you see it). GF baking can be a shot in the dark on the first go-around with any recipe/mix so, I had my fingers crossed (and made them early enough in the day that I could dash to the store for something reliable if need be!)



Back when I was still on the gluten train, I pretty much refused to eat cakey brownies (alright...refuse is a strong word and, let's face it...chocolate is chocolate...but....) My absolute favorite are more fudge-like: soft and even a little gooey. So, yes, some of that comes from baking time, heat of oven, making sure you measure the water correctly and all those bits and pieces, but you can't overcome the barrier of a recipe or mix that just gives you cakey brownies!

Since having to bail off that gluten train 7 months ago, I pretty much had to forego being all that judgmental because it's harder to find a brownie mix that tastes exactly the way it should. I am not a picky eater by any stretch of the imagination, but when you can still remember what a brownie ACTUALLY tastes like, it's hard to be head over heels for anything less.

Namaste Foods GF Brownie Mix (write it down again) *Enter stage left*

By pure luck, Megan happened to pick this mix off the shelf, and I am forever thankful she did!
The important thing here is just to follow the directions on the bag to the letter, and everything should turn out just right!

Alright...if you got lost in all my raving above, listen up again because this is saying something:
These brownies taste EXACTLY like good ol' glutened-up brownies. PHENOMENAL.
Now, you put any ol' brownie in a bowl full of Blue Bell homemade vanilla icecream and you have bits of heaven right there on your spoon. Same is true here, but these are still mmmm-azing all by themselves.

I made only one minor change to the mix:

I added a few dashes of cinnamon (that's my mom's fault...we're all into the cinnamon thang...)

After I placed the pan in the oven, I was a bit worried about the final product (oh ye of little faith, I know...) so I decided to make icing to top them off. Gotta say...hard to make something this good much better, but the brownies are great with this addition, too.

INGREDIENTS:

3 TBL butter, softened (do the real thing...go on...)
1 TBL honey (this is the real kicker - so good!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners sugar
Optional: 3 TBL unsweetened cocoa powder (I didn't go this route because am a fan of vanilla icing, but I know it would be great. Oh...and I didn't have any cocoa)

DIRECTIONS:

- Combine all the ingredients (brilliant, I know!)
- Frost brownies while they are still warm (I know what you're thinking: "No! You ALWAYS wait until things have cooled to frost them. I don't want a gooey mess!" But believe me...this time you don't wait. Not only does it help this amount of frosting cover the whole pan, but it creates the perfect icing layer and cools just right. Don't wait! Jump in!)

I only frosted half of the brownies so we could try both versions. BOTH ARE GREAT.



So let me explain...the edges are pretty roughed up in this picture. That COULD possibly-maybe-almost-sorta-pretty-much be the fault of ME who, wanting to get the dishes washed, pulled them out of the pan too early. That COULD also be the fault of ME because I kept pinching off the edges as I took them out of the pan. I am NOT taking responsibility...just sayin...

NOTE:
The real trick is this:
When you're ready to cut the brownies, use a plain ol' cheap plastic knife (the brownies won't stick to the knife and pull). Of course, I did not have a plastic knife at home and wouldn't dream of waiting until I did to cut these. So..."do as I say, not as I do"

I know there are wonderful GF recipes out there for spectacular brownies, but I wanted to share this great find with you, because sometimes you just need life to be a little more simple! I am absolutely making these for the next family function and probably won't tell that I made them - I bet no one will know! :-) Sneaky, sneaky (alright...except for the family members that read this...)

DONUT DAY!!

So I know this is a bit of a rush....but I couldn't help but go ahead and put this post up. Seriously...How can I keep this yummy goodness for myself? That would just be down right selfish..wouldn't dream of it!

Alright...so with Celiac Disease you kinda lose out on the convenience aspect of today's world since you can't always run down the street and pick up a donut...BUT...doesn't mean you can't still partake in the yumminess of food (usually after a bit of experimentation...favorite part!)!! So because I'm home and can't drive myself around after the little surgery, I decided to step out on a limb this morning and try GF donuts. ROCK N' ROLL (well, after I realized I had no eggs and Sam had to drive to the convenience store up the road to get some...BLESS the man). They're REEEEEALLY tasty and not too bad to look at either :-) (more of a miracle than you know if you've never cooked gluten free from scratch). So just wanted to share my success story. YAAAAAAAAAAAY for DONUT DAY!! (Recipe adapted from Cannelle et Vanille)

Ingredients:

1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 C milk
1/2 C sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBL butter, melted
1 3/4-2 C flour mix
Vegetable oil for frying

NOTE: For me, this recipe made 7 donuts and about 15 donut holes (most of which aren't in the final picture because I had to make sure the recipe was good before serving it. Otherwise, how could I call myself responsible?! )

Toppings:

I used powdered sugar for half of the donuts and cinnamon and sugar mix for the others.
Next time I make these (which will be this Saturday for company, so stay tuned!) I'm going to make glazed donuts :-)

Directions:

-Mix together egg, milk, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and butter
-Add flour and mix (you may need incorporate it with your hands at end of mixing).
-Cover and refrigerate for about an hour (to firm up dough)
(Let's have a little heart to heart for a moment, shall we? I wanted donuts. And when I say I want donuts....need I say more? I wasn't about to wait a whole hour before getting to start these morsels of heaven. You'd have to be outside your mind! So...I stuck mine in the freezer for about 15 minutes while I prepped the oil, etc. and then I got right down to it. My dough behaved just fine, and if it did get a little out of line (started to stick when I rolled it out) I just used a bit more tapioca flour on the cutting board)

-Prepare to roll out the doughnuts. I dusted a cutting board with flour and rolled out and cut out the dough there. Based on a suggestion from several other websites, I used tapioca flour for this--it won't add graininess to the dough.
-Roll out the dough to 1/2" thickness (be sure it's not too thin)



-Cut out donuts with a biscuit cutter and donut holes with smaller biscuit cutter



(Heart to heart - Take #2: I know what biscuit cutters are but I definitely do not own any, much less two different sizes of them. They're on the wish list but that may be a while, and remember...I don't wait for donuts! So...I simply floured the lip of a plastic glass and used that to cut out my donuts. I did want to make some donut holes (because when I ate donuts for the first time in MONTHS I wanted them to look like real donuts...plus donut holes have always been my favorite and they're so much fun to eat!) All I did was cut out a circle from the inside of each donut and - TAHDAH!)



- Place oil in a pan and heat to around 360 degrees. (For those of us without a candy thermometer, I put mine on just over medium heat). You need to have enough oil so that the donuts are completely submerged in the oil when you place them in the pan.
- Prepare a plate with paper towels on it as a place to put the donuts once they are done cooking.
- Before just jumping in with both feet to this thing, test the oil. Drop a small piece of extra dough into the oil to see if it fries. If it starts frying immediately, then the oil is ready.
-Carefully place donuts into the oil. I set each piece of dough in a large spoon and set them into the oil gently since I am not a big fan of splashing hot oil. They should drop into the oil and start frying.



- After cooking a couple of minutes, the donuts will rise to the surface of the oil. This is a good time to turn them to make sure they are cooking evenly.
- Once they are golden brown you are ready to rock n' roll! Take them out of the oil and place them on the paper towel covered plate you set out earlier.
- After they cool slightly, dust them with the toppings you have. I placed the powdered sugar and cinnamon/sugar mix into separate bowls the placed the donuts in the bowls and covered them completely (I mean..if you're gonna do this...you gotta commit! No simple "dusting" here!)





AND ENJOY!!!

Amy's flour mix