Raisin-Banana Quinoa Bread

recipe adapted from Delight Gluten Free magazine 

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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!

Yummy butter

I might have...MIGHT have....almost cried when I ate this.

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 TBL butter/margarine

- 1 TBL honey

- 1/4 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

- Mix it all together

- Eat this on top of Light and Fluffy Drop Biscuits

What a WONDERFUL dessert (or even breakfast, if you dare!) I used to always look forward to an evening out at Texas Roadhouse because of the cinnamon butter served with their rolls. Well...it is a bit more difficult to enjoy the butter sans rolls, so now that I found such great biscuits, it is high time to bring out the Yummy Butter!

BBQ Cowboy Beans

Recipe is adapted from $5 dinners

(This is a GREAT blog. For anyone who likes to cook things that are budget friendly whenever possible (who doesn't!?), this is worth checking out. There are some meals listed as gluten free; however, others (like this one) are pretty easily converted. Other allergen-friendly meals are available as well.)

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 lb. lean ground beef

- 1/2 onion, chopped

- Lawry's salt (or other seasoned salt, or just omit if you don't want the extra sodium)

- 2 garlic cloves, crushed (I use 1 tsp. minced garlic)

- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

- 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

- 1 c. BBQ sauce (Sam and I are faithful fans of Head Country BBQ sauce. It is labeled GF and all versions are incredibly tasty)

- 1 (15 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes

- a few shakes of Worchestershire sauce (check to confirm yours is GF! I use French's)

- 1 TBL sugar (brown or white - just to cut the tang a bit if you want to)

ADDITIONS:

- 1/2 bag frozen corn - cook as directed (I cooked a couple of ears of fresh corn. You can just throw this last ingredient in right before you serve or use it as a side dish - your choice! Our thoughts: "why have to return the fork to the plate and back to your mouth TWICE when you can just do it once!?") *GRIN*

- DROP BISCUITS (these MAKE the meal)

DIRECTIONS:

- Brown beef with onion, garlic, and seasoned salt (to taste)

- Add beans, BBQ sauce, and tomatoes, sugar, and Worchestershire sauce

- Let simmer (the original recipe calls for only 10 minutes; however, I am a firm believer in the fact that meals such as this (chili, etc.) are better the longer they cook. I let mine simmer on low for almost an hour; however, you just do your thang! To be honest, the only reason I was able to make it that long without eating was because I was busy baking biscuits.)

I served this with some shredded cheese and then we had at it. We've got plenty left for "re-dos" (as leftovers are called in my family), and that is always the best part. I'll be making this meal again soon.

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!

A+ Lasagna

Confession #1: The only reason I am on here blogging is that there is no room left in my stomach. If there were, I would be downing another helping of this lasagna. I only wish I could tell you I'm lying. I'm not.

Confession #2: We'll call this A+ Lasagna because it is a mixture of ingredients my mother (Andrea) suggested and my own (Amy). Clever...I know. *GRIN*

Confession #3: The measurements for all of the seasonings are what I like to call a guesstimate. I tend to just add to taste or until I like the "feel" of it rather than actually measuring. I think I am close...so make it yours!

INGREDIENTS:

- 8-10 rice lasagna noodles (whatever kind you find that is GF is just fine. I used DeBoles rice lasagna. Please don't forget to double check the package you buy, but for the rice lasagna, you do not boil prior to putting the noodles in the casserole as you would with normal lasagna).

- 1 lb. lean ground turkey (you could use beef, sausage, or whatever you want)

- 1/2 cup chopped onion

- 2 TBL Italian Seasoning, divided (I use McCormick's Salt Free Italian Seasoning)

- 1 tsp course-ground black pepper

- 1 tsp minced garlic (two cloves)

- 16 oz. mozzarella cheese (Yes..it sounds like a lot. That's because it is a lot. I am not a fan of ricotta cheese that you normally find in lasagna, so I just incorporate more mozzarella. Well, that...and I like cheese. I used slices for the bottom layer and then shredded the rest.)

- 1 jar of spaghetti sauce (24 oz) (I used Classico Carmelized Onion and Garlic. Classico sauces are labeled as GF so that is always a plus!)

- 1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce

- scant TBL of sugar

- dash of garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- Brown ground meat with onion, 1 TBL Italian Seasoning, 1 tsp black pepper, and minced garlic.

- While the meat is cooking, combine the spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, 1 TBL Italian Seasoning, scant TBL sugar, and a dash of garlic salt in a pot and heat

- Once meat is cooked, add the meat to the sauce mix

- Remove from heat.

- In a 9x13 baking dish, layer as follows:

- 1/3 meat sauce, noodles, cheese

- REPEAT until ingredients are gone, finishing with cheese on top

- Try to make sure that all areas of exposed noodles are covered with sauce

- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 50 minutes

- Uncover and finish baking for 10 minutes

*NOTE: when you cover the dish with foil, either cover so the foil will not touch the cheese or spray the foil with cooking spray before covering. We don't want to waste cheese by letting it stick to the foil!

Confession # whatever:

I am going to eat more.

And I am DEFINITELY making this again.

Girl Scout(ish) cookies (Homemade Samoas)

I only wish I had the words. These are now my #1 favorite cookie. Hands down. That's it. Call the game, folks. It's over.

I was ALWAYS head-over-heels for Samoas, and I will admit a part of me may have died when I found out I could no longer eat them (or it died during Girl Scout Cookie Season, at least). What better way to make lemonade outta lemons that to make your very own Girl Scout(ish) cookies that are WAAAAAAAAAY better? (No offense meant to anyone). I am a fool for caramel and a sucker for white chocolate. What do you get when you add those together and stick them atop a yummy shortbread cookie?? A sucker of a fool. A fool of a sucker. Either way - I'm in!

And I know...another sugary thing?? Well...when your husband returns from a month away of in-the-field training, it never hurts to have something super yummy to share when he gets home!

So, as I mentioned, this is my version:

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 bag of Schar Shortbread Cookies (approx. 30 cookies)

(I had to use two bags because I bought mine on clearance, and well...they were a lil mushed. However, I believe this was THE BEST clearance buy I have ever made. These shortbread cookies are a phenomenal way to make the base for your cookie, and they really are great by themselves. The next time I make these, I will probably try using Kinnikinnick S'moreables Graham Style Crackers for a different taste. There are other gluten-free shortbread cookie recipes you can try, but, in my experience, none come out crunchy. I am typically a staunch soft-cookie supporter, but for these lil babies, crunchy does the trick.)

Topping:

- 3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

- 12 oz. chewy caramels (make sure they're gluten free! Sometimes these are processed on the same equipment as other candies that contain wheat. If so, make the decision YOU feel comfortable with).

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 3 TBL. milk

- 8 oz. white chocolate bark (you can use milk, dark, or white - whatever you want! You could use chips, but I prefer to use the baking chocolate/bark - it works the best for me)

DIRECTIONS:

- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

- Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and toast for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent any of the coconut from getting a sunburn! (NOTE: a baking sheet with sides is super handy here. If you stir the coconut without sides, it has a tendency to "run amuck." Can't have that.)

- While the coconut is toasting, unwrap the caramels (and try to refrain from eating too many of them. Or...just buy 14 oz. (which is what happened when I bought two 7 oz. bags) and properly dispose of the "extras")

- Put caramels, salt, and milk in a microwave safe bowl and melt on high for 3-4 minutes (stirring occassionally).

- When the caramel mixture is smooth, mix in the toasted coconut.

- Lay cookies out on wax paper.

- Top each cookie with 2-3 tsp (one spoonful in my terms) - BE CAREFUL! The mixture is H-O-T

- While the topping cools on the cookies, melt the white chocolate in a small bowl (I melted 3 squares of white chocolate bark. To prevent scorching, only heat the chocolate for 35-45 seconds at a time, stirring in between heating).

- Dip the base of each cookie in the chocolate.

- Place the cookies back on the wax paper.

- Using a spoon (or a ziploc bag with the corner cut out or a piping bag) drizzle remaining chocolate over the cookies.

- Let the cookies completely cool and the chocolate set and then dive in!

I think I might have already mentioned this, but these cookies are S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R in my book. For me, the white chocolate really tops it off. These store well in an airtight container in the fridge. I used to always like putting the Samoas in the fridge and eating them cold, so I don't mind! Beware, though: these can be a little hard to chew when first out of the fridge. I will absolutely be making these again, and again, and again. For those of you related to me: you WILL be eating these at the next family gathering :-D

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!