This is a simple and delicious recipe I created the other day with what I had on hand (hence the array of flours used). They don’t rise as much as typical scones I have baked in the past, but they are very moist and have a terrific flavor.
Monthly Archives: April 2010
Chocolate Twirly Doodle Cookies (GF)
The name says it all.
Okay, maybe not. But they are chocolatey, and twirly… and “doodle” just sounded nice with the rest. And, seriously, what kind of cookie with a “doodle” at the end doesn’t taste good?
These cookies are my first experiment using sorghum flour, and I must say, I am pretty impressed. It seemed to work a lot like buckwheat, but was a touch lighter in color and in taste.
With this new promising flour, I decided to try my hand at some rolled cookies. And, when it worked out almost effortlessly, I decided to roll them again… with a little chocolate sugar inside.
The results were even better than I expected, with a taste, texture and (a word that has been abuzz lately, and I [childishly] find pretty funny) “mouthfeel” like typical AP flour cookies.
They are soft and flavorful with a hint of almond flavor, and they definitely give me the confidence to try out new and exciting ways to manipulate GF dough.
For all of you readers who still like your baked goods glutinous, I would assume you could sub out AP or whole wheat flour where I used the different flours/xanthan combo. I say this because I used my favorite sugar cookie recipe as a starting point. You may need to add a smidgen more flour to make it stiff and rollable… but I think it should work out okay. :)
Dandelion Fritters
Happy Earth Day!
To celebrate, I’m going to continue my “backyard foraging” kick, with a recipe for the under-appreciated dandelion. Eaten plain, dandelions are sustainable, “easy” to grow, and very very good for you. You can eat the root, the greens, or in this case- the flower. They are certainly more nutritious when eaten raw… but when they are eaten battered and fried, they are simply delicious.
I am not sure how to describe the taste, other than possibly comparing these particular fritters to vegetable pakora, with a cornmeal twist.
If you haven’t yet delighted in eating what your neighbors probably loathe- now is the time. While you’re at it, go ahead and don a dandelion crown. People will know you mean business.
These things are so fun to harvest, batter and fry, you’ll be foraging in your (or someone else’s) front yard every time you get a hankering for a fried treat. See ya later tater tots.
White Pasta with Fiddleheads
Guess what?
I made a culinary discovery in my very own backyard!
Let me preface this by saying that we had just moved into a new place in December, and we weren’t sure what to expect from our new patch of land. Since spring first sprung, we have been delightfully watching new baby plants pop up everywhere. And, about two or three weeks ago, we noticed that we had tiny fern babies sprouting up all over the place. While I immediately admired them for their curly adorableness, I never once thought to eat them. What kind of food blogger am I? Shameful…
But yesterday, for some reason, I had an epiphany: those little curly baby ferns sure did look a lot like the one’s on Vegan Yum Yum’s site last year about this time- and they also look very similar to the one’s we saw at Whole Foods last weekend. Hmmm….
A quick Google search (not recommended unless you are totally familiar with wild edibles and/or have a reliable guide) told me that my backyard was full of exactly those gourmet treats: a delicacy referred to as Fiddlehead Ferns. Cool!
It also told me that we were just catching the very end of Fiddlehead season. Damn.
Fiddleheads are the teeny fronds of young ferns before they have unfurled. There are a few varieties, but in our case, we have Ostrich Ferns. They are best enjoyed when just two inches tall. I recommend reading Ms. Yum Yum’s very well written explanation if you are curious about them. Our fern sprouts were a tad bigger than desired, although there were still a few stragglers scattered about. Score!
Despite our late harvest this year, I am excited to know that come this time next year… we will have Fiddleheads a plenty.
Depending on where you live, you may still be able to catch some Fiddleheads in your neck of the woods (literally) or at your local Whole Foods or similar store. If not, top this creamy pasta with your favorite sauteed veggie and get prepared for next year’s forage!
And, if you do decide to go out and hunt for your own Fiddleheads, use common sense and some caution… there are definitely some not so yummy look-a-likes out there. Just warning you…
Tangy and Tasty Red Potatoes
This side-dish is somewhere in between a baked potato and creamy American style potato salad. It’s perfect to whip up if you are craving something not so healthy, but oh so delicious.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy a baked (or microwaved) potato is with a little mustard and a dollop of Vegenaise. The combo of those two condiments and a starchy potato is my idea of comfort food Heaven.
These potatoes are kinda like that, just a touch more refined. Although, no baking is required- just some boiling and frying.
Lasagna with Creamy Red Wine Sauce
So, this may not be the most glamorous food I have posted, but let me start with a word in it’s defense. This stuff is freaking incredible. I mean it. Sure, the sauce isn’t a brilliant bright red since it uses avocados and red wine (kinda pinkish orange), but once you taste it, you simply will not care how it looks. I promise.
Cinnamon Brownie Cookies ~ Gluten Free
These cookies are a fabulous way to enjoy the combination of cinnamon and chocolate. I called them “brownie” cookies because of their awesome texture: crispy on the outside and nice and chewy in the middle. To me, they taste just like little cinnamon brownie bites.
Yum.
They also make your kitchen smell heavenly while they are baking.
Apricot Risotto & My Frigidaire Flair Oven
The apricots in this risotto turn from sweet to elegantly savory with the slow addition of vegetable broth. The whole process of making risotto is pretty repetitive (add liquid, stir, add liquid, stir) so I have included some exciting photos of my newly acquired Frigidaire Flair Oven, c. 1960. ( I know, shameless bragging)
We found it desperately needing a new home on Craigslist, and just couldn’t resist the urge to drive almost two hours and pick it up (during a crazy wind/rain storm). Luckily, since it weighed 325 pounds, we were told that we could just open up the patio door and wheel the oven out through the backyard. We would also avoid a bunch of stairs this way… thank goodness.
The backyard was nice and flat. It was also atop the steepest hill in Ohio, and we needed to get it into the truck that was parked all the way at the bottom. That was a lot of fun. But, after we heaved it into my hubby’s old truck and strapped it down, we were home free.
Although, once we got it home, my husband had to install a 220 volt outlet where our gas range once stood. That took about three days. And, apparently the attic in our house is a pretty horrible place to be crawling around.
This was all completely my idea. I was smitten, what can I say?
The oven is an absolute dream come true, and I can’t wait to give her a proper coat of pale cerulean blue paint… which would coordinate well with practically everything in my life.
Swoon…
Okay, back to the risotto:
Fruity Kale Salad with Coconut Lime Dressing
I know this is the second time (in a very short while) that I have posted a kale salad. But here’s the deal, I love kale. It is one of the few things I look forward to every single day. I seriously believe I could survive off of raw kale and red wine for the rest of my life. Add avocados and dark chocolate, and I know I could survive and be very very happy.
Anyways, since I eat raw kale salads all of the time, occasionally I find myself doing new and exciting things with them… like adding bananas and strawberries. And occasionally it turns out to be an absolutely terrific idea. This is one of those times.
I know the combo of everything sounds a little weird, but trust me- it’s terribly delicious. It is much closer to a fruit salad than a traditional salad, but adding kale makes it the best of both worlds.
If you try it out, let me know what you think. I know I will be adding kale to all of my fruit salads from now on. Yum!
And for those of you who celebrate, have a very Happy Easter!!!
P B & J Parfait
One of my favorite flavor combinations ever is peanut butter and jelly. Since gluten is off limits for me, it is difficult to satiate my craving with a simple sandwich. So, I have resorted to eating pb&j straight from a giant spoon every now and again.
Okay, I do it a lot.
The inspiration for this parfait is obvious. Getting my peanut butter and jelly fix this way assures no odd looks from my husband, and it’s a bit less barbaric. Perhaps even fancy.