Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies: Just remember 1

1 cup peanut butter (I prefer Jif)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped peanuts

Mx the first five ingredients well, then add chopped peanuts.  Taking rounded tablespoons of dough, roll into balls.    Roll balls in sugar or just sprinkle on top.   Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass.   Bake on parchment paper, in a 350 degree oven, for about 15 minutes.    IMPORTANT:  allow these to cool a few minutes before you remove them to wire racks to cool completely. 

If desired, press a Hershey's kiss, (or a dark chocolate drop) into the cookie IMMEDIATELY after removing from oven!

Spinach Artichoke Dip


Spinach and  Artichoke Dip

1 stick butter
1 large onion, chopped  (or grab a 10-16 oz bagged of frozen chopped onion)
20 oz. bag spinach, thawed, drained
1 can artichoke hearts, drained chopped  (or 1 bag frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped)
8 oz. cream cheese
2 C shredded hard cheese (perhaps half cheddar, half parmesan - though jack, asiago, dubliner, romano all work well - a good recipe to use up the cheese drawer!)
2 T tabasco

melt butter in saucepan, sautee onion until soft. Add spinach, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese, tabasco. Stir until blended and heated through. Pour into casserole dish, sprinkle w/ remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 350 about 10 minutes until cheese starts to brown.

Serve w: toast rounds, celery, tortilla chips, or crackers

Gluten Free Almond Cookies

2 cups cornstarch
½ C almond flour
1 cup sugar
2 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (that equals 12 Tbps)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 375° F. Sift cornstarch, sugar and salt together, mix the egg and blend in the butter. Knead well. Let stand ten to fifteen minutes.   Shape into balls in the palm of your hand and drop them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.   Bake for approximately 12 minutes.    Be very gentle with them when you remove to a cooling rack - the lack of gluten seems to make them prone to crumbling.  

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

IAQ: infrequently asked questions: slow roasted pork loin


IAQ instead of FAQ

Ever wondered if you could slow roast a pork loin, say while you were gone to church Sunday Morning?    I did and couldn't find a good answer, so I tried it on a day I was home to watch the oven thermometer.  

Result:  at 225 it works well.   It turned out very well for my newest offspring's baptism lunch.

I browned the top (fatty side) of the ten pound loin ( cut in two pieces to fit in my pan) over high heat on the stove.   Turn off the heat, flip the pork (so fat side is now up, which will make it all juicy!), season*, then place in a cold oven and turn oven to 225.   From this point anywhere from 3-4 hours would have been on that sweet spot of a medium pork roast (144 at 3 hours, 150 at 4).

* seasoning:  mix and match -  garlic, onion soup mix, generous salt, pepper, thyme, finely chopped onion, lemon or lime juice, Apple cider vinegar, rosemary ...


Monday, October 22, 2012

Maple candied pecans


2 cups pecans
2 T butter, melted
2 T maple syrup
2 t brown sugar
2 dashes chipotle, cayenne or paprika powder
2 drops hot sauce

Mix, spread on pan, sprinkle with kosher or sea salt.   Bake at 375 for 15-20 min.

Now what should you do with your cooled nuts?   Store them in an airtight container.  
Wrap them in a pretty jar for a gift.   Sprinkle on a salad with blue cheese and figs.   Sprinkle on vanilla ice cream.   Or my favorite - just eat them :)



Sunday, October 14, 2012

Butter pecan icebox cookies


I've been playing around trying to develop a non chocolate go-to cookie, and I think these are a winner.  

1 stick butter, softened
1 C brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1.75 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar, mix in egg and vanilla.   Mix in dry ingredients, then pecans.  Roll into one thick (about 4 inch) roll in wax or parchment paper and refrigerate a few hours or a few days.

Slice in 1 inch slices, then cut the round in quarters.  Bake on ungreased cookie pan at 375 for about 15 minutes.  




Sunday, October 7, 2012

Easiest pancakes


1 c self rising flour
1 c kefir (or whole milk yogurt with a little milk or buttermilk or 1/2 ricotta, 1/2 milk ...)
1 egg
Seasoning (vanilla or almond extract and / or cinnamon or nutmeg it pumpkin pie seasoning)
Optional:  Choc chips or chopped nuts or blueberries

That's it!  Measurements don't have to be precise.  You know how to make pancakes, right?  .. hot buttered griddle,  flip when bubbles get dry around edges ...

I layer mine with Greek yogurt and top with fruit and real maple syrup.