Flourless Chocolate Cake

This recipe was in the Parade magazine insert of the Sunday paper a few weeks ago and is from Ingrid Michaelson. I ripped it out thinking it would perfect for our Valentine's dinner dessert and my grandma saved it for me too since it was gluten-free. Although my cake didn't turn out very pretty (and we tried our best to follow the recipe...maybe I didn't beat the egg whites enough?!), it was DELICIOUS!!! It was better than any gluten filled brownie I've tried (shhh, don't tell). And I plan on perfecting this baby by making it again and again! We had it with this equally tasty strawberry ice cream to be a little more festive.

Ingredients:
7 oz really good (45-50% cocoa) semisweet chocolate
3/4 c butter
1 c sugar, divided
4 eggs, separated

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter in a double broiler. Stir together half the sugar and four yolks; add to melted chocolate concoction.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites; slowly add remaining 1/2 c sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold mixture into chocolate. Pour into a greased 9-inch cake pan.
3. Bake 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Cool 30 minutes before removing from pan. Dust with powdered sugar.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir Fry

This SUPER yummy stir fry recipe is from Kill the Gluten. (I wish they were still posting recipes on their blog, but I still have quite a few left to try.) Even Mike raved about the great flavor of this stir fry and I loved it so much I never got tired of the leftovers, eating it for a couple days after. This is a definite new favorite!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, sliced thin
2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips (our store was out, so I used an orange one)
2 large carrots, sliced thin on the diagonal
1/2 lb snow peas
handful of cashew halves
Sauce:
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Hot cooked rice (I made basmati rice)

Directions:
Mix all sauce ingredients with a whisk. Set aside.
Heat 1 Tbsp sesame oil in large skillet over high heat, being careful not to let burn. Add chicken, ginger, and garlic. Saute for a few minutes until the chicken is no longer pink. Add onion, peppers, and carrots, sauteing for another minute or two. When vegetables are crisp-tender, add snow peas, cashews and sauce. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes. Serve hot over rice.

My Favorite Roasted Asparagus

After discovering recently how much I love asparagus I began trying out different ways to prepare it. One of those used soy sauce and I really loved the salty, tangy flavor it added. Now whenever I make it to go with a dinner (which is pretty much anytime it goes on sale...and hooray it's coming into season now!), this is what I do...

*Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
*Take one bunch of asparagus and lay them out on a foil lined baking sheet.
*Drizzle with olive oil and soy sauce (approx 1-2 T of each depending on the amount of asparagus).
*Sprinkle generously with freshly ground pepper and sparingly with kosher salt.
*Roast in oven for 7 minutes, stir them around a little bit and then bake 3 more minutes.

Seriously SOOOO good! I could eat the whole pan by myself, I LOVE it!

Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake

I am behind on posting my recipes, but I did want to be sure to get this one up because it would be a yummy Valentine's dessert. My mom got the recipe from one of her good friends and made it for my sister's birthday dinner last week. It was SOOOO good (my favorite bites had the melty chocolate chips inside!), especially served warm with ice cream on the side!

Ingredients:
1 chocolate cake mix (with pudding in the mix!)
1 large box chocolate pudding
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c warm water
4 eggs
1 c sour cream
1 12oz package chocolate chips

Directions:
Grease and flour a 12 cup bunt pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine cake mix and pudding mix. Blend in oil, water, eggs, sour cream.
Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into pan.
Bake 45 min-1 hour.
Cool 10 min, then slide knife around edges of pan and invert.
Cool completely and glaze.

Glaze:
Melt 1/3 c margarine and stir in 2 cups powdered sugar. Blend in 1/2 t. vanilla.
*my mom's friend sometimes just heats up a tub of frosting from the store and pours over the top instead.

(Valentine) Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

I saw these in All You magazine and they were too cute to resist! In the magazine they were circles, but we used a small heart cookie cutter to make them even more festive. My dough was pretty crumbly, but they turned out still thank goodness and got rave reviews from everyone who tried them!

Ingredients
* COOKIES:
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 15 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
* FILLING:
* 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
* Pinch of salt
* 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
* Red food coloring

Directiones:
1. Make cookies: Arrange racks on bottom and top thirds of oven; preheat to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment. In a bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually add butter; slowly increase mixer speed to medium. Mixture will look crumbly at first, but continue mixing for about 8 minutes and it will come together in large clumps.(mine never came together in large clumps so I dumped it on the counter and smooshed it all together...it worked)
2. Transfer dough to a well-floured work surface and knead briefly, then press into a small rectangle. Cut dough in half. Working with one piece at a time, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 1 1/2-inch round cutter, cut circles. Gather up scraps, reroll and cut as many cookies as possible. Transfer them to baking sheets.
3. Bake cookies for 6 minutes, then rotate pans (top to bottom and front to back) and bake 6 minutes longer. Remove baking sheets from oven and place on wire racks for a few minutes to cool before transferring cookies to racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
4. Make filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add salt and confectioners' sugar.(I added a little bit of milk to help it cream together) Add food coloring, drop by drop, until filling takes on desired pink hue. Transfer filling to a pastry bag. Pipe filling onto half the cookies, then sandwich them together with remaining cookies.

Cinnamon and Orange Butterflake Rolls

I'll be back on track next week with my cooking and menu planning, but this week I just needed a break :-)! Here are some yummy treats in the mean time though.

Dough:
Mix...
4 c bread flour
2/3 c sugar
4 T yeast
1 1/3 c powdered milk
Add...
4 c hot water
2 eggs, beaten
Then let sit 10 minutes.
Add...
5 t salt
2/3 c oil
6-8 c bread flour
Mix 8-9 minutes on high.
Raise 45 minutes. Roll out dough in a rectangle. Spread melted butter on dough.

Cinnamon Mixture (enough to cover 1/2 the dough recipe above):
Combine...
1/2 c brown sugar
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 c raisins (optional)
1/4 c chopped nuts (optional)
Spread on dough. Roll dough up and cut into individual cinnamon rolls (use thread or dental floss, slip under the roll, pull up at sides, cross and pull down to make nice clean cuts). Place on cookie sheet. Let raise 30 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until light brown. Top with glaze or caramel frosting (recipes below).
Glaze:
2 c powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla
4 T milk
Stir together. Put glaze on cinnamon rolls while hot.
Caramel Frosting:
1/4 c butter
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c milk
1/2 t vanilla
4 c powdered sugar
On low heat melt butter, add brown sugar. Boil 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add milk and bring to a boil. Cool to luke warm. Using a mixer, add powdered sugar (enough for consistency of frosting) and vanilla. Frost cinnamon rolls when cooled.

Orange Butterflake Mixture (enough to cover 1/2 dough recipe above):
Mix:
4 T melted butter
1 c sugar
4 T grated orange peel
Spread on dough. Roll dough up and cut into individual cinnamon rolls (use thread or dental floss, slip under the roll, pull up at sides, cross and pull down to make nice clean cuts). Place on cookie sheet. Let raise 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees 13-15 minutes or until light brown. Top with glaze (recipe below).
Glaze:
2 c powdered sugar
4 T orange juice
Stir together. Put glaze on orange rolls while hot.

Low Calorie Hummus

I LOVE hummus but was sad when I looked at the fat and calorie content on my favorite kind recently and discovered it wasn't quite as healthy as I thought :-). I've been wanting to try making my own for awhile now but it seems like the recipes I would find called for tahini and I could never remember to buy it. Then I saw this version on Fit Family Meals and couldn't pass it up. It was super easy, tasted great and is totally good for you...Hooray!!!

Ingredients:
15-oz. can garbanzo beans drained, liquid reserved (I didn't need any extra liquid)
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
(I also added some onion powder)

Directions:
Combine garbanzo beans, garlic, cumin and salt in a food processor. Blend on low speed, gradually adding reserved garbanzo bean liquid, until desired consistency is achieved. Servings 6 (3 TBS). 76 calories each

Hawaiin Chicken Bowl

This recipe is from Kill the Gluten and I decided to try it because it looked good most importantly, I love broccoli and it used a crock pot. It was really good, pretty healthy and the ranch was a fun addition I wouldn't have thought of on my own. They mentioned that they have made it with pork too and that it was just as tasty.

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 3)
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple (I used lite)
1 bottle (16 oz) [gf] barbecue sauce (I used lite)
4-6 cups rice, cooked (I used 1/2 white and 1/2 brown)
Steamed broccoli
Ranch dressing

Directions:
Place meat in 3 1/2-5 quart slow cooker. Combine pineapple and barbecue sauce and pour over meat. Cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Layer in bowls: rice, chicken, broccoli, and a little ranch dressing. Makes 4-6 servings.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Pioneer Woman Style)

Another tortilla soup recipe?! Yep :-)! I think I need a separate category devoted to tortilla soup. When I saw this on The Pioneer Woman's site recently I knew I would have to try it. Was it good? Super good. Was it worth all the work to make it? Not in my opinion. Although the soup was tasty, I have had equally tasty tortilla soups that are a lot less time consuming to prepare, so I may add some elements from this one (like the bell peppers) to some of my other favorites but I don't know that I'll actually make this exact one again.
(Some of faves...My recipe, Tortilla Soup, Sopa Azteca, and Mexican Chicken Lime Soup)
(In this soup's defense, it does make a lot!)

Ingredients
* 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
* 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
* 1-½ teaspoon Cumin
* 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
* ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
* ½ teaspoons Salt
* 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
* 1 cup Diced Onion
* ¼ cups Diced Green Bell Pepper
* ¼ cups Red Bell Pepper
* 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
* 1 can Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
* 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
* 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
* 4 cups Hot Water
* 2 cans Black Beans, Drained
* 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
* 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
* Garnishes:
* Sour Cream
* Diced Avocado
* Diced Red Onion
* Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
* Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
* Cilantro

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

Lemon Artichoke Risotto

This is yet another Rachael Ray magazine recipe, and I think the last one I saved from her most recent issue. This was also my favorite of the ones I tried! It was SOOO delicious! I was glad it made enough for a couple days worth of leftovers for lunch because I looked forward to it every time. Even my kiddos ate most of theirs which shocked me...and made me happy :-)! The nuts give the meal enough substance that I don't even think you miss the meat.

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth
4 T butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1 1/4 c drained chopped canned artichoke hearts (1 can)
grated peel of 1 lemon plus 2 t lemon juice (I used 2 1/2 t juice and no peel)
salt and pepper
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 c chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/3 c walnuts, toasted and chopped (I thought I had some but didn't so I used pecans instead and they were delish!)

Directions:
-In saucepan, bring the broth and 4 c water to boil, cover and keep at a simmer.
-In large saucepan, melt 2 T butter over med heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
-Stir in 1 cup of broth mixture, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed, 2-3 minutes. Maintaining a low simmer, continue to add the broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and allowing the rice to absorb the liquid. Cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
-In the last 3 minutes of coking, add the artichoke hearts, lemon peel, lemon juice and the remaining 2 T butter; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese, parsley and nuts.

Roasted Root Vegetables

This is another Rachael Ray recipe and was a great introduction to some new vegetables for me. I had never tried turnips or fennel and still haven't tried parsnips because I didn't find them at the grocery store I was at. I was a little nervous about the fennel, but ended up loving it, and didn't love the turnips...the potatoes I added were definitely better. I cut this recipe in half for our family.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. small turnips, peeled and halved
2 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 2-in pieces
1 lb. parsnips, peeled and cut diagonally into 2-in pieces
2 8oz heads fennel, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/2-in wedges (after doing a little research online, I only used the bulb part and threw in some of the leafy tops too)
(I added 3 red potatoes cut in cubes)
3 T EVOO
salt and pepper
4 T butter
2 T chopped fresh sage

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-In large bowl, toss the turnips, carrots, parsnips and fennel with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
-Divide the vegetables between 2 rimmed baking sheets. (or use 1 if you half it like me). Roast, turning occasionally, until tender, about 1 hour; transfer to a large bowl. (I turned mine every 20 minutes)
-Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook the butter over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, about 5 minutes; stir in the sage and season with salt and pepper. Add to the vegetables and toss to coat.

Lazy Baked Greek Chicken

This a recipe from Rachael Ray and it turned out super, super yummy. I put a little less stuffing in my kids' chicken because I wasn't sure how they would like the feta and spinach, but they ate it all, so next time I'll just make it like ours. It's always fun to serve a chicken dish that looks so fancy too :-).

Ingredients:
2 T EVOO
1/2 medium onion, finely shopped
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed (I used fresh spinach and wilted in the microwave in a bowl with a little water...just drain it well after)
salt and pepper
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste (didn't have, so didn't use)
3 T butter
1 c panko breadcrumbs
1 t dried oregano
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese (mine was a garlic and herb kind)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
-Heat 1 T EVOO in small skillet over med heat. Add the onion and 2/3 of the garlic and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes.
-Transfer to a bowl to cool, then add the spinach and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
-Melt the butter in the same pan, turn off the heat and add the panko, oregano and remaining garlic; toss.
-Drizzle baking dish with remaining 1 T EVOO. Split each chicken breast across (but not all the way through) and open like a book. Stuff with the spinach and feta, letting the stuffing overflow at the edges.
-Place chicken pieces in the baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs. Bake until the juices run clear, about 20 minutes.

Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas

This is another recipe I saw in All You magazine and wanted to try. I am definitely a snacker, so when I am trying to be healthy it is key for me to have healthy snacks available or I will go for my trusty chips (oh, how I love chips!). These little guys were easy to make and crunchy and flavorful. I'm hoping the leftovers taste good too because even Addie loved them and they'd be great to have on hand!

Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 1 teaspoon allspice (I didn't have so left out)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* I added 1/2-3/4 t chili powder
* 2 15 1/2-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed, drained, thoroughly patted dry


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, salt and pepper. Add chickpeas and toss to coat thoroughly. Turn chickpeas out onto baking sheet and roast, stirring or shaking baking sheet often, until chickpeas are browned and crunchy, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool before serving, stirring occasionally.

Italian Sausage and Potato Roast

This recipe was in a recent issue of All You magazine and it looked easy and yummy and not too bad for...especially when you use turkey sausage instead like we did. I love roasted EVERYTHING :-) and this hit the spot!

Ingredients:
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1/2 sweet onion, sliced
3/4 lb. red potatoes, cut in quarters
1 T olive oil
1/4 t dried oregano
1 t garlic salt
pepper
1 lb. Italian sausage cut into chunks (I used a 14 oz turkey sausage)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, toss peppers, onion and potatoes with olive oil, oregano, garlic salt and pepper. Spread vegetables on baking sheet.
Distribute sausage chunks among vegetables. Roast until veggies begin to caramelize and sausages are cooked through, about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice during baking.

Gluten-Free Chicken Noodle Soup

 

(there is more broth than this, but it's hard to get a picture of all the yummy stuff when it is covered by broth)
I adapted this recipe is from a site I used to visit often but sadly isn't posting new recipes, Kill the Gluten. You can use whatever noodles you like and you could mix it up with any variety of vegetables as well. Leaving the noodles separate has helped make the leftovers stay delcious...and having the leftovers in the fridge has been an easy and healthy lunch to go to. Aaand my kids ate up every bite in their bowls!

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts

6 cups water

6 GF chicken bullion cubes

8 oz. GF noodles (I use penne for pretty much everything because our Walmart has them for cheap)

2 t. minced garlic

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 large carrots, chopped

2 zucchini, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 c. parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

Boil chicken with water and bouillon. When chicken is mostly cooked, add all the vegetables and bring to a boil. I added vegetables as I chopped them and did them in order of those that needed more time to cook (garlic/onions, carrots, zucchini and then tomatoes). While this pot was cooking I cooked my noodles in a separate pot (gluten-free noodles fall apart easily, so it may not be necessary to do this with regular ones) When it was time to serve the soup I added noodles to each bowl. I have been storing them separately in different dishes in the fridge and it has worked perfectly!