Samoa Pi ...

Every year around this time I see those Girl Scouts selling cookies and die a little inside. HONESTLY! So this year, prompted by the "Day of Pi", I decided to do what any glutard on a mission would do and bake a Girl Scout Samoa Pi. It's easy, simple and crazy good... Just remember to leave yourself enough time to let cool- 4- 24 hours (yes, you read that right)

Crust:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
(mix the above well)
add:
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose GF flour
-  1/4 teaspoon salt

Cook at 350 for 10 minutes in a 9 inch pie dish. It will looked uncooked when you take it out- that's ok, it's going back in!

Filling:
layer in order:
- 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup salted caramel sauce

Cook for 25 minutes

Top with 1 cup melted semi sweet chocolate chips drizzled :)
Let sit for at least 4 hours, up to 24 hours, so that pie can fully set.

CHEX IT OUT!

General Mills gets it right again!!! First Chex Cereal, then Chex Oatmeal and now Chex Granola Mix! Certainly a fan, I saw this in my local target and purchased it (along with some other new GF items... wait for it!!!!). After I tore into the bag, I knew immediately I must update the blog! Could they have really made a granola that was "healthy" without tasting "plastic" or "healthy"! This certainly curbs any sweet tooth, but satisfies the healthier snack option that I long for! With two options: honey nut and mixed berry, I have found my granola match! 

Peter's Market, Gluten Free Baked Goods!

Peter's Market in Weston CT is serving up Gluten Free baked goods... and we have to hand it to them- they are pretty delicious! We snagged a bite, before we captured this picture just to make sure! So next time you are visiting your local grocery, check to see what they are serving up! Peter's is well known for their outstanding Gluten Free selection and their ease of Gluten Free area's makes sending a loved one a little bit easier too! 

Cheerios... GLUTEN FREE!!!!

It looks like as of July, Cheerios will becoming a Gluten Free household item. Following in the steps of Chex, they will be remastering their ingredients and launching this cereal item. I for one am SUPER excited about this!!! I can not wait to get my hands on some honey nut! That being said, part of the reason that I love Chex Cereal so much is that all their specialty ones have the flavor profile of cereals we "used to know" and love so much. Do you think that it will take away some of the hype of Chex?!?! Either way, Is it July yet?!?!

Find out the Scoop on Celiac.com!

Keste... a night out, NYC

Keste has just expanded on their gluten free options! Any night in NYC is better with Keste! Their pizza is cooked in a separate brick oven and is simply THE BEST PIZZA! Miss the doughy crust, the flavor of a real pizza pie?!? This is where to find Italian perfection. If you are sharing, this pizza is not to disappoint your other half, but tell them to order their own- you deserve it! 

Check out the "newly updated" gluten free menu here: 

http://www.kestepizzeria.com/menu

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

While some of you layout your outfit for the following day, I lay out my ingredients! 

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups GLUTEN FREE (we use trader joes ) OATS

6 ounces chocolate chips

1/2 cup golden or regular raisins

1/2 cup walnuts (optional) 

Preheat your oven to 350*. In your Kitchen Aid mixer, or large bowl, combine the butter, peanut butter and sugars, beating until they are creamy. Add in your egg, baking soda, vanilla and cinnamon. Whip for 3 minutes. Fold in your raisins, oats, chocolate chips and walnuts. On a lightly greased sheet pan drop with a heaping teaspoon about 2 inches apart- they expand! Bake for about 12 minutes. Because of the gooyness, be careful when lifting from the sheet pan. If they start to fall apart just push back together to cool

It's been two years...

While I thought this was "old news" - gluten free blogging- I am constantly being asked about my blog. Why am I not still writing posts? Can they still have the link so they can get old posts.. So I thought to myself, the whole reason I did this was to help people. So, even if it is for just one person, I am back!!!!

Look for new recipes, new restaurants that are doing the most FANTASTIC things! New caterers, new fun parties and most of all NEW GLUTEN FREE items found locally at a store near you...

SO, I welcome my self back and say hello to people who might be new to this blog! I promise you stellar updates and fantastic new finds!

XO Lauren

Perfect Turkey

It's Christmas time and we always cook a Turkey! After many a discussion at and around Thanksgiving, my mom finally gave my "cooking the turkey" a try- I was told it was perfect... so why not pass it on... here you go, enjoy :) and most of all MERRY CHRISTMAS

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving


Most if the turkeys are less!!!! Check w thermometer after an hr and every 1/2 after that!! ;)

Buffalo Chicken and Potatoes

Such a crowd pleaser- and filling too! 

In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder & paprika.

Add the potatoes and stir to coat.

Add the potatoes to a greased baking dish.

 When scooping the potatoes into the baking dish, leave behind any extra olive oil/hot sauce mix.

Add the diced chicken to the “left behind” olive oil/hot sauce mix and stir to coat all the chicken.  Allow to marinate as the potatoes bake.

Roast the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and nice and crispy on the outside.

Once the potatoes are fully cooked add the marinated chicken.

In a large bowl mix all the topping ingredients together.

Top the raw chicken with the topping.

Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the topping is melted and bubbly delicious.

 

Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole 

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 8-10 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes  (I leave the skin on)
• 1/3 cup olive oil 
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 TBS. freshly ground pepper
• 1 TBS. paprika 
• 2 TBS. garlic powder 
• 6 TBS. hot sauce 

Topping:

• 2 c. Fiesta Blend Cheese or a mix of Cheddar & Monterey Jack
• 1 c. crumbled bacon 
• 1 c diced green onion

Preheat oven to 500F (This is NOT a typo, 500F is correct!)  In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika,garlic powder & hot sauce.  Add the cubed potatoes and stir to coat.  Carefully scoop the potatoes into a cooking spraycoated 9 x 13 inch baking dish, leaving behind as much of the olive oil/hot sauce mix as possible.  Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and crispy & browned on the outside.  While the potatoes are cooking, add the cubed chicken to the bowl with the leftover olive oil/hot sauce mix and stir to coat.  Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 400F.  Top the cooked potatoes with the raw marinated chicken.  In a bowl mix together the cheese, bacon & green onion and top the raw chicken with the cheese mix.  Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the topping is bubbly delicious.  Serve with extra hot sauce and/or ranch dressing.

Enjoy!

Potatoes and Cheese, Please!

NO.32 Broccoli and Chicken

Ingredients	1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips  1 cup beef broth 1/2 cup soy sauce - gluten free 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon sesame oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons sauce from the crock pot after being cooked Fresh broccoli florets (as many as desired) Hot cooked rice
Instructions	1. Place beef in a crock pot. 2. In a small bowl, combine consomme, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and garlic. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 3. In a cup, stir cornstarch and sauce form the crock pot until smooth. Add to crock pot. Stir well to combine. 4. Add broccoli to the crock pot. Stir to combine. 5. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken). 6. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Crunch-a-licious

Crazy Karo Crunch

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Butter

1/2 Cup Karo Syrup (Light)

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla

2 Quarts air popped dry pop corn

Cooking spray

Preheat Oven to 200 degrees

1. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray (I actually cover my cookie sheet in tin foil for easy clean up).

2. Spread the pop corn across the cookie sheet and PICK OUT ALL OF THE SEEDS! (so important)

3. In a pot on the stove, combine butter, sugar, and syrup on high. Stir until boiling. Reduce heat to Med-High and boil for EXACTLY5 minutes. Add Vanilla.

4. Drizzle over pop corn, stir, and bake for 15 minutes.

5. Remove pop corn from oven, mix the pop corn and carmel around replace in oven for another 15 minutes.

6. Repeat step 5 until carmel corn has been in the oven for an hour and has been mostly covered in carmel.

7. Allow it to cool, break apart, and serve.

BEST EVER GLUTEN FREE COOKIES... i told you so!

A love note from my bestie in Maui...

Hey there SweetThang....here is the recipe for your cookies:

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1 1/2 cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon xantham gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
7 ounce bag sweetened coconut flakes (toast half)
8 ounces unsalted butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
toasted pecans
1 bag chocolate chunks
dried cherries, plumped with some hot water

Method:
-grind the untoasted coconut (in coffee grinder if you have one) & combine with the other dry ingredients (not the sugars).
-cream the butter & sugars in a stand mixer until light & fluffy...5 minutes or so, scraping down the sides of the mixer from time to time.
-add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract.
-add the dry ingredients and mix just to combine.
-add the chocolate chunks, nuts, cherries and the toasted coconut.
-portion the cookies with ice cream scooper or spoon & chill a few hours or over night.
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Space out the chilled cookies on a parchment lined baking sheets. Press down the cookies with palm of your hand to flatten out the top a bit.
-bake 8-10 minutes until the cookies are nice and toasty brown and set in the middle.
-enjoy & remember that I miss you!

Holiday Nuts- and no I am not talking about your family :)

Feeling a little bit "SPICY" after eating our yummy cupcakes yesterday? Try our Spiced Nuts they are guaranteed to make you smile!

SPICED NUTS

2 tablespoons butter 

1/4 cup light brown sugar 

2 tablespoons water 

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 

1/4 teaspoon cayenne 

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

2 cups mixed nuts...we use walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, cashews 

and almonds 

1. Mix cumin, cayenne, cinnamon & salt in a small bowl 

and reserve. 

2. Heat nuts in oven at 350 degrees on a sheet pan till lightly

toasted stirring occasionally to insure consistent browning.

3. Transfer nuts to a bowl and set aside. 

4. In a skillet add the butter, sugar, water and spices and cook 

over medium heat, stirring, until a glaze forms, about 

5 minutes. Add the nuts to the skillet and toss to combine 

with the glaze. Continue to sauté the nuts for 5 minutes. 

5. Remove from the heat and transfer to a baking sheet sprayed 

with Pam nonstick spray, separating with a fork. 

6. Let rest until cooled and the glaze has hardened. 

7. Store in an airtight container.

ENJOY!!

Crockpot: It's what's for breakfast!

• Meat: 1 lb ham, bacon OR sausage; cooked, degreased and crumbled/diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small bell pepper, diced
• 16 oz. hash browns, frozen
• 3/4 cup cheese, shredded (co-jack or cheddar are Crock Pot Girl's favorites)
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• scallions (Optional)
• Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Grease or use a crock pot liner.

2. Layer ingredients starting with frozen hash browns followed by meat, onions, peppers, and cheese.

3. Repeat layer twice and top with scallions.

4. Beat the eggs, milk, salt & pepper together.

5. Pour over the layered ingredients in the crock pot (ensure everything gets moistened well)

6. Cover. Cook on low for 7 hours.

Happy Crocking!

Paella- on a stovetop!

Stovetop Vegetarian Paella

Serves 4 to 6

Enjoy this simple vegetarian version of classic Spanish paella. We added lima beans and peas for extra flavor and protein. Topping with grilled tempeh would provide an even bigger protein boost. Rice in paella should be al dente, so take care not to add too much water.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup uncooked jasmine or basmati rice
1/4 teaspoon saffron strands
1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
1 small green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 small yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 cup frozen lima beans
2 cups gluten-free vegetable broth
1 cup frozen peas
Lemon wedges for garnish

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add rice and saffron and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Add tomatoes and stir to break up with a large spoon. Add peppers and lima beans and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Add broth and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Check to see if more liquid is needed to prevent sticking. If so, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, then cover and cook another 5 minutes.

Stir in peas and cook until just tender and liquid is absorbed. The rice should not be over-cooked, but just slightly al dente. (If not tender enough, you may add a bit more water and continue cooking.) Serve garnished with lemon wedges.

Chicken Pot Pies, for the cooler weather!

Chicken "Pot Pie" with Crunchy Brown Rice Crust

Serves 6

This is a delicious gluten-free and healthy alternative to traditional chicken pot pie. The Parmesan melts into the rice to create a tasty crust :)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for greasing
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 pound sliced button mushrooms
2 teaspoons chopped thyme, divided
1 large carrot, chopped
1 rib celery, thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium gluten-free chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
1 cup cooked brown rice or brown and wild rice blend
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 cup frozen peas

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie dish with oil; set aside.

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1 teaspoon of the thyme, carrots, celery, onions, salt and pepper and cook until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add broth and milk, stir well and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until very thick, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine rice, cheese, paprika, remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

Stir peas into chicken mixture then season with salt and pepper and transfer to prepared dish. Scatter rice mixture evenly over the top then arrange dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake until bubbly and crust is crisp, about 30 minutes.

CHEESY JALAPENO CORNBREAD.. it deserves the full caps!

3 cups Bobs Red Mill Flour
1 cup  Bobs Red Mill Cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 lb (2 Sticks) unsalted butter
12 ounces aged extra sharp cheddar cheese
7 finely chopped jalapenos
5  finely chopped scallions

Combine solid ingredients, in a separate bowl combine wet. Combine 8 ounces shredded cheese, 5 jalapenos and 3 scallions. Incorporate all ingredients in a sheet pan. Let sit for a half hour. Sprinkle extra cheese, jalapenos and scallions to the top before cooking.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes! Rotate pan half way through!

I Want To Have A Dinner Party BUT… My Friends Are Gluten-Free

Found this blog and had to share!!

If you're like me, you're wishing you had invested in the largest manufacturer of plastic straws last Wednesday.  I can only imagine how many of those boxes flew off the racks last week because my throngs of devoted, loyal, inspired readers were slurrrrping up more smoothies than two lovestruck pups with a plate of spaghetti.

*Sigh* Young love.  And spaghetti -- the perfect large party quick dish.  EXCEPT, if your party guests are... GLUTEN-FREE...........

Poor Goldilocks.  I wouldn't have put my plastic-straw-market-wins on gluten leading to the demise of a woman trespassing into Grizzly Manor, but you win some, you lose some.

So what exactly is this Gluten-free stuff all about?

Apparently this carb-cutting regimen is a treatment for celiac disease.  Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which the ingestion of gluten induces enteropathy, or inflammation of the gut, in genetically susceptible individuals. This destruction of the gut means that nutrients cannot be absorbed, leading to a variety of clinical symptoms: anemia due to the lack of iron, atherosclerosis due to the lack of calcium, failure to thrive in children, GI stress, chronic fatigue, neurological disorders, nutrient deficiencies, anemia, nausea, skin rashes, depression, and more..  (Scientific American and Food Renegade).

But I must say, that it's hard not to feel like this whole diet is a fad because of it's recent crazy popularity.  It feels like celiac disease is the new deviated septum....  No?  I know.  That was not P.C.  But I'm not deleting it soooooo....... anyway! 

Back to the topic at hand. A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes the protein gluten. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye).

In the past few years, researchers have learned that the primary culprit in celiac disease and gluten-intolerance is a particular peptide strand in the gluten molecule, not the gluten itself. It is theorized that this peptide strand wasn’t present in ancestral varieties of wheat. And, we’ve also learned that the long, slow ferments necessary for making traditional sourdough breads also severs the bonds of this particular peptide strand while leaving enough of the remaining gluten proteins in tact to achieve a pleasant rise (without gluten, your whole wheat bread couldn’t rise). (Food Renegade)

In other words:

So... let's just jump ahead to this week's challenggggeee! 

Make a gluten-free recipe!!

I'm going to make a gluten free - dairy free, paw paw bread recipe by a fellow Ithacan, Allison, who specializes in this genre.  I will share the recipe once it comes through!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Look for the HC Victim guest posts each Wednesday by Lauren O'Rourke where you can enjoy her struggles and triumphs in the kitchen.

Posted 6 hours ago by Lauren

Labels: Gluten HC Victim

Poor Goldilocks!

It's Boating Season!

Lobster Salad in Avocado Boats

INGREDIENTS :3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 medium ripe Haas avacados, pitted, peeled and chopped ( reserve shells)
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup Simple Herb Vinaigrette (see below), prepared with cilantro
1/3 cup crumbled cheese such as feta or gorgonzola
1 pound cooked lobster meat cut into bite-sized pieces

Vinaigrette: In a bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup white wine, champagne or sherry vinegar; 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro, 2 small cloves garlic, minced: 1 teaspoon sugar: 1/2 teaspoon salt: and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. whisk in 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS : 
In a serving bowl, combine the tomatoes, avacados, cucumber, lobster and dressing toss to coat well.
place 1 shell on each of 4 lunch plates and fill with the salad