Food – Page 55 – The Celiathlete

November 23, 2013

Recipe: Jamie Oliver’s Vegetarian Chilli

Ah, Jamie Oliver…I adore you.

Obviously. Because when I went to Huntington, West Virginia, I made a point to go by Huntington’s Kitchen.

So, when I had some sweet potatoes that I needed to use up from my CSA bin this past week, my roomie suggested that I finally get around to making the vegetarian chilli recipe from your Web site.

We only needed a couple of items for the rest of the dish itself…so it was on!!

What I love about this recipe is how much depth of flavor the roasted sweet potatoes add to this dish. It’s indulgent, but guilt-free. So healthy. I think it might be my favorite chilli so far.

So…thank you, Jamie Oliver.

And for my followers and readers…here is the recipe:

Recipe: Jamie Oliver’s Vegetarian Chilli

Servings: 6-8
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 50 minutes

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, approximately 500g
1 level teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus extra for sprinkling
1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin, plus extra for sprinkling
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 onion
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 red chilli
1 green chilli
2 cloves garlic
2 cans beans (I used black beans and great northern beans)
2 cans chopped tomatoes (I used Muir Glen organic fire roasted tomatoes)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into bite-sized chunks. Sprinkle with a pinch each of cayenne, cumin and cinnamon, drizzle with olive oil and scatter with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat then put them on a baking tray.

Peel and roughly chop the onion.

Halve, de-seed and roughly chop the peppers.

Pick the cilantro leaves and put aside, finely chop the stalks.

De-seed and finely chop the chillies.

Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Put the tray of sweet potato in the hot oven to cook for 40 minutes until soft and golden.

Meanwhile, place a large pan on a medium-high heat and add a couple lugs of olive oil. Add the onion, peppers and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro stalks, chilli and spices and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.

Drain the cans of beans, then tip them into the pan with the tinned tomatoes. Stir well and bring to the boil, then reduce to a medium-low heat and leave to tick away for 25 to 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it, and add a splash of water if it gets a bit thick.

Get the roasted sweet potato out of the oven and stir it through your chilli with most of the cilantro leaves.

Taste and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.

Scatter the remaining leaves over the top, and serve with some soured cream, guacamole and rice or tortillas.

~*~*~

Best vegetarian chilli I have ever made. Or eaten. I love the sweet potato. It’s a super nice addition to the ingredients and really sets this chilli apart from other vegetarian chillies. It has a mild heat…which is perfect for my roomie. I like mine a little spicier, so if you’re like me, feel free to turn up the heat as you desire.

This recipe freezes really well, which is great, because you’ll definitely want more!

November 23, 2013

Recipe: Paleo Snickerdoodle Cookies

I love Snickerdoodles. Seriously. I loved it in the winter time when my mom would bake all the holiday cookies, bars, fudge, etc…and we’d have a literal smorgasbord to choose from each night for dessert. One treat. So…make your decision wisely.

Never failed. I wanted the Snickerdoodles.

It has been years since I have had my mom’s homemade Snickerdoodles. And she will probably never make them again, sadly, since she has since had to go gluten-free as well and has switched over to eating paleo.

Lo and behold…I came up with a solution. You see, one of my running buddies is also on the paleo diet. And I love, love, love to bake goodies for my run group. I’ve been craving Snickerdoodles for awhile now, so today I decided that’s what I would make for my fellow runners. But, I wanted everyone to be able to enjoy them, so I did a little searching on the Internet.

And with a little guidance from various blogs, especially The Urban Poser, I was able to make Snickerdoodles tonight that are paleo, vegan, egg/grain/dairy-free. Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles.

They aren’t my mom’s specialty…but they are good. So, go ahead and give this recipe a spin.

Recipe: Paleo Snickerdoodle Cookies

Servings: 15-16
Time: Prep 10 minutes; bake 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups blanched, fine ground almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons coconut oil, softened or liquid (5 for a softer cookie)1/4 cup mild honey (like clover) or vegan alternative (such as agave)
1 tablespoon gluten-free vanilla extract

Cinnamon coating:

1 tablespoon raw coconut crystals (I used Coconut Secret)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the over to 350 degrees F and line and grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.In a medium sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients; mix together well. (When measuring almond flour, use the dip & sweep method for best results. Dip the measuring cup into the loose almond flour and drag the flat edge of a knife over the top. Pouring the flour directly into the measuring cup can result in too much or even too little almond flour in the recipe).In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, honey and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the almond flour mixture and stir until combined.

In another small bowl, combine the coconut sugar crystals and the ground cinnamon in a small bowl.

Using a rounded tablespoon, scoop out the dough, then gently form into a ball. Roll the dough in the cinnamon mixture.

Place the balls of cookie dough on a parchment lined baking sheet, about 3 inches apart.

Using a mason jar or your hands, slightly flatten each cookie.

Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes. Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet while cooling. They may seem under-baked at first, but they will firm up to just the right texture as they cool.

Dig in and enjoy!

~*~*~

So, they aren’t my mom’s Snickerdoodle cookies…but these do come out sweet, thin, crackled and chewy. Not cake-y, which so many Snickerdoodles tend to be when sold in stores. These remind me of how my mom’s used to cook up. They don’t taste the same…but they are totally Snickerdoodles in their own right.

And yeah…they are amazingly good!

November 22, 2013

Recipe: Apple Cider Poached Pears

I’ve been wanting to poach pears for a long time. I see those celebrity and television chefs do it all the time. Then they serve it up all pretty with ice cream or this rich sauce.

I did neither of those last things.

But, thanks to having a bunch of pears, compliments of my CSA bin, and no more cookies left in my apartment…I figured…why not give poached pears a shot. Usually done in a dessert wine…I opted for something I had in my fridge…apple cider.

It was fantastic! My roomie is still raving. And that means a lot since she’s not a big fan of pears. But this was a simple, light, and quite nutritious dessert tonight. Easy to make as well. Here’s what I did…

Recipe: Apple Cider Poached Pears

Servings: 2
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups apple cider (NOT apple juice)
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 pears, pealed, halved, cored
1 tsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch

Directions:

In a small saucepan, add the 2 cups of apple cider, vanilla, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer.

Add the pears, flat side down, in the saucepan.

Simmer for about 10 minutes, until they are fork tender. Do not leave them in too long or they will get mushy.

Remove the pears from the saucepan. Using the cider in the pan, add the arrowroot or cornstarch and bring to a boil to thicken.

Place pears in a bowl with a scoop of vanilla Greek yogurt (or ice cream), then top with the apple cider sauce. Sprinkle with granola or nuts for a little texture and serve.

November 22, 2013

Recipe: Almost the Best Ever Gluten-Free Potato Soup

Okay…claims are made all the time about something being “the best ever _____” and they hardly ever live up to the reputation they have just put out there in public. Trust me…I’ve been disappointed many times.

That’s life.

Life also is a smorgasbord of different tastes, textures, and ingredients. So, when I’m in the kitchen, sometimes I like to change things up…get a little creative. And that’s what happened. You see, I was sitting at work on Monday trying to figure out the best way to use up some bin ingredients that I have yet to touch. Sometimes my week gets too busy and cooking with the items from my CSA bin isn’t always possible. I tend to make it up the following week as another week of CSA bin goodies are cramming my fridge. I love it…but it can be overwhelming.

That being said, I messaged my roomie and told her I had red potatoes that needed to be used…and she sent me a recipe from Gluten Hates Me (.com) for what was being described as the BEST gluten-free potato soup…EVER! EVER! That’s a huge, huge claim to be making. But, there were only 5 ingredients, so…I figured why not? I had most of them on hand anyway.

The best part is…this soup cooks in the slow cooker. I started mine after dinner the night before and it was ready for me to tackle it with the immersion blender when I woke up. EASY!! This recipe is easy. Is it the best gluten-free potato soup ever? Probably not…but I will tell you this…it is rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. I even added a few touches of my own, which I’ll include in this recipe.

Recipe: Almost the Best Ever Gluten-Free Potato Soup

Servings: 8
Time: Prep 15 minutes; Cook 10 hours

Ingredients:

2.5 pounds Russet potatoes, washed but NOT peeled, and diced into 1/2 inch(ish) cubes (I used red potatoes)
1 small yellow onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
4 cups gluten free vegetable broth (I used Pacific. Do make sure yours is gluten-free!)
Cinnamon
Salt
Cumin
8 ounces cream cheese (I used Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese)

Directions:

Put the diced potatoes, onion, garlic, and vegetable broth into the crock pot. Season with your chosen seasonings. I used cumin, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours.

Once it has cooked, cube your cream cheese into 2-inch cubes and stir it into the crock pot.

Then, using an immersion blender, carefully blend the soup in the crock pot. If you do not have an immersion blender, don’t add the cream cheese into the crockpot. Simply put it in the blender with 1/3 of your soup and blend. Then reincorporate it back into the crockpot. This will give you a chunkier soup…so I do recommend the immersion blender.

Top off however you like. I topped mine with green onion and vegan cheese.

~*~*~

Simple flavors, but what a combination they had. The soup is this rich, thick, creamy consistency, aided by the cream cheese. It is really fantastic and just wows the taste buds. It is definitely soup season and this was a hearty, delicious, and rather healthy soup to add to the winter lineup. I was very impressed with every bite. And I have more in my fridge and freezer…just waiting for another cool evening.

Enjoy!

November 19, 2013

Product Review: Mom’s Best Safari Cocoa Crunch

Product: Mom’s Best Gluten-Free Safari Cocoa Crunch – $2.49+

Remember those adds with Sonny the Cuckoo Bird declaring, “I’m cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!”

I ate it up as a child. As did I devour said chocolatey puffy cereal. Actually, I think my dad enjoyed them way more than we kids did, because he’d eat the entire box if we weren’t watching him. Says something about that chocolate, sugary rush in the morning, yes?

Well, aside from a couple varieties of chocolate rice puffs…anything remotely close to Cocoa Puffs was nonexistent in the gluten-free cereal world.

Or…so I thought.

Enter…The Roomie.

You see, every now and again, I get into my kitchen to start on a meal…and discover that I am missing an ingredient. So, the roomie is normally kind enough to allow me to do more prep work while she runs down to the grocery store to get what I need. And every now and again, she returns with a wonderful new gluten-free product for me to try. This was the scenario the day she came home from the grocery store with…basically gluten-free Cocoa Puffs.

The brand is Mom’s Best…and I’ve had their Crispy Cocoa Rice cereal (basically…chocolate Rice Krispies) before…and loved then. Loved everything about them but the sugar content. But…let’s face it. I’m having chocolate for breakfast.

That’s basically how it works with the Mom’s Best Gluten-Free Safari Cocoa Crunch as well. At first…the amount of sugar was a concern…but I let it go. I tend to obsess over some things…and while watching my sugar intake is important, it isn’t life-threatening if I go over a certain amount. I just try to keep it in check…and I never seem to be able to. But…setting all that aside, this morning I opened up the box of the Safari Cocoa Crunch, and poured myself a serving. These little chocolate puffy balls of cereal looked so much like Cocoa Puffs, I might have squeed a little in delight. Maybe.

Okay…I did.

But even more so after tasting them. I popped a couple pieces of them dry…to get just the flavor on their own. Oh…my chocolate gods of cereal bliss…they were fantastic. Light…crispy…chocolatey…everything this chocoholic could have asked for and more. Chocolate in the morning…yes please! Sign me up. I then ate the rest of the bowl with a small pool of unsweetened almond milk. Fantastic. I might…might…have slurped up the extra milk, now rich with chocolate, at the bottom of the bowl. There is a good possibility it happened.

These were better than I even remember Cocoa Puffs tasting. However…it’s been a very long time since I’ve had cocoa puffs…so…keep that in mind.

But…OMG…YUMMY!!!

So, let’s get down to the ingredients and nutrition portion of this blog, shall we?

Ingredient wise…Mom’s Best Gluten-Free Safari Cocoa Crunch is made up from sugar (ugh…yes…that is the first ingredient!), corn meal, corn flour, corn syrup, coconut oil, corn bran, cocoa, caramel color, salt, calcium carbonate, canola oil, natural flavor and trisodium phosphate. So…not really the best option…and there are a few chemical sounding ingredients, despite the fact that the box declares that there are no flavors or preservatives that you can’t pronounce. Okay…I can pronounce them…doesn’t mean I know what they are. This cereal, however, does not contain high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils. It is gluten-free as well.

A serving of Mom’s Best Gluten-Free Safari Cocoa Crunch is 3/4 cup. In this serving, you will be consuming 120 calories and 2 grams of fat. That really isn’t too bad for a chocolate cereal. You will be provided with 110 mg sodium and a whopping 14 grams of sugar. Again…it’s a chocolate cereal. I’m going to try not to obsess over that. Unfortunately, this cereal will not leave you feeling full, as I found out this morning. It has only 2 grams of fiber and 1 gram of protein. I ate my bowl before heading to the gym and I was already starving 30 minutes into my workout. So, it won’t stick with you. Then again, it’s mostly sugar…so there is a reason.

Overall though…really, really tasty. I love chocolate and it’s nice to treat myself every now and again to a sinfully sugary cereal. I don’t make a habit of it…but this one was totally worth it. Really good. Mom’s Best has once again bested the sugar-addict in me…and made me fall in love with yet another chocolate breakfast treat.

Well played!

November 17, 2013

Recipe: Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Fact: I take after my mom in the fact that I love, love, love Brussels sprouts. I mean…LOVE them. I didn’t know this, of course, until they turned up in my CSA bin one week. Instead of freaking out…I decided I would coax some flavor out of them. Try them a couple of ways. See if they were really as bad as those family shows growing made them out to be.

Turns out…they are awesome. And my favorite way to make them…is roasting them in the oven.

Simple, delicious, healthy, clean eating. Sign me up!

Well, this week when I received my CSA bin…I was ecstatic to find Brussels sprouts inside. I sensed some roasting coming up in my near future. So…I figured what better thing to have on a gray Saturday night. They make a fantastic dinner. Except this time, I roasted them up a little differently. I still seasoned them as I always did and tossed them with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil…but this time I sliced up some red onion and chopped up some fresh garlic cloves to roast with the Brussels sprouts as well.

Delicious!! The idea cropped up on a page I followed on Facebook. All I needed was a red onion, and I just happened to be heading to my grocery store. So, a huge thank you to The Slow Roasted Italian for the inspiration and a way to turn up the volume on one of my favorite ways to enjoy one of my favorite vegetables.

Recipe: Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Servings: 2
Time: Prep 5 minutes; Cook 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

12 ounces fresh Brussels sprouts, cut in half (or quarters if sprouts are large)
3 garlic cloves, rough chopped
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Add Brussels sprouts, onions and garlic to pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss with clean hands, until coated. Wiggle the pan until Brussels spouts are in a single layer. Bake 20-25 minutes until fork tender.

Serve and devour…er…enjoy!

~*~*~

I know too many people who have yet to give Brussels sprouts a try. If cooked properly…they can be one of the most fantastic things in this world. I fell in love with them at first bite. My mom loves them. My dad won’t touch them.

But, you won’t know how you feel about them until you give them a shot. Don’t discount these hearty little vegetables. They are amazing. Go ahead…roast them up and see what you think!!

This recipe might change your mind!

November 16, 2013

Recipe: Garlic and Herb Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

It was Friday.

Yep. Friday. Which many of you know means…BIN DAY!! I love my CSA bin. The problem was…I had a lot to use up still from the previous week. Like…potatoes. Both red potatoes and fingerling potatoes. The fingerling potatoes were actually from two bins ago…so I knew I needed to do that first.

Thankfully, I have a board for that on Pinterest…so I hit that up and found a recipe that sounded absolutely delicious. My version is a slight variance on a recipe from Bon Appétit. Really…it was delicious.

Better yet…it was easy to make.

Even better…healthy…and delicious!!

Recipe: Garlic and Herb Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Servings: 2-4
Time: Prep 5 minutes; Cook 45-55 minutes

Ingredients:

6 sprigs of fresh herbs, chopped (I used rosemary and thyme)
4 garlic cloves, peeled, grated
1 pound fingerling potatoes, unpeeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place herbs, garlic, potatoes, and oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Place in a large baking dish or rimmed cookie sheet and toss.

Bake for 45-55 minutes.

Serve hot.

~*~*~

See how easy that is. The difficult part is smelling the potatoes as they cook because it really smelled amazing and delicious. I was ready to dive in when I pulled them out of the oven. Total win with the potatoes. It was nice to cook them up differently this time around. I am going to search for more fun and different potato recipes for the very near future.

Until then…give this one a try. I promise…you’ll fall in love with it. Especially if you like potatoes.

I just happen to LOVE potatoes. YUM!

November 15, 2013

Recipe: Gluten-Free Sweet-and-Sour Tofu with Bok Choy

Bok Choy.

It seems to be a seasonal favorite of my CSA bin as of late. For two weeks in a row, it has been one of the components of my bin. Now, normally I would simply make a stir-fry out of it…but I’ve been attempting to expand on my culinary skills a little. Step a little outside the comfort zone. Do something…different.

I think I accomplished that last night when I cooked up a meal inspired by the blog Big Girls Small Kitchen. I had all the components on hand in my pantry and fridge…including the bok choy and tofu.

What emerged was a fantastic meal that really worked together. I served mine over basmati rice…which I cooked up while I was working on the rest of the dish as well. It was a fantastic meal and not too difficult to create either.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Sweet-and-Sour Tofu with Bok Choy

Servings: 2
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 20 minutes

Ingredients:

6 ounces firm tofu
2 tablespoons flour (I used Better Batter Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour)
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons safflower, grapeseed, or other neutral oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated ginger (I used 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
1 tablespoon grated garlic (3 cloves)
Sriracha
2 bunches baby bok choy, rinsed, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 scallions, white and green parts chopped and separated (I substituted 1/2 a white onion)

Directions:

Cut the tofu into slices about 1 inch thick. Press the water out of the slices, then cut them into 1-inch square cubes. In a baggie or on a wide plate, toss the tofu with the flour and salt until all the pieces have a thin coating.

Mix the lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, sriracha, garlic and ginger in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon water.

In a frying pan, warm the oil. In one layer, brown the tofu (in two batches if your pan is small), about 4 minutes per side.

Return all the tofu to the pan if you browned it in two batches.

Put in the onions and the crunchy part of the bok choy and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the green leaves and cook 1 more minute.

Add the sauce.

Bring the tofu to a boil, then lower the heat and let is simmer until the sauce has reduced and coats the tofu thickly, about 10 minutes.

~*~*~

I was so happy with the way this meal turned out. The tofu was perfectly cooked, the flour giving it this slight texture to it, even after cooking in the sauce. The bok choy and onion, along with the sauce brought this amazing flavor to every component. I loved this sauce. It smelled amazing and it had the perfect balance of sweet and sour…nothing overpowering the other.

This meal is a great source of protein. As I said, I served mine over a serving of basmati rice…and it was delicious. This meal was so easy to put together and cook…perfect for those nights where you don’t want to spend all night in the kitchen cooking up dinner.

November 15, 2013

Recipe: Crispy Potato Chips and Sautéed Cabbage

So…I know I have the ability to change out the items I receive in my CSA bin. The truth is…sometimes I don’t want to. Sometimes I like to be challenged by an ingredient…sit there for a couple days and ponder exactly how to best use this piece of produce that I don’t commonly have on hand, nor would I normally buy. Why do I do this? To keep my culinary skills up, of course.

Well, this week’s big challenge was this gorgeous head of cabbage. While I could easily make a coleslaw with it…my roomie despises coleslaw and I’m not a big fan of it myself. So…I was hoping to figure out a unique way to utilize it in a breakfast. With a little guidance form a blog called Ditch The Wheat, I got inspired to make my own little cabbage breakfast, adding a bit of texture with some homemade potato chips. That would give them some crunch. I also added a hint of flavor by adding some sliced shallots and some minced garlic to my sautéed cabbage.

And…to make it all breakfast-like…I topped each bowl off with a fried, over-easy egg. Surprisingly…very delicious and really packed with flavor.

Recipe: Crispy Potato Chips and Sautéed Cabbage

Crispy Potato Chips with Sautéed Cabbage

Servings: 2
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 10 minutes

Ingredients:

4 fingerling potatoes
1 shallot, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sliced cabbage
salt
pepper
2 organic eggs

Directions:

Slice the fingerling potatoes thin like a chip. I recommend using a mandolin.

Pour enough olive oil into the pan to lightly fry the potato slices. Turn the pan to medium. Place the potato slices into the pan, sprinkle salt on them and flip when one side is crispy and sprinkle salt on them again. These are done when both sides are crispy. (NOTE: I used the Mastrad Topchips Chip Maker instead of pan frying them…or you could even bake them in the oven. I’m not big on frying…but not everyone has a chip maker like I do).

Take out all of the sweet potato chips and place on paper towel.

Place the shallot in the oil and stir, allowing to soften slightly. Add the cabbage and saute until desired crispiness. I prefer it to be well done. When you have about a minute left, add the garlic and stir.

While the cabbage finishes up, in a small pan, crack an egg and allow to fry on one side. Carefully flip the egg to cook the white through, but keep the center a little runny (unless you hate runny yolks, in which case…cook the hell out of that egg).

When the cabbage is done take out of the pan and mix with the chips. Place in two bowls and add a fried egg on top of each one. Serve immediately.

~*~*~

I admit…I was surprised with how good this recipe turned out to be. I found elevating the flavor with shallot and garlic was a great call. The cabbage cooked perfectly, just slightly browned by the heat of the pan, giving it this nice caramelization. And the egg on top just made all the difference. One very healthy, nutritious, and different breakfast for sure. But one that I would repeat…in a heartbeat!

November 14, 2013

Product Review: EatPastry Gluten-Free Sugar Momma Cookie Dough

Product: EatPastry Gluten-Free Sugar Momma Cookie Dough – $6.49+

COOKIE!

We all know…I am one big cookie monster. I mean…give me a chance to try a gluten-free cookie and I’m on it like Cookie Monster. OM NOM NOM!! Seriously…cookies are one of my biggest weaknesses when it comes to treats. I love them. I always have. I grew up with my mom constantly baking cookies, from scratch, on snow days, for special occasions, and especially during the holidays.

While my favorite will always be her Snickerdoodles (which I intend to attempt to make gluten-free this year…so wish me luck), I also love it when she would make sugar cookies. Not only did we get to help cut them into the fun shapes, but we got to help decorate them too. Sugar cookies are so simple…yet have always been one of my favorite cookies to reach for and devour…er…I mean eat.

Why?

Simple flavors. Simple ingredients. Pure awesomeness.

They are basically sugar, butter, and flour, but damn…they are awesome. I’d be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t enjoy a sugar cookie. And if they said anything of the sort, I’d deem them a liar…just like everyone I know who says they hate chocolate.

LIES! ALL LIES!!

*cough*

Anyway…here I was…before the release of Pillsbury Gluten-Free Cookie Dough (which is refrigerated)…walking around my local natural foods store during one of their fun gluten-free events…when…the roommate says I can pick out some new products to try. WOOHOO! I love it when she expands my grocery budget as a treat…sometimes for no good reason. She says she benefits from it too…so it’s win/win! I never go overboard…and generally pick a few items that I’ve not seen anywhere else. And one of those items this last time was a gluten-free sugar cookie dough in the refrigerator section. It’s EatPastry Gluten-Free Sugar Momma Cookie Dough.

EatPastry is a line of vegan and some vegan and gluten-free cookie doughs. The company was founded, according to the website, by confusion, curiosity, and dedication. The company experimented until they came up with what they thought to be the best tasting, best “feeling” cookie dough. They use only high quality, all natural ingredients. And it has been a priority from the inception of EatPastry to maintain 100% vegan ingredients, meaning none have come into contact with any animal ingredients. Their cookie dough also uses only organic and fair trade sugar (evaporated cane juice) and select organic ingredients. They even make their own peanut butter for their (not gluten-free) vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. EatPastry’s doughs contain no eggs, no dairy, no preservatives, no processing, no fillers, no GMOs and no funny business. None. Good cookie dough is serious business, folks! They even state that all flavors were created with various moods in mind.

Mood food. Love it.

Well…I am just now getting around to using this dough because…well…I ran out of desserts in my freezer and pantry. HA! I wanted to try this before but I was working against a deadline on expiration dates. So…this little container was just hanging out in my fridge…waiting patiently.

It’s time to shine came yesterday! I just polished off a delicious, fresh dinner and knew I needed something sweet. I always have dessert. Always. So…I pulled this out of the fridge, preheated my oven to 350 degrees and laid out a strip of parchment paper across a baking sheet. I scooped up two tablespoons of dough, flattened each spoonful out, and then threw the pan in the oven.

How easy is that? About 12 minutes later…out they came. Delicious, individual cookies that were fresh from the oven. That is a total dessert win.

And…oh…my goodness. The EatPastry Gluten-Free Sugar Momma Cookie Dough is sassy, sweet and seductive. No…really…that’s what the Web site says. But I couldn’t agree more. First of all, with the scoopable refrigerator dough, you can make one cookie at a time if that’s what you wanted. You don’t have to make an entire batch right away…which you may or may not polish off before they start to get hard. This is easy and convenient. Seriously. They have this great texture to them. They are soft on the middle, but golden on the edges. And fresh from the oven…that is unbeatable. The flavors are subtle…but fantastic. There is that rich, delicate undertone of vanilla in each bite. And these cookies aren’t gritty with sugar. Not one bit. They are so amazing that it’s probably a good thing I can cook them up personally. Or I might eat the entire container.

Let’s talk ingredients and nutrition now…because I like to know what I’m getting myself into.

The EatPastry Gluten-Free Sugar Momma Cookie Dough is made of from a gluten-free flour blend (garbanzo, brown rice), Earth Balance, filtered water, pure salt, natural flavor (derived from corn with no MSG, no alcohol, no gluten) sunflower lecithin, lactic acid (derived from sugar beets), organic evaporated cane juice, pure apple sauce, pure vanilla extract, nutmeg, baking soda, and sea salt. Not too bad for a cookie right?

You’ll fee the same way about the nutrition. One serving is 1 tablespoon, which spoons you up only 60 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. This serving also has only 25 mg sodium and 5 grams of sugar. Yes…5 grams of sugar in a SUGAR COOKIE!!! You don’t get any fiber of protein from these cookies, but they are free of trans fats as well as cholesterol.

And they are fantastic. Really sexy, smooth, sinful gluten-free cookies of awesomeness. Without the guilt. Because, let’s face it…you don’t find 60 calorie cookies just anywhere, right?

I hope to try the other two vegan and gluten-free varieties offered by EatPastry…the Chocolate Chip and the Snickerdoodle (SQUEE!).

If you can find EatPastry refrigerated vegan and gluten-free cookie dough in your grocery store or natural food store…get it…and try it. You can scoop what you like and keep the rest for later. I’m loving it.

Cookie made from EatPastry's Gluten-Free Sugar Momma Cookie Dough — Cookie made from EatPastry’s Gluten-Free Sugar Momma Cookie Dough