Category: Recipe

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Recipe: Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower

I love spicy food.  Love it.  I love that little bit of heat that accompanies each bite…and when done right…doesn’t mask the flavor of the food.  Yum!

Well, this past weekend, my friend Robert shared a recipe on my Facebook wall that he thought I might enjoy.  It was for Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower.  And let me tell you…it looked awesome.  Seriously!  It just so happened that my CSA bin that week had an amazing head of cauliflower in it…and everything else on the list I had in my pantry.  Perfect!

And after the winter weather that came through last night, something warm, spicy, and different just sounded appetizing tonight for dinner.  So, upon returning home from work…I went to work on my head of cauliflower and preparing this simple, yet really delicious dish.  You just need about 25 minutes and dinner is served.

Recipe: Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower

Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower (with a Vegan Ranch Dip)
Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower (with a Vegan Ranch Dip)

Servings: 2-4
Time: Prep 5 minutes; Cook 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 head cauliflower

For the batter:

  • Dash of hot sauce (I used Sriracha)
  • 1/2 cup white rice flour
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Pinch salt

For the buffalo sauce:

  • 1/4 cup hot sauce (I used Sriracha)
  • 1/4 cup oil, canola oil works best
  • Pinch salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix together the batter ingredients in a small bowl.

Dip the cauliflower in the batter until coated evenly then place on greased baking sheet.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until the batter hardens.

Mix together sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Once the cauliflower are done baking, brush them with the hot sauce mixture and bake again for a few more minutes, until cauliflower is crispy.

Remove from oven. You may want to add a bit more buffalo sauce to taste.

Enjoy!

~*~*~

Oh…this was crazy, stupid good.  I mean…so delicious.  I was highly impressed.  Honestly.  I love cauliflower regardless, but this just took it to the next level.  This is the second cauliflower recipe that Robert has shared with me, and both times I have been super impressed.  I can’t wait to make this again.

Oh, and it’s a super easy recipe too, so that is a bonus.  I whipped up a Vegan Ranch Dip to serve with mine, which consisted of:

  • a few spoonfuls of Trader Joe’s vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of dried parsley flakes
  • 3 tablespoons of almond milk to thin it out

I just mixed it all together in a bowl and viola…instant buffalo cauliflower dip!

Honestly…if you are looking for a fun and exciting way to serve up veggies…this is the recipe to try!

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Recipe: Baked Polenta with Rainbow Chard and Cheese

It’s the night before a race…so you know what that means, right?

Pizza!

Except…not today.  I didn’t have anything in my apartment to work pizza into the equation…so I had to break with my pizza before a race tradition and come up with something I could make with items I did have on hand.  Well, today is the day my CSA bin was delivered and one of the items nestled inside was beautiful rainbow chard.

It was from there…and the fact that I keep polenta on hand in my pantry…that I threw together this recipe for a later than usual dinner.  It was delicious and relatively easy to make.  As I am lactose intolerant, I substituted the ricotta cheese for silken tofu and used Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese.

The rest of the recipe is from Epicurious…but I really enjoyed it with my substitutions.  So delicious.

Recipe: Baked Polenta with Rainbow Chard and Cheese

Baked Polenta with Rainbow Chard and Cheese
Baked Polenta with Rainbow Chard and Cheese


Servings: 8
Time: Prep 20 minutes; Cook 1 hour 10 minutes; Cool 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • 1 pound rainbow chard, thick stems and ribs removed, leaves cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
  • 3 1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal) or yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese (I used Nosoya Silken Tofu)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups coarsely grated low-fat mozzarella cheese (about 8 ounces) (I used Daiya mozzarella shreds)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lightly oil 2-quart glass baking dish.  Heat oil in heavy large deep skillet over medium heat.  Add onion; sauté until tender, about 15 minutes.  Stir in garlic and crushed red pepper, then chard; cover and cook until chard is tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.  Uncover; stir until any excess liquid in skillet evaporates.  Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring 3 1/2 cups water and salt to boil in heavy large saucepan.  Gradually stir polenta into boiling water.  Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until polenta is very thick, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Whisk ricotta and eggs in bowl; whisk in 1 cup hot polenta.  Stir ricotta mixture into polenta in saucepan.

Spread half of polenta mixture in baking dish.  Spread half of chard mixture over.  Sprinkle with half of mozzarella.  Repeat layering with remaining polenta, chard, and cheese.

Bake until puffed and brown on top, about 45 minutes.

Cool 30 minutes.

~*~*~

You would never be able to tell that this recipe was made with tofu instead of ricotta cheese, and with vegan cheese over regular.  The onions, chard, and garlic mixture is delicious.  And the polenta made a delicious, creamy addition once it was cooked up.  I loved this and am so happy that I have another 3 days worth of it.  YUMMY!

Best part…each serving has 259 calories.  That’s it!  Amazing.  Delicious.  And quite satisfying.  I served this with a salad made up from fresh produce, also from my CSA bin.  This recipe does take some time to cook…but the end result is worth it.  I would make this again in a heartbeat.

Now…we’ll see how this does when it comes to my race day performance.

I might be sorry I skipped out on pizza…but this was definitely a huge, tasty, epic dinner win!

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Cooking up and toasting up tasty Gluten-Free Cheese Ravioli from Conte’s Pasta

Conte's Pasta Gluten-Free and Wheat Free Cheese Ravioli
Conte’s Pasta Gluten-Free and Wheat Free Cheese Ravioli

Product: Conte’s Pasta Gluten-Free Cheese Ravioli – $5.99+

I have been leery of the frozen gluten-free pastas that I can find in the freezer section at the grocery store ever since the epic fail of Caesar’s Gluten-Free Gnocchi.  Yeah…it was enough to really just turn me off from the whole frozen gluten-free pasta thing.

But…with New Year’s Eve on the horizon and a trip to visit one of my best friends, Jenn, for the occasion, she and I started getting on Pinterest and plotting a menu.  And the entree that caught our attention was a Oven Toasted Ravioli dish.  It looked absolutely fantastic.  Jenn said she had some of Conte’s Gluten-Free and Wheat Free Cheese Ravioli in her freezer (the sign of a good friend is one who stocks up on gluten-free foods even when you aren’t in town…just for those occasions that you are!).  She suffered through the Caesar’s Gluten-Free Gnocchi fiasco…so I was willing to go along with her on this one.  My job…providing the gluten-free breadcrumbs to be dusted over the ravioli before they were toasted.

New Year’s Eve arrived with a vengeance.  After a busy day of seeing The Hobbit, she and I settled in later than expected (it snowed while we were in the movie and the roads were bad) to start up our gluten-free bread for the evening and then make up the gluten-free ravioli dish while it cooled.  With the bread out of the oven, we set some water on the stove to boil and pulled the Conte’s Gluten-Free and Wheat Free Cheese Ravioli out of the freezer.  Opening the bags…we weren’t impressed immediately.

They looked like pale discs of pasta with a bulging center that would contain the cheese filling.  We said our prayers to the gluten-free pasta gods and poured them into the boiling water.  Unlike Caesar’s frozen pasta, these actually did sink to the bottom of the pan, making it much easier for us to tell when these were truly done cooking.  Once they started floating, Jenn would scoop out a bunch of them into the strainer, shake them carefully over the pan, and bring them to me to put in the egg wash and then coat with the gluten-free bread crumbs.

Looks can be deceiving.  These raviolis really held up to the boiling process.  They didn’t split or fall apart.  Even when I would drop them into the egg on accident, they maintained their form and didn’t ooze filling out.  They survived a dunking in breadcrumbs and everything.  I was already much more impressed with these than the last gluten-free frozen pasta experience.  Conte’s Pasta did a great job making gluten-free ravoili that didn’t fall apart in the pot…or through the breading stages I put the pasta through.

So, with the breadcrumbs on and sticking quite well to the pasta, we gave the ravioli a spray of cooking spray and put them into the oven to toast up.  It took 12 – 15 minutes according to the recipe…and when they emerged, they were golden, and still holding their shape.  We carefully scooped them off the pans and into a serving bowl so we could all help ourselves to as many as we would want.  They held up.  And when we settled in to eat…the three of us (my roomie Cathy was there too!) dug in.

The biggest thing about these ravioli is that they do need a sauce.  Jenn had originally set out to eat the meal without the sauce, but ended up with some on her plate in the end.  That being said, the texture was great.  They held up fantastically to boiling and toasting in the oven.  And the taste of the filling was super good.  I wasn’t disappointed at all with these ravioli.  Conte’s Pasta has definitely restored my faith in the gluten-free frozen pasta.  In fact, when it comes to choosing a brand now, I think I’ll stick with Conte’s.  They definitely won me back over to the frozen side when something like a gluten-free ravioli is needed.

Use a proper sauce when you eat these.  Whether you bread them or eat them straight from the pan…you’ll love the texture and taste.  And the cheese is ooey, gooey, and good as well.  They have quite a few variations of gluten-free pastas to choose from.  But these ravioli’s did the trick for me.

Find them in your grocery store freezer section and give them a try.  And if you are looking for an easy and tasty recipe, check out my blog on the Gluten-Free Oven Toasted Ravioli that Jenn and I prepared on New Year’s Eve.  It’s a fun, different, and delicious way to enjoy gluten-free pasta.

Conte's Pasta Gluten-Free and Wheat Free Cheese Ravioli (cooked and coated with Katz Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs and toasted in the oven)
Conte’s Pasta Gluten-Free and Wheat Free Cheese Ravioli (cooked and coated with Katz Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs and toasted in the oven)
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Recipe: Gluten-Free Oven Toasted Ravioli

New Year’s Eve was all planned out between my friend Jenn and I.  We were ready to whip up a feast that night…complete with an entree that she spotted on Pinterest.  And between the two of us and our love of trying Pinterest recipes…we set out to make these.  I just happened to have some Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs from Katz Gluten Free at my apartment and they would be perfect for this recipe.  So…I saved them for this exact reason and they didn’t let us down.

The best part about this recipe is how simple it was to make.  Totally going to do this again.  Nothing fancy…it just looks like it.

The best part…once again we simply modified the ingredients to fit my dietary needs…so while this recipe is gluten-free…it doesn’t have to be made that way.  I am just thankful to have friends who eat foods that I can eat when I’m around.  Some people aren’t willing to give gluten-free a chance…but my friends Cathy and Jenn have always given it a fair shake.  And for that…I am thankful.

Oh…and this recipe was AWESOME!

Recipe: Gluten-Free Oven Toasted Ravioli

Gluten-Free Oven Toasted Ravioli
Gluten-Free Oven Toasted Ravioli

Servings: 3-4
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 12 round frozen ravioli, thawed (I used Conte’s Gluten-Free Cheese Ravioli)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 6 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs (I used Katz Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs)
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together egg and milk in shallow bowl.  In another bowl or pie plate, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Dip ravioli in egg and then in bread crumbs.  Place on baking sheet.  Repeat until all ravioli are coated.  Spray ravioli with cooking spray.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with warm marinara or pesto.

~*~*~

See…it’s one of the simplest recipes out there…but the end results are a delicious ravioli with a crisp outer layer and soft, warm, gooey inner layer.  Use whatever ravoili you like.  This was the first time I used Conte’s Gluten-Free Cheese Ravioli…and they were awesome.  They held up to cooking and baking and…damn…were they ever delicious.

Impressed!!  Very impressed.

So…if you want a simple meal that is easy to make and big of flavor…give this one a go!  You’ll love it.  I guarantee.

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Recipe: Gluten-Free Pull-Apart Cheesy Onion Bread

Oh…Pinterest!

What did I do without you in my life?  Ever since I started getting the hang of searching and pinning and all that goodness…I can’t tear myself away from you.  And, my dearest Pinterest, it is because of you that my dearest friend, Jenn, and I were able to whip up some fantastic food this New Year’s Eve.

Even better?  All of it was gluten-free…because Jenn rocks and working with my food allergies.  She honestly does.

So, when New Year’s Eve hit…we had just come from seeing The Hobbit and we were HUNGRY!  The thing was…we had some cooking to do before the sitting down and eating was possible.  Good thing we did a wee bit of prep work ahead of leaving for the day.

And so…the first thing we cooked up to enjoy with our New Year’s Eve feast was this fantastic Cheesy Onion Pull-Apart Bread.  We had our doubts as to how it would turn out (if it even did) and questions on how exactly to make it…but we managed.  The original recipe was one I found from Food & Wine Magazine and we modified it by changing the cheese used, the amount of onion, and making it gluten-free.  We’re chefs…we tinker.

And yeah…it really is as good as it sounds.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Pull-Apart Cheesy Onion Bread

Gluten-Free Pull-Apart Cheesy Onion Bread
Gluten-Free Pull-Apart Cheesy Onion Bread


Servings: 10
Time: Prep 25 minutes; Bake 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, 1 stick cubed
  • 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup coarsely shredded Dill Havarti cheese (3 ounces)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

Butter a 9-by-4-1/2-inch metal loaf pan.

In a large skillet, melt the 1/2 stick of uncubed butter; pour 2 tablespoons of the melted butter into a small bowl and reserve.

Add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it is softened, about 8 minutes.  Stir in the poppy seeds and season with salt and pepper.  Scrape the onion mixture onto a plate and refrigerate for 5 minutes, until cooled slightly.  Stir in the Dill Havarti cheese.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the cubed butter and pulse until it is the size of small peas.  Add the buttermilk and pulse 5 or 6 times, just until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and knead 2 or 3 times.  Pat or roll the dough into a 2-by-24-inch rectangle.  Spread the onion mixture on top.  Cut the dough crosswise into 10 pieces.  Stack 9 pieces onion side up, then top with the final piece, onion-side down.  Carefully lay the stack in the prepared loaf pan and brush with the reserved butter.

Bake the loaf in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, until it is golden and risen.  Let the bread cool for at least 15 minutes before unmolding and serving.

The unmolded loaf can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.  Rewarm before serving.

~*~*~

This was probably the most nerve-wracking item we made on New Year’s Eve.  The directions were a little confusing upon reading and we weren’t exactly sure how well the gluten-free flour would do with the recipe.  The result though…was epic.  This bread was SO amazing and delicious.  The modifications we made (the original called for Gruyère cheese and an entire onion) really worked in our favor.  The loaf was packed with flavor, delicious cheese, and lots of yum factor!

The only thing we noted was that it really wasn’t pull-apart.  But, slicing it with the knife worked just as well and definitely didn’t take away from the recipe in the slightest.

Making this again…for sure!

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Recipe: Gluten-Free Zucchini Fettuccine in a Vegan Cream Sauce

It was the night before Christmas and my mom and I were settling in to plan a vegetarian and gluten-free entreé option for me (the only vegetarian in the family) and a possible side for everyone else at Christmas dinner.  We had meant to do planning long before then…but we both lead very busy lives and we had a lot of other stuff to do when I flew into town for the holidays.

So, the night before the big day, we found ourselves at Earth Fare in Birmingham, Alabama…picking up the necessities for the recipe we finally decided on.  The original  recipe was from Manifest Vegan, and it involved the use of maitake mushrooms.  But…only my mom and I like mushrooms in the family, so we put our heads together to come up with a replacement.  Our solution: zucchini.

That settled, we hit up the grocery store and purchased all the necessary items, including RP’s Fresh Gluten-Free Fettuccine noodles.  I fell in love with RP’s fresh gluten-free pasta very recently and no other pasta would do for Christmas.  With the ingredients purchased…we were ready to start cooking up a variation of this vegan pasta dish for Christmas.  And we did just that on Christmas morning…and finished up in enough time to pack up everything and head to my sister’s house.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Zucchini Fettuccine in a Vegan Cream Sauce

Gluten-Free Zucchini Fettuccine in a Vegan Cream Sauce
Gluten-Free Zucchini Fettuccine in a Vegan Cream Sauce

Servings: 8
Time: Prep 20 minutes; Cook 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 16 ounces, brown rice fettuccine style pasta (I used RP’s Gluten Free Fettuccine)
  • 3-1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 stick cinnamon or 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 10 ounces zucchini, chopped
  • 3 finely diced carrots
  • 3/4 cup white wine
  • 1-1/2 cups full fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup (salted) vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons superfine brown rice flour
  • Chopped chives for garnish
  • Salt to taste

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Douse pasta with 3 tablespoons olive oil and then add sea salt.

In large pan, combine leeks, thyme, garlic, cinnamon, zucchini, and carrots with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and sauté until golden on edges.  Add the white wine and cook over medium low heat until much of the liquid has dissolved.  Stir in coconut milk and vegetable broth and let cook over medium heat until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.  Stir often to prevent scorching.

Whisk in 2 tablespoons superfine brown rice flour and let cook until thickened, stirring often with a spoon, about 7 minutes.  Combine with pasta and salt to taste, if needed.  Top with fresh chives before serving.

~*~*~

The pasta was quite a popular dish at Christmas dinner.  No one even knew it was vegan and gluten-free…except for the fact that I could eat it.  LOVE that.  And everyone tried it…and loved it.  Let me tell you…the item that really makes this dish pop is that addition of cinnamon.  It was amazing.  I can’t wait to make this again.

Go ahead and try it.  And if you love mushrooms like me…go ahead and keep the maitake mushrooms.  When I make this at home for myself and my roommate…I’ll do it with the mushrooms.  Mmmm…I kind of want this for dinner this week now…

 

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Recipe: Baked Quinoa Casserole with a Spicy Cheese Sauce

I’m getting ready to leave town for a little while to head home to see my family for the holidays.  And I still have a large amount of produce from my CSA bin that is just dying for me to use it.  So, I was trying to decide what I could make that would utilize some of the contents in my crisper drawer, which would allow for me to clear out some of the produce and make room for the new stuff I’m getting on Friday…which my roommate will have to take care of as I won’t be in town.

So, after a little bit of searching I ran across a recipe on a blog called Purely Twins, and I sort of based my own recipe off of the basis they laid down for theirs.  I did a completely different sauce and chose very different vegetables…but the quinoa…that stayed the same.

I wasn’t too sure how this was going to turn out…but the end result was actually mighty tasty…and extremely healthy.

Recipe: Baked Quinoa Casserole with a Spicy Cheese Sauce

Baked Quinoa Casserole with a Spicy Cheese Sauce
Baked Quinoa Casserole with a Spicy Cheese Sauce

Servings: 6-8
Time: Prep 20 minutes; Cook 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups quinoa
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups chopped raw zucchini
  • 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
  • 2 handfuls kale

For sauce:

  • 1-1/2 tablespoons butter (I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
  • 2 tablespoons flour (I used Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour)
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup freshly shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • pinch paprika

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the quinoa by bringing 4 cups of water to a boil.  Add in 2 cups of dry quinoa and bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat and cover, allowing to simmer for about 15 minutes or until the water is gone.

While the quinoa is cooking, make the sauce.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle the flour into melted butter, whisking constantly.  Cook, whisking constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute or until mixture is golden and lumpy.

Gradually whisk in the almond milk and bring to a boil.  Cook, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thickened.

Add the cheese, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and paprika, whisking until smooth.  Remove from heat.

Once the quinoa is ready and the sauce is made, grab a large bowl and pour your cooked quinoa into the bowl.  Add the cheese sauce.  Then put the freshly chopped vegetables into the bowl.   Mix well so that the vegetables and quinoa are evenly dispersed.

Pour the mixture into a 9×13 glass pan and place in the oven.  Bake for 30  minutes or until the quinoa casserole is golden brown.

Serve and enjoy.

~*~*~

What can I say about this?  For being something that I just took a concept from a blog…and then mixed up a sauce and threw it all together…the end result was really delicious and super healthy.  Quinoa is packed with protein and combining it with fresh vegetables was a great way to boost the nutrition value of this meal.  I was a big fan.  And the spicy cheese sauce wasn’t overly spicy.  It just gave enough of a little kick that you knew it was there.

Yeah…I’d make this again in a heartbeat.

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Recipe: Gluten-Free Portabello Mushroom Cheesesteaks

Who says being a gluten-free vegetarian is boring?  When you can cook up something as amazing as a cheesesteak sandwich, without even touching any meat…now that’s awesome.  And it is possible.  And thanks to my stock of gluten-free breads in my freezer, I happened to have gluten-free sub buns at my disposal.  And, thanks to my CSA bin, I had all the vegetables already in my home.

Thanks to the wonder that is Pinterest, I stumbled across this recipe and knew, immediately, that I had to make it.  As previously stated, I had every ingredient necessary to make it happen.  But…I had a few days of using things up and a holiday dinner that had to come first.  Thus…this recipe didn’t get made until last night.  But, wow…was I ever happy I went ahead, trusted Pinterest, and made it.

The recipe comes from a vegetarian food blog called Oh My Veggies.  The original recipe is for four sandwiches, but I had only 2 sub buns and it was just my roommate and I eating…so why make the extra?  I just cut it in half.  But this is the amazing recipe for you to try as well.  Trust me, the meaty portabello mushrooms will make you not even miss the lack of meat in this sandwich.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Portabello Mushroom Cheesesteaks

Gluten-Free Portabello Mushroom Cheesesteak Sandwich
Gluten-Free Portabello Mushroom Cheesesteak Sandwich

Servings: 4
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 extra-large portabello mushrooms, gills removed, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp. red wine
  • salt + pepper to taste
  • 1 small green pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 8 slices provolone or mozzarella cheese (I used Veggie Slices Provolone Flavored vegan cheese)
  • 4 sub rolls, sliced lengthwise (don’t completely cut the top from the bottom, though!) (I used Tina’s Sweet Treats Gluten-Free Sub Buns)

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes, or until softened and browned.  Add wine and increase heat to high.  Cook until liquid has evaporated, about 2-3 minutes.  Transfer to bowl.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Carefully wipe skillet clean.  Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add green pepper and onions; cook until softened, about 5-8 minutes.

Reduce heat to low.  Return mushrooms to skillet and stir to combine.  Top vegetable mixture with cheese slices.  Once cheese has melted, remove from heat.

Divide veggie mixture into sub rolls.  Wrap each cheesesteak tightly with foil and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and unwrap carefully.

ENJOY!

~*~*~

Loved these!  Absolutely LOVED these from first bite to last.  My roommate thought some sort of sauce on them might be good next time.  I could see what I could come up with.  I loved the way the portabello mushroom cap perfectly mimicked the meat that would normally go inside this sandwich.  It was seasoned perfectly, the vegetables were tender and flavorful, and the cheese just sort of topped it all off.  All of it melted to perfection inside the gluten-free bun that I used.

I would totally make this again in a heartbeat.  Beyond impressed with how delicious and amazing this meal was.  If you love a good, hearty sandwich…I totally recommend making these.  Totally delicious.

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Recipe: Gluten-Free Rainbow Chard Pizza

It’s the night before a race.  You know what that means?

PIZZA NIGHT!

Granted, this is a very, very, very short race in the morning, but…why mess with tradition, right?

In addition to it being pizza night, I just happened to have some gluten-free pizza crusts in the freezer, compliments of Katz Gluten-Free.  I could have made my own dough…I actually do have recipes for that…but I was hungry and really just wanted to eat.  So, when I got home, I set my roomie to the task of chopping the rainbow chard that came in my CSA bin this past week, while I worked on getting the pizza stone heated and the rest of the ingredients prepped and ready for some pizza.

I got the idea for this recipe from Cate’s World Kitchen, but altered it to fit my dietary needs as well as what I had on hand.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Rainbow Chard Pizza

Gluten-Free Rainbow Chard Pizza
Gluten-Free Rainbow Chard Pizza

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

Ingredients:

  • 2 individual size gluten-free pizza crusts (though feel free to make your own and do this in larger scale)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1 bunch rainbow chard, chopped
  • zest of half a lemon (I didn’t have lemon on hand, but I had plenty of orange zest…so I used that)
  • Mozzarella cheese (I used Rice Shreds Mozzarella flavor)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F with a pizza stone inside (if you have one).

Heat the oil in a small saucepan with the paprika and chili powder.  Simmer on low heat for about two minutes, stirring constantly so the spices don’t burn.  Remove from heat.

Heat about 1 tbsp of the paprika oil in a wide skillet.  Saute the chard until wilted.  Stir in a pinch of salt and the lemon zest.

Brush each individual pizza crust with paprika oil.  Sprinkle evenly with chard, then top with mozzarella.

Bake the pizzas on the pizza stone for about 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

~*~*~

I am thrilled that we have more rainbow chard left and 2 more pizza shells because this was really good.  I loved tasting the earthiness of the chard, mixing with the zing of orange zest and the heat from the oil.  It was a fantastic mix.  And the cheese just added that little bit of saltiness to round it all out.  I really enjoyed every bite of this pizza.  And trust me…it was going, going, gone!

Give pizza night a colorful veggie flare.  And feel free to add your own spin on things.  If you prefer to make your own dough, even better.  Simply shape the dough and then brush with the paprika oil.  It’s that easy.  And it truly is a delicious slice of vegetarian pizza.

Bliss.

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Recipe: Gluten-Free Triple White Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms

It’s holiday time.

You know what that means?  For me, it means I get to do all my holiday baking.  And I absolutely love to bake goodies for the holidays.  Even better, I love to surprise people with homemade goodies for the holidays.

You see, the other day while my roomie and I were in the gas station getting our daily dose of caffeine, the cashier behind the counter (who literally sees us every work day) said that she was leaving.  On Monday she was starting a new job…in an office.  So she would definitely miss us.

And we all know that I love any occasion to bake.  I happened to be in the gas station one morning when she was talking to a co-worker about chocolate.  She hates chocolate…except for white chocolate.  So…I knew her going away gift needed to be something white chocolate.  And keeping with the spirit of the holidays…I was guided by the wonder of Pinterest to this recipe, featured on the Crazy For Crust blog.  I took it, and gave it a gluten-free spin.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Triple White Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms

 

Triple White Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms
Triple White Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms


Servings: 48
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Bake 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened (I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter All-Purpose Sticks)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly (I used Ghirardelli White Chocolate)
  • 1 box white chocolate instant pudding (3.5 ounces)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 1/2 cups flour (I used 2 cups Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour and ran out, so the last 1/2 cup was Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour)
  • 1 package Candy Cane Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped
  • Additional sugar for rolling, if desired

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Add pudding mix and blend until combined.

Add white chocolate and mix until mixture is smooth.

Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.

Mix in baking soda and flour.

Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Place about 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl for rolling, if desired. (Cookies will be a little crunchy on the outside with the sugar, if you use it.)

Scoop one tablespoon balls of dough and roll in sugar, or just place on cookie sheet.  Bake 7-9 minutes until bottoms just begin to get golden. Remove from oven and immediately press an unwrapped Peppermint Hershey’s Kiss on top.  Do not move pan until Kiss is cooled, or it will collapse.

Cookies can be frozen for later consumption, if desired. Place in a Ziploc bag between layers of paper towel for best results when freezing.

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Here’s the best part…they truly are amazing.  Honestly.  I had my doubts.  Me and sugar cookie bases don’t get a long…at all.  Seriously…I’ve tried for about 5 years now to make sugar cookies at Christmas time and it just never works.  This time…it did.  And to think…it was with a blend of flours too.

Of course my roommate and I each had to sample one.  I even took one in for my teammate to try.  She loves to bake and I love to have her sample things, especially since I’ve had to go gluten-free.  She doesn’t hold back.  We all loved how the cookies were soft in texture and that after you swallow, the white chocolate really hits.  But the magic happens when you take a bite with that Peppermint Hershey’s Kiss in it.  Oh…yeah.

I am going to do a few different variations on these cookies now and I’m really looking forward to the end results.

Anyway, I gave the cashier at the gas station her gift and told her that I overheard that she loved white chocolate so I made these for her.  She looked so happy and said that she wasn’t going to share.  She thanked me and we left.  I hope she enjoyed them as much as three three of us who also got to eat one did.

And now…all I want to do is BAKE!