Risotto is one of my most favorite things in this world. Honestly. It’s creamy and al dente all at once. And it’s rich and filling without being too heavy. Even better…it’s so versatile. You can dress it up however you like, add a variety of flavor combinations and proteins and settle in to enjoy a warm dish of something delish.
I admit, it can be labor intensive to make, but the end product is well worth all that stirring and reducing.
I found a simple Asparagus Risotto recipe on Simply Recipes and tweaked it to make it my own. What I ended up with was delicious, filling, and quite healthy. If you aren’t a fan of asparagus, try it with a vegetable that you adore. But…mmmm…asparagus.
1/2 cup dry white wine (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/4 cup water)
About 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock (or you can substitute some of the asparagus cooking water for stock)*
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper (I seasoned mine with sea salt and red pepper)
Directions:
Prepare the asparagus by breaking off and discarding the tough ends (about the last inch of the spear).
Cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces (tips longer, base shorter). If your asparagus are especially large, cut into even smaller (bite-size) pieces.
Bring a saucepan with a quart of water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes. At the end of two minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus pieces to an ice water bath to shock the asparagus into a vibrant green color and to stop the cooking. Drain from the ice water bath and set aside.
In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.
While the shallots are cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan.
Add the wine. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
*(Note: the stock amount given is approximate. You may need a little more or less. If you end up needing more stock and you find yourself without, just use water or the cooking water from the asparagus).
Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining 1 teaspoon butter, and the asparagus. Add salt and pepper (or, in my case, red pepper & red pepper flakes) to taste. Serve immediately.
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Here was the great thing about this risotto. While risotto is best on the day it is made, fresh from the pan itself, this reheated quite nicely the following evening. And once again, a delicious, healthy meal was at my fingertips. So, yes…it can be a bit time consuming to stand around in the kitchen and continually stir, but the end result is always worth it. Play around with it. Choose different vegetables. Season it however you wish. Dig in. Enjoy!
I admit it. My friend Jenn and I totally Top Chef-ed this dinner. And here’s why. Gluten-free large pasta shells are not available in any store I have ever shopped in. Believe me…I have looked. You can get frozen gluten-free stuffed shells, but not just the noodles so you can make your own delicious food. And, honestly, when you can make something, why buy it frozen? However, Tinkyáda does make gluten-free rice pasta large shells, which I found on the internet and ordered.
Sadly…they did not make it to my friend Jenn’s in time. And Jenn had this fantastic recipe she found online, for a Three Cheese and Chicken Stuffed Shells dinner we had planned to make, sans chicken for my vegetarianism (or vegetinarianism as my roommate says). This was now a slight problem without our pasta base.
So, we improvise, adapt and overcome. One quick swing by a store and we were in possession of Tinkáda’s brown rice pasta small shells. The rest of the ingredients…we’d work with and make some kitchen magic happen. And that’s what we did.
Jenn got the original recipe online at Taste & Tell. And out of necessity, and my dietary needs, we put our own little spin on it. So, here is how we worked our magic…
Recipe: Gluten-Free Three Cheese “Deconstructed” Stuffed Shells
Gluten-Free Three Cheese "Deconstructed" Stuffed Shells
3 tablespoons dried bread crumbs (I used crusts from Rudi’s Gluten-Free Multigrain Bread and pulsed them in the food processor)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup spaghetti sauce
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water, then add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, ricotta cheese, 2 ounces of mozzarella cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, bread crumbs, parsley and salt and pepper. Mix well.
Spray a 2-quart baking dish with olive oil (or non-stick spray…but we used olive oil…as it is gluten-free and the PAM is not) and cover the bottom of the dish with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce. Cover the sauce with the cooked noodles. Then, spread the cheese/breadcrumb mixture over the noodles. Cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top.
Bake in the preheated oven uncovered for 40 minutes; serve warm.
A helping of Gluten-Free Three Cheese "Deconstructed" Stuffed Shells with a Gluten-Free Cheddar Biscuit
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Let me tell you…for basically having to Quickfire Challenge this a la Top Chef…this was a delicious dinner. Very filling. Very yummy. It was like having a lasagna casserole. We devoured most of it and were quite happy with the way it turned out. So…stuffed shells these were not, but it was our own little take on a classic dish. And it worked. And it was delicious. And yes…I would totally make it again…in a heartbeat.
And, in case you were wondering, I left Jenn’s on Sunday and my large gluten-free pasta shells arrived on Monday. Figures. Well, this just means we can try the recipe as intended the next time I go to visit. I’m okay with that.
Like I said…I’ve been cooking with pumpkin a lot recently. I love how versatile it can be in cooking. Sort of like substituting your baking fat with Greek yogurt or applesauce. The same sort of holds true for pumpkin. It’s a healthy way to liven your food. And it’s especially delicious in breakfast foods. As I did a similar take with scones, these pancakes were a synch to make. The only difference is that I used some spices to really enhance the pumpkin flavor.
3/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg light brown sugar
dash of ground ginger
dash of ground cloves
Directions:
Combine the ingredients in a large bowl.
Blend all ingredients by whisking vigorously in a bowl until thoroughly mixed.
Let batter stand and preheat a nonstick griddle to medium-high temperature. Lightly oil or spray griddle with cooking or baking spray.
Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle and cook until the top is bubbly. Turn and cook until golden brown. Adjust the temperature as needed.
Top how you wish…margarine, a sprinkle of cinnamon/sugar, or my favorite go-to for pancakes…gluten-free maple syrup.
Enjoy!
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The combination of pumpkin and chocolate is killer. These pancakes cooked up light and fluffy and remained moist thanks to the addition of the pumpkin. I don’t even miss the eggs and oil that usually go into these. These were filling without being heavy and that’s what I consider to be a perfect pancake.
Go ahead…give it a try. Maybe add some candied pecans or whatever combination you like with your pumpkin. Have fun with it, but more importantly…make it delicious.
I love pumpkin. Why? Because it is so versatile. It’s flavor is so subtle that, if done correctly, you can add it to anything and not even be able to tell that it’s a component in the list of ingredients. In addition, it makes a fantastic substitute for eggs, oil, and butter. And in the case of these scones, that’s what I did. I removed the egg and the 4 tablespoons of butter that I normally incorporate into the mix and, instead, used pumpkin. The whole intention for this one was to have a pumpkin flavor scone.
Right in line with that…I contemplated what might pair well with pumpkin. I finally decided on some semi-sweet mini chocolate chips. Perfect. And the scones themselves? Moist, chewy, and delicious.
Recipe: Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Scones
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Scones
Servings: 12
Time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix
1/3 cup sugar (I used Truvia)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp pure pumpkin (I used Libby’s)
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (I used Hershey’s)
2/3 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Mix the dry ingredients together.
Add the pumpkin and almond milk. Mix together with a fork. Dough will be thick.
Drop large, tall dollops of dough (scones will spread when baking) onto lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake for 15-17 minutes.
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One of the best things I discovered about baking with pumpkin is just how many calories it saves you in the end. By replacing the egg and the butter with pumpkin in this recipe, I cute a total of 425 calories out of the entire batch as a whole. That’s amazing!
I think the next time I make these, if going for more of a pumpkin flavor, I’ll add 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, a dash of ginger and a dash of cloves to really bring out some flavor. But, on their own…as they stand…really, really delicious!!
Around Christmas last year, I put up a recipe for vegan lemon blueberry scones. But this is a recipe completely of my own finagling. Honestly. I just took the basic scone recipe from Pamela’s Products Baking & Pancake Mix bag and tweaked the ingredients and hoped for the best.
What I got was a low calorie, pleasantly fruity, lemony fresh scone that makes a delightful breakfast that is refreshing and also good for you!
Really!
Recipe: Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Scones
Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Scones
Servings: 12
Time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix
1/3 cup sugar (I used Truvia)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup fresh organic blueberries
4 tbsp butter (I used Smart Balance)
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup lemonade
1/3 cup lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Mix the dry ingredients together.
Cut in the butter using two knives.
Add the lemon zest, lemonade, lemon juice, beaten egg and the blueberries. Mix together with a fork. Dough will be thick.
Drop large, tall dollops of dough (scones will spread when baking) onto lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake for 15-17 minutes.
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I wasn’t sure if these would be lemony enough. While I probably would add more zest next time to give them a bit more zing, these prove to have great lemon flavor as it is. I think lemon and blueberry mesh well anyway so this was a match made in gluten-free scone heaven!
Okay…I admit it…I’m addicted to my newest cookbook. What’s not to love. This recipe was made, per another request by my roommate, after she flipped through my The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free book and found another recipe that intrigued her. Since we’re a bit stocked on gluten-free cake mixes, this is actually ideal and it gives me a bit more experience in the kitchen with cakes (not something I’ve ever been big on…eating or baking), as well as working on some new techniques.
This recipe actually involved having to slice layers of cake in half to end up with four layers. Now, I’ve never done this before, and found out yesterday that craft stores usually have a device that makes this task easy. Wish I had known that sooner. I did it the old fashioned way…very carefully with a sharp, serrated knife. And, considering my cake mix didn’t fluff up like my mix from Betty Crocker, I was quite happy with that accomplishment.
I made this recipe as close to dairy-free as possible, substituting coconut milk for low-fat sour cream, almond milk for milk, and margarine for the butter. I did, however, use heavy cream in the ganache, but if you need to make it dairy-free, you can use a dairy-free whipped topping instead of making up the ganache to frost the cake with instead.
Anyway…this cake is very, very yummy. It has a nutty chocolate taste to it, and the layers look awesome once it’s frosted and sliced into. Otherwise, my cake prior to that, looked like a hot (but delicious) mess. So, straight from The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free…I bring you this recipe.
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder or rice flour, for dusting the pans
1/2 cup whole shelled almonds
1 package (15 ounces) chocolate gluten-free cake mix (I used Cherrybrook Kitchen)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream (or substitute with coconut milk, which is what I did)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
For the filling and lemon whipped cream frosting:
1/3 cup almond paste (NOTE: Read the label…the stuff at Whole Foods had wheat in it. I bought a can at the grocery store that is gluten-free)
8 tablespoons margarine, at room temperature
2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon milk or heavy (whipping) cream (I used unsweetened almond milk)
For the ganache:
8 ounces (1-1/3 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
3/4 cup heavy (whipping cream)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Layers of Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake cooling in pans
Make the cake: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist two 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil spray, then dust them with the cocoa. Shake out the excess cocoa and set the pans aside.
Place the almonds in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process them in short pulses until finely ground, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the ground almonds to a large mixing bowl.
Place the cake mix and granulated sugar in the bowl with the almonds and stir to combine. Add the sour cream (or coconut milk if substituting), oil, water, eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and the almond extract and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are just incorporated, 30 to 45 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter until smooth, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans, smoothing the tops with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.
Bake the cake layers until the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 18-22 minutes. Transfer the cake pans to wire racks and let the cake layers cool for 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of each cake layer and give the pan a good shake to loosen the cakes. Invert each layer onto a wire rack, then invert it again onto another rack so that the layers are right side up. Let the layers cool completely, about 20 minutes longer.
One layer of cake spread with the almond filling
Meanwhile, make the filling: Place the almond paste in a small glass bowl and heat on high power in a microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. Spoon the warm paste into a medium-size mixing bowl and add the margarine. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the lumps are gone, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and milk and beat again on medium speed until the filling is smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Set the filling aside.
Make the ganache: Place the chocolate chips in a medium size stainless steel mixing bowl. Pour the cream into a heavy saucepan, place it over medium heat, and bring to a boil, stirring. Remove the cream from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and set the ganache aside to cool slightly. Ganache needs to be thick enough to spread like soft butter. If your kitchen is cool the ganache will reach this consistency in 10 to 15 minutes. If the kitchen is warm you can place the ganache in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 minutes to speed up the process.
My "hot mess" assembly of the different layers and filling for the Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Torte
To assemble the cake, using a serrated knife, slice each cake layer in half crosswise. Transfer the bottom half of one layer, cut side up, to a serving plate. Thinly spread the cut side with 1/2 cup of the filling, then place the top half over it, cut side down. Spread the top of this layer with 1/2 cup of the filling. Place the bottom of the second layer, cut side up, on top of the first layer. Spread that layer with 1/2 cup of the filling. Place the top half of the second layer on top, cut side down. Once the ganache has cooled to frosting consistency, frost the top and the side of the cake liberally with it, working with smooth, clean strokes.
Store the cake, in a cake saver, on the kitchen counter for three days, or put in the fridge.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Torte, frosted with a chocolate ganache
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Things I learned while making this recipe included that not every almond paste is gluten-free. READ YOUR LABELS! The same goes for vanilla and almond extract. Check the labels. Some gluten-free cake mixes bake up better than others. This is something you just learn the more you work with certain ones. I probably should have let my ganache cool a bit more. But it’s chocolate and it formed a nice layer over the cake, therefore it fulfilled its purpose. I need a better food processor. I should probably get one of those cake layer cutting thingies if I really get into this cake baking thing.
As for the taste…chocolate goodness. With just a touch of nutty flavor from the almonds and almond paste. It’s a moist, delicious, chocolate decadent treat that is just made to be sliced into and enjoyed…layer by layer. It’s a task to assemble, but honestly…worth all the hard work in the end.
Do you know what happens when you leave me alone in the kitchen and I find two oranges and some chocolate chips? Scones, of course. Now, the combination of orange and chocolate is often a favorite. I think the tang of the orange melds so well with the sweetness of chocolate, so it’s a match made in culinary heaven. So, when life gives you citrus and sweetness, scones happen.
If you are a fan of the chocolate/orange combination, give these a try.
Recipe: Gluten-Free Orange Chocolate Chip Scones
Gluten-Free Orange Chocolate Chip Scones
Servings: 12
Time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix
1/3 cup sugar (I used Truvia)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips)
4 tbsp butter (I used Smart Balance)
2 tbsp orange zest
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup orange juice (I used freshly squeezed)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Mix the dry ingredients together.
Cut in the butter using two knives.
Add the orange zest, orange juice and beaten egg. Mix together with a fork. Dough will be thick.
Drop large, tall dollops of dough (scones will spread when baking) onto lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake for 15-17 minutes.
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These truly smelled awesome while they were baking up. There was this nice orange-y scent in the air. And when they were done, the warm scone was so pleasing to the taste buds. I actually ended up loving these more than I thought I might. So yummy!
So, get out your juicer, warm up that oven, and give these a try. Especially if orange and chocolate is a favorite flavor combination.
Never, ever turn me loose in a bookstore. Ever. Because I walk out of there with things like The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free. It was at Half Price Books…and my roommate showed it to me. How could I not buy it?
Now, her birthday was coming up and I had every intention of making a gluten-free peanut butter chocolate cheesecake for her. But as I was reading off some of the recipes in this book, she fell in love with the lemon chiffon cake. So, when she said, “That’s what I want for my birthday!” I ditched the cheesecake idea and made her what she wanted.
Thank you Cake Mix Doctor for this recipe. While it seemed a bit daunting…in the end it all came together beautifully.
1 package (15 ounces) yellow gluten-free cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup orange juice (fresh or from a carton)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
For the filling and lemon whipped cream frosting:
1 jar (10 ounces) gluten-free lemon curd (I used Dickenson’s)
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream, chilled
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
Make the cake: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist two 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil spray, then dust with the rice flour. Shake out the excess rice flour and set the pans aside.
Rinse and pat dry the lemon or lemons with paper towels, then grate the yellow zest onto a small plate. Measure 2 teaspoons for the cake batter and place it in a large mixing bowl. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice through a fine sieve, discarding the seeds. Measure 1/4 cup of lemon juice, pour it into the mixing bowl with the zest, and set the bowl aside.
Layer of gluten-free cake cooling on wire rack
Separate the eggs, placing the whites in another large mixing bowl and the yolks in the mixing bowl with the lemon zest and juice. Beat the whites with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Set the beaten egg whites aside.
Place the cake mix, sugar, orange juice, and oil in the bowl with the egg yolks and lemon and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are just incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter until smooth, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. Using a rubber spatula and giving the bowl quarter turns, gently fold the egg whites into the batter until no traces of whites remain and the batter has lightened. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side. Place a large mixing bowl and electric mixer beaters in the refrigerator to chill.
Lemon curd filling spread over gluten-free lemon chiffon cake
Bake the cake layers until they are golden brown and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 18-22 minutes. Transfer the cake pans to wire racks and let the cake layers cool for 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of each cake layer and give the pans a good shake to loosen the cakes. Invert each layer onto a wire rack, then invert it again onto another rack so that the layers are right side up. Let the layers cool completely, about 20 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, make the filling and frosting. Measure 2/3 cup of lemon curd for the filling and set it aside in a small microwave-safe glass bowl. Pour the cream into the chilled mixing bowl. Using the refrigerated mixer beaters, beat the cream with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 3 minutes. Fold in the confectioners’ sugar and 1/4 cup lemon curd. Beat again at low speed until the lemon curd is incorporated, 30 seconds. Refrigerate the frosting until ready to use.
Lemon chiffon cake layers with lemon curd filling
To assemble the cake, place the glass bowl with the lemon curd for the filling into the microwave on high power for 10 seconds to warm it. Transfer one cake layer, right side up, to a serving plate. Spread the top with the warmed lemon curd. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first and frost the top and side of the cake with the lemon whipped cream frosting. Refrigerate the cake until time to serve.
Icing on the cake
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I couldn’t have been happier with the way this recipe turned out. It baked up beautifully. The layers easily came out of the prepared pans. They were light and fluffy. The filling was really good. The frosting wasn’t too heavy (much preferred as I am not a frosting or icing person!). And the birthday girl was totally thrilled with the end result. She said it was her favorite birthday cake…EVER! Just the right amount of citrus without overpowering the dessert. Cake perfection.
It seems daunting, but honestly, this recipe was easy to prepare and really, really delicious. Go ahead…try it.
This sandwich is what happens when I have ingredients in my fridge…and find a new product I want to try. This is the magic of the kitchen, friends. Because, in the kitchen, these little throw-together, anything goes sort of dishes sometimes turn out better than anticipated. This is one of those meals.
The product I was trying out was Schär’s Sub Sandwich Rolls. Since going gluten-free, sub sandwiches have been off my radar and I was craving. The other ingredients are often kept in stock in my pantry or fridge. The sauce I used was actually left over from the Vegetable Pad Thai I made a couple weeks back. This is a simple, easy sandwich dish that even my picky roommate devoured.
Recipe: Thai Sweet Red Chili Grilled Tofu Sandwich
1/4 cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (I used WorldFoods)
4 tablespoons hummus (I used Oasis Jalapeño Hummus)
Baby spinach
Directions:
Place 6 oz of tofu (cut into 4 1.5 oz rectangles) into a plastic bag and pour in Thai sweet chili sauce. Close bag, shake to coat, and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to marinate.
Once tofu has marinated for desired time, preheat the oven to 400° F.
Open up the sub rolls and place on a baking sheet.
While oven is preheating, get out a grill pan (or any pan if you don’t have one…or use an actual grill) and begin to heat it up.
Marinated tofu on grill pan
Take marinated tofu and place on hot grill, allowing to cook on one side. Flip and use left over sauce to brush over the tofu as it grills. Flip a couple more times to get grill lines and heat tofu throughout. Set aside.
Place sub sandwich rolls into the oven for 5 minutes to warm.
Remove from oven and split open. Place 1 tablespoon of hummus on each side of the roll. Lay down a bed of spinach.
Slice the tofu into long strips and stack inside the sandwich.
Close sandwich roll and enjoy.
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I was actually nervous when I served this to my roommate. She doesn’t mind tofu…she’s lived with me being a vegetarian for three years now, so tofu doesn’t phase her. I was mostly concerned about how she would take the hummus. But, she in fact loved it.
And I was quite surprised with how well the flavor combinations worked out. But the Thai chili sauce and the jalapeño hummus paired very well together. I think next time I might add some crisp vegetables to give it a bit more crunch, but this played out just fine in the end. We were both very happy…as were our stomachs.
Feeling brave? Give it a try. And if you aren’t a vegetarian and the thought of tofu frightens you…give another protein a go.
I admit it. I have an obsession with scones. And who can blame me? They can be sweet or savory. And the possibilities are endless when it comes to flavors. And that’s why I often play around with my recipe, tweak it here and there, throw in some different ingredients, say a prayer to the oven, and bake them up and see what happens.
This time, I had some chopped hazelnuts in my pantry, along with a lot (there was a sale, don’t judge) of Nutella and I thought…I bet I could make some sconey goodness with this. So, grabbing those ingredients, and also a pack of Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips, I let my creativity fly. And this is what emerged…
Recipe: Gluten-Free Nutella White Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Scones
Gluten-Free Nutella White Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Scones
3/8 cup white chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)*
1/8 cup chopped hazelnuts*
4 tbsp Nutella
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
*NOTE: Basically your white chocolate chip and hazelnut ratio equals 1/2 cup when combined. Just put in what you feel like works for your scones. I just eyeballed it in the measuring cup.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Mix the dry ingredients together.
Cut in the Nutella using two knives.
Add the milk and beaten egg. Mix together with a fork. Dough will be thick.
Drop large, tall dollops of dough (scones will spread when baking) onto lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake for 15-17 minutes.
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These smelled absolutely fantastic when they were baking. And what emerged was a little bite of heaven to be sure. The mix of sweet and salty with the white chocolate, the Nutella, and the hazelnuts made for a delicious bite each time. And they tasted just as good as they smelled. So, if you are addicted to Nutella (and who isn’t?) I highly recommend giving this recipe a try. They make a nice breakfast treat or snack that you can just grab, warm, and enjoy!
The Celiathlete 