Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookies

A quick plug is in order here.  My mother sent me a box of Betty Crocker gluten-free chocolate chip cookie mix to try in Swaziland, and this weekend, I busted it out in honor of a Christmas in June party I attended.  The dough ended up very crumbly, and I was a little doubtful as I shaped it into small balls with my hands. I wasn't sure how convincing their cookie act would be as I watched them begin to rise and expand in the oven.  But, about 9 minutes later, they came out of the oven looking - and smelling - perfect.  Perfect.   As in, chocolate chip cookies exactly the way I remember them from my gluten days.  Slightly browned on the edges, deliciously buttery, warm and chewy on the inside.  This is the only gluten-free mix I've tried from Betty Crocker, and based on how fantastic these were (and how quickly they were gobbled up at the party I took them to),I would highly recommend them!

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Banana Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies

This is the kind of joy that can result when you are scrambling to get rid of ingredients in your kitchen before moving.  I found about six kinds of gluten-free flours I need to get rid of, and in my freezer, five frozen, ripe bananas.  A chocolate bar.  Half of a bag of almond meal.  

A friend and I were chatting the other day about substitutions for butter in cookie recipes, and I told her about substituting banana in my oatmeal cookie recipe a few weeks ago.  We wondered if that same substitution could work for any cookie, or if the oats made it work with their bulkiness.

Well, it worked for this one.  It really worked.  I feel absolved of guilt as I indulge in these cookies.

They aren't the kind of cookies that retain their shape in the oven, even after I stuck the dough in the freezer for an hour.  They spread.  But they remain so chewy, so delicious, and so addictive after they come out of the oven that you won't mind. 

Banana Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies

1 cup mashed bananas (3 medium ripe bananas, mashed)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg + 1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract OR 1 package vanilla sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
3 cups gluten-free flour (What I used:  ¾ cup millet flour, ¾ cup tapioca starch, ¼ cup potato starch, ¼ cup brown rice flour, ½ cup buckwheat flour, ½ cup sorghum flour)
½ cup shredded coconut
¾ cup almond meal
100 grams crushed macadamia nuts
1 chocolate bar, chopped or 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Cream together the mashed bananas and sugars.  Add the egg plus the egg white and beat to mix well.  Add the vanilla/maple extract and stir well.  

In a small mixing bowl, mix together the flours, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Add them, little by little, to the wet ingredients, mixing well.  Add the coconut and almond meal and continue to stir. 

Crush the macadamia nuts into smaller pieces and add them, along with the chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate bar) to the dough.

Place the dough in the refrigerator for an hour or two, or in the freezer for 30 - 45 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350 F and place about 1 tbsp. of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  These will spread a lot as they bake, so be conservative with the amount of dough you use for each cookie.  Bake for 10 - 14 minutes, or until the edges are just turning brown.  Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before serving.  They'll harden a bit as they cool, so it's ok (even desired) for them to look a little undercooked when they come out of the oven!

Creamy Soy Ice Cream

Yes, it is freezing in Swaziland.  Frost blankets the landscape in the early morning, even after the first light has peeked over the top of the mountains.  Leaving the house without a coat and gloves is not an option.  In fact, even being inside the house without a coat and gloves is not a smart move, as the lack of central heating makes indoors just as cold, if not colder, than outdoors.

However, not even this can overcome my love of ice cream.  It is probably what I have missed eating most for the last 13 months here in Swaziland, as there are absolutely no commercial gluten- and/or dairy-free options available.  Watching crowds spilling out of KFC during the summer months clutching flaky cones stacked high with deliciously creamy vanilla ice cream was like torture, knowing that I was still months away from enjoying any sort of frozen treat.  I usually averted my eyes, mouth watering, and wanting nothing more than a big bowl of Trader Joe's So Creamy or Purely Decadent.

Recently, the small health food store in town let me borrow a cookbook for allergies and food intolerance, and when I found this recipe, I marched immediately to my kitchen and set to work.  I made vanilla and chocolate chip to begin with, and then later experimented with mint chip and maple flavors.  You can take this basic recipe and turn it into any flavor you want.  I used only one can of coconut cream (165 ml) instead of two to reduce the fat content, and while what I ended up with was not as creamy as regular ice cream, it was still delicious.  Still, if you're after a creamier texture, add that second can of coconut cream and see what happens.

I can guarantee one thing: While it may not be as convincing as some of the commercial brands in the U.S., if you are ice cream-deprived, this will definitely satisfy that craving.  Darryn and I sat shivering in our sweatshirts, under a huge blanket, next to the heater, with hot tea in front of us for damage control, enjoying every last bite of this ice cream.

Creamy Soy Ice Cream (Adapted from "The South African Cookbook for Allergies and Food Intolerance")

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)

1 medium egg, beaten

1 - 2 tsp. vanilla essence or 2 packets vanilla sugar

1 or 2 165-ml cans (1 1/3 cups) Shogun (or other brand) Coconut Cream OR 1 cup Cool Whip

Mix the sugar, cornflour, salt and a little soy milk until smooth.  Bring the remaining soy milk to the boil.  Stir in the sugar mixture.  Cook, stirring, over low heat for 1 – 2 minutes, until thick.

Stir some of the hot mixture into the beaten egg, then return to remaining mixture in the saucepan.  Stir in the essence.  Allow to cool. 

Stir coconut cream or Orley Whip into cooled mixture. Chill until ice cold. 

Churn in an ice-cream maker or freeze in a bowl in the freezer.  If you follow the second method, beat the mixture twice to break up the ice crystals before freezing until firm.

Serve topped with chocolate syrup, crushed gluten-free cookies, sprinkles, caramel, whipped topping, and a cherry!

You can substitute another type of dairy-free milk for the soy milk if you are avoiding soy; I'd recommend a thicker one like hemp milk or almond milk, but rice milk could work as well.

Some suggestions for delicious routes to take with this base of vanilla ice cream:

Coffee ice cream:  Mix 1 tbsp. strong instant coffee powder with 1 tbsp. boiling water.  Add to the cooked ice cream mixture after adding the essence.

Maple ice cream:  Mix 2 - 3 tsp. maple extract into the cooked ice cream mixture after adding the vanilla essence.

Chocolate ice cream:  Mix 4 tbsp. cocoa powder with boiling water until smooth.  Stir into cooked custard mixture after adding the essence.

Orange ice cream;  Add 1 cup orange juice and 2 tsp. finely grated fresh orange rind just before adding cream to the cooked mixture.  Omit vanilla essence.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream:  Add 1 - 3 tsp. mint essence (to taste) to the mixture in place of the vanilla.  Place in the freezer to cool for 10 - 20 minutes before adding chocolate pieces.  Take ½ dark chocolate bar and cut into small chips or pieces and add to the mixture, stirring well.

Quinoa Black Bean Salad with Roasted Corn and Fresh Avocado

I have a surplus of quinoa in my cupboard at the moment, and I have put myself on grocery lock-down, meaning I am not allowed to buy any more food until I have eaten what is in my kitchen already.  I am preparing to move out of my house, and - in fact - out of Swaziland in a matter of 2 weeks, and I can't stand the thought of wasting the food I've already spent money on.

So, I surveyed my cabinets.  Quinoa.  A can of sweet corn.  Half a bag of black beans.  Done and done.

This tasted even more fantastic with slices of avocado mixed in, but it was also very good on its own.  It's a simple salad, thrown together, and it's best chilled overnight after the flavors have had a chance to develop nicely. 

Quinoa Black Bean Salad with Roasted Corn and Fresh Avocado


1/2 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cup water (or vegetable or chicken-flavored broth if you have it), divided
1 15-oz can roasted corn
4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
1/2 large onion, diced
4 tsp. garlic paste
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (only if the garlic taste is not enough for you)
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion flakes
2 - 3 tsp. salt
1/2 - 1 tsp. pepper (to taste)
2 - 4 tbsp. lime juice (from concentrate) or juice of 2 fresh limes
Fresh avocado slices (optional)
Salsa (optional)

Put the quinoa with one cup of the water or broth into a pot and a pinch of salt and cook according to directions on package.  When done, set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Drain the can of corn well and place in a large bowl. Drizzle about 1 - 2 tbsp. of olive oil and 1 - 2 tsp. salt and toss to coat.  Spread across the baking sheet and place in the oven.  Stir the corn every 10 minutes and cook until it has been roasted and turns dark, about 30 - 40 minutes.  When done, set aside.

Meanwhile, place the onions in a small saucepan with the olive oil.  Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, and then add the garlic and stir to coat.  Cook for another 2 - 3 minutes and then add the chili powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, onion flakes, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Stir to coat and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add the black beans and stir to coat.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup water or broth, stir, and let simmer for 5 - 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

Place the cooked quinoa into a large bowl or pot and add the roasted corn, diced green peppers, and the black bean and onion mixture.  Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper according to taste.

Serve with slices of fresh avocado and salsa, if desired.  You could also wrap this salad in a crepe or wrap for more of a sandwich experience.

Almond Quinoa Crackers

I tried a recipe from The Gluten-free Goddess' website for my first attempt at crackers, and I was very happy with how they turned out. I don't have a rolling pin at the moment, so I just pressed them down with my hands, which made them a bit thicker than regular crackers, and also a bit softer than regular crackers.  But they were still delicious.  I ate some spread with peanut butter, and some with tuna salad spread over them.  And some of them, I just ate plain, appreciating the wonderfully grainy texture and the slightly sweet aftertaste.  Store these in an airtight container for several days, and keep them in the fridge to make them last longer.

Find the recipe here.  I used a real egg instead of the Egg Replacer and made half with the onion/garlic powder and half plain.  Both were great, but for spreading something like peanut butter or jam, make the plain ones.

Buckwheat Millet Griddle Scones

These could not be easier, really.  You toss the ingredients together, stir, and plop dollops of the dough onto a hot pan.  Flip.  Done!  They're essentially pancakes, but somehow, magically, they turn into scones in the pan.  They are slightly sweet (made less so depending on how much sugar you want to add) and beautifully grainy, turning golden and crumbly as they cook.  I used a combination of buckwheat and millet flour, but I think you could try it with any other grainy gluten-free flours (such as sorghum).  They even hold up pretty well; I was able to cut them in half and make an egg sandwich out of one, and it didn't fall apart in my hands as so many gluten-free breads tend to do.  I made them a bit sweet, so they turned out tasting like more like a teatime snack than real bread, but they were delicious nonetheless!  Perfect drizzled with honey or with strawberry jam spread over a piece hot from the stove.

Buckwheat Millet Griddle Scones  (Adapted from "The South African Cookbook for Allergies and Food Intolerance")

½ cup buckwheat flour

½ cup millet flour

¼ cup fine maize meal

Dash of salt

1/8 – ¼ cup raw brown sugar, depending on how sweet you want them to be

¼ tsp. baking powder

100 ml water

15 ml oil

1 medium egg, beaten

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  In a separate bowl, combine the water, oil, and egg and mix well.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix to form a soft, sticky dough.

Heat a nonstick frying pan on high until hot.  Rub a little oil into the palms of your hands and shape 6 flat cakes from the dough.  Place 3 at a time in the frying pan and close the lid.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Cook scones for 3 – 4 minutes and then cook on the other side for another 4 minutes.  Serve piping hot; split and serve as preferred.  You can also store these in the fridge

Maple and Vanilla Almond Macaroons

I've ended up having to give most of these cookies away by now out of fear that I would end up consuming them entirely on my own.  That is the occupational hazard of living alone and loving to cook and bake, I suppose.  You end up with lots of delicious food that you want to eat, but then comes the inevitable sense of guilt and gluttony as you lose count of the number of freshly baked, soft, and wonderful cookies you have eaten as you stand waiting for the rest of the cookies to bake.

These are delicious little gems, small and light enough that you can eat many without feeling too bad about it.  I tried making them with maple extract and vanilla extract, but you could also experiment with any other flavors/essences you might enjoy.  You could even try them with ground hazelnuts instead of almonds.  Try placing a few chocolate chips onto the cookies straight from the oven for another twist, even though they are just as good plain as they are with icing.  They are soft and chewy right from the oven, but they harden a bit when cooled (but remain pleasantly chewy).  I baked them for exactly 15 minutes, turning the tray in the oven halfway through, and removed them from the hot pan immediately to cool. 

Maple and Vanilla Almond Macaroons

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla essence OR 1 packet vanilla sugar
1 - 2 tsp. maple extract (if desired)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup icing sugar

1 - 2 tsp. pure lemon juice OR 5 ml finely grated lemon rind

2 cups ground almonds

For icing toppings: (optional)
10 – 15 ml icing sugar for decoration

50 g dark chocolate + 2 tbsp. soy milk

Beat egg, essence and cinnamon together.  Gradually add the icing sugar, still beating.  Beat the mixture until fluffy.  If you are making maple macaroons, add the 1 - 2 tsp. maple extract, depending on your own taste.  If you are making plain vanilla macaroons, omit the maple extract.  

If you are using lemon juice instead of lemon rind, add it to the wet mixture now; otherwise, mix the lemon rind and almonds together.  Add to the egg mixture bit by bit, beating well after each adition.  The mixture will become crumbly.  Knead the crumbly mixture until pliable.  Cover and leave for 15 minutes. 

Roll into walnut-sized balls.  Place on a greased and lined baking sheet.  Press the balls down slightly, allowing space for spreading.  If desired, sift a little icing sugar over macaroons.   

Bake at 180 C/350 F for about 15 minutes, until crisp.  Allow to cool.   

For chocolate topping:  In a small bowl, microwave the chocolate pieces with the few tablespoons of soy milk until completely melted.  Spread onto the cooled vanilla macaroons and allow to cool and harden completely.  

For maple frosting:  In a small bowl, combine icing sugar, water, and maple extract until a thick paste forms.  Spread over the maple macaroons and allow to cool and harden completely.

Store in an airtight container. 

Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn

This recipe makes me think of the enormous kettles of popcorn produced at autumn festivals, where a large man stands wrapped in a heavy flannel jacket stirring a cauldron full of steaming, sugary popcorn with a spoon as tall as me.  That was the inspiration for this recipe.  I have to give credit to my friend Lisa, who suggested adding the sugar at the beginning of the process instead of after the popcorn had already popped.  So in this recipe, the brown sugar is cooked right into the popcorn, creating an addictively crunchy coating, and is balanced perfectly by the salt added at the end.  It's hard to stop eating this - really hard.  Even when the bowl is empty, it's so tempting to make another batch.  I have eaten batches (yes, plural....) of this in lieu of dinner before.  Not my proudest or healthiest moments, for sure, but I can't say that they were my worst, either.  This popcorn is great to make for movie night, or for a snack to have out for company.  And it's so simple to make! 

Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn

4 - 6 tbsp. sunflower oil
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
1/3 cup raw brown sugar
salt to taste

Pour enough oil to coat the bottom of a thick-bottomed pot and add 4 popcorn kernels and place over high heat.  Wait until one of the kernels pops, then add the rest of the popcorn kernels and the brown sugar.  Stir well together, and then place a tight-fitting lid onto the pot.  Get ready to shake....

Take a thick towel and grab the pot by its sides, and - being sure to hold the lid down tight - start shaking the pot every 30 - 45 seconds to avoid burning the sugar.  Each time, after you've shaken the pot for about 5 - 10 seconds, replace it immediately back onto high heat and continue to cook.  Continue doing this even when it starts to pop, until the kernels are no longer popping.  Remove immediately from the pot and place into a large bowl.  Add salt according to taste and let cool for about 5 minutes to allow the sugar to harden.  Break the pieces apart with your hands and serve!

Can be stored in an airtight container for several days.

Creamy Butternut Soup with Chickpeas

Food can taunt you.  In particular, a certain butternut squash that has been sitting on my kitchen counter for several weeks can taunt me.  Every time I walked into the kitchen, I felt a pang of guilt about not having used it. It sat there, lying motionless on its side, somehow always in my line of sight.  Whole.  Uneaten. 

Finally, I caved.  I got out my peeler and the biggest knife I had and chopped it up.  I roasted it in the oven.  And then I made it into a delicious soup.

This is the perfect soup to warm your body and your soul on a crisp fall evening.  The seasons are turning here in Swaziland; the summer rains are subsiding, and the cold fronts are creeping up on us daily, lingering longer each day.  It makes you want to come home and sit in front of a fire, sipping hot cider and reading a thick book in front of jumping, soothing, warm flames .  

You'll think about that as you eat this soup, of how comforting it is in its thickness and heartiness.  And how much of autumn it evokes. 

Creamy Butternut Soup with Chickpeas

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 small onion, chopped very finely

1 small golden delicious apple, peeled and chopped very finely

3 tbsp. minced garlic or 4 -6 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes, roasted

½ tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. oregano

1 small bay leaf

Dash of cayenne pepper

Vegetable or chicken broth to cover (about 1 – 2 cups)

1 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed

¼ - ½ cup coconut milk (to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooked rice (brown or jasmine) – optional

Preheat the oven to 450 F.  Peel and dice the butternut squash, toss with a small amount of the olive oil, and place in a glass baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, stirring as needed to prevent sticking.  Remove from oven and set aside.

In a pot, heat the remaining olive oil and add the diced onion and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes.  Add the diced apple and continue to stir for another 3 – 5 minutes, or until the onions become translucent.  Add the roasted butternut squash, cinnamon, oregano, bay leaf, and cayenne pepper and stir.  Cover with the vegetable or chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Cover the pot and reduce to a simmer, continuing to cook for another 10 – 15 minutes or until you are happy with the taste and consistency. 

If you have a hand mixer, you can puree the soup that way, or you can puree it in batches in a blender.  If you are like me and don’t have either, just take a fork or potato masher and smash it manually.  Add the chickpeas once you like the consistency, and then the coconut milk to your own taste.  Continue to adjust the seasonings, and be sure that the coconut flavor does not overpower the butternut flavor.  Add salt and pepper to taste, place into bowls, and sprinkle some parsley on top to serve.

If desired, add some cooked brown rice into the pot before serving, or serve with some crispy quinoa crackers. 

Almost fat-free Oatmeal Cookies

If you are gluten-free and miss oatmeal cookies...read on.

If you are a consumer of gluten and love oatmeal cookies, you can keep reading, too.

These taste just like the real thing.  No butter and no oil, yet they turned out moist and full of oatmeal cookie flavor.  I made several different varieties: chocolate chip, cranberry-raisin, dried figs with chopped hazelnuts, and maple pecan (for this, I added an extra teaspoon or two of maple extract with the chopped pecans).  They all turned out delicious, and the only dangerous thing is having them around the house, practically demanding to be eaten en masse.

Almost Fat-free Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup mashed bananas (3 medium ripe bananas, mashed)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla or maple extract
2 tbsp. honey
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 ½ cups flour (1/2 cup millet flour, ½ cup tapioca starch, 1/4 cup potato starch, ¼ cup brown rice flour, ½ cup buckwheat flour, ½ cup sorghum flour)
½ cup shredded coconut
2 ½  cups gluten-free rolled oats
2 cups raisins, dried cranberries, nuts, chopped dates, chopped figs, hazelnuts, or chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Cream together the mashed bananas and sugars.  Add the vanilla/maple extract and honey and stir well.  

In a small mixing bowl, mix together the flours, salt, and baking soda.  Add them, little by little, to the wet ingredients, mixing well.  Add the coconut and oats and continue to mix well.  


In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they are white with stiff peaks (you can do this with a hand mixer or roll up your sleeves and give your arm a workout).  Fold the egg whites into the rest of the cookie batter as gently as possible.

If you are making the whole batch the same way, then add the ingredients of your choice - raisins, cranberries, nuts, or chocolate chips.  However, if you want to end up with several different varieties, then separate the batter and mix the ingredients of your choice in.

Place the dough in the refrigerator for an hour or two, or in the freezer for 30 - 45 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350 F and place about 2 tbsp. of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 10 - 14 minutes, or until the edges are just turning brown.  Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before serving.  They'll harden a bit as they cool, so it's ok for them to look a little undercooked when they come out of the oven!

Lemon Sponge Cake with Jam Filling

This is a cake that I resurrected this year for Passover in Swaziland.  I was able to attend two Seder dinners, and I made this for one of them because there was not much else I could make here in terms of desserts.  This one, though, is simplicity at its best: few ingredients, few steps, and the result is an incredibly light, fluffy, and wonderful lemony dessert.  Usually when my mother makes this, we just have it plain and serve it with strawberries, but I tried it this time with a layer of jam in the middle and it was fantastic!  Everyone seemed to enjoy the taste!  And if you are like me and don't have an electric mixer, you'll end up building your upper arm strength when you beat the egg whites into stiff peaks.  Totally worth it, no question.

Lemon Sponge Cake with Jam Filling

7 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup potato starch, sifted
dash of salt

Jam of your choice (strawberry and raspberry would work especially well)

Separate six of the eggs. Beat the six yolks and the one whole egg until frothy. Gradually add sifted sugar and lemon juice, beating constantly and thoroughly. Then gradually add sifted potato starch, stirring constantly to ensure thorough blending. Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff but not dry. Fold gently but thoroughly into egg-yolk mixture. Place in ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake in a moderate oven (350 F) about 55 minutes or until cake springs back when touched gently with fingers. Invert pan and cool thoroughly before removing cake. 

I do not actually have a tube pan in Swaziland, so I used a very deep 8" x 8" nonstick cake pan, and it works just fine as long as you still invert it until it is cooled. 

Once cake has been removed, cut it in half carefully using a long knife.  Set the top half aside on a piece of wax paper.  Spread the jam of your choice generously over the bottom half and replace the top half of the cake again.

If you want to have a lemon glaze, mix together powdered sugar with lemon juice and potato or arrowroot starch until you get a good consistency.

1/2 c. powdered sugar (make sure there is no cornstarch in this if you want this to be kosher!)
1 tsp. potato or arrowroot starch, and more if needed
3 tsp. lemon juice
water to desired consistency

 Drizzle over the cake and let harden before serving.

PB&J/N/H Bars; or Peanut Butter Bars with Jam, Nutella, or Honey

Perhaps I should just say first that these were gone immediately.  I just consider myself very lucky that I had two friends over to help me eat them or I might have consumed the entire pan, which would have been only fleeting joy, I'm sure.  So just consider yourself warned - if you keep reading, you will very likely end up with a highly tempting and addictive pan of cookie bars.  

I adapted these from a recipe on Our Best Bites - the link to the original post, "Peanut Butter & Jam Bars," can be found here.

I know I have written of my undying love of all things involving peanut butter before.  I love it in all forms, and there are many variations that I enjoy.  Peanut butter with jam; peanut butter with honey; peanut butter with nutella; peanut butter with marshmallow fluff (yes, that's right); and perhaps my favorite of all, peanut butter with maple butter.

So I decided, why limit myself to only one of these variations simply because it's the one in the original title?  As I measured, spooned, sifted, and stirred, the delicious smell of peanut butter began to waft up at me, and I knew I couldn't.  I rummaged around in my cabinet and pulled out some nutella-like chocolate spread I found in the store here, as well as a jar of special Swazi-made creamed honey.  After spreading half the batter into the bottom of the pan, I spread nutella, honey, and strawberry jam on top, divided into three sections, and then covered it with the rest of the batter before sticking it in the oven.

Forty minutes later, it came out of the oven looking a bit like a piece of patchwork due to the different consistencies, but smelling mouth-watering.  We let it cool for as long as we could stand not to eat them, and then my friends and I each tried all three kinds.  Shari and I agreed that our favorite in terms of taste was by far the peanut butter and honey, although as it cooled, it took on a somewhat caramel-like texture that wasn't as easy to eat.  As for Joe, he liked the traditional PB&J variation (this is the same Joe of the recent Sweet Potato French Fries post).  The nutella one had its moments, but was not heavy enough on the nutella and thus suffered in the rankings.  With a little extra nutella though, the chocolate flavor would be more noticeable and I'm sure the taste would be more balanced.

What is comes down to is that all three varieties were delicious, fantastic, addictive, wonderful.  Need I go on?  Within 15 minutes, two-thirds of the pan had disappeared, and a mere 2 hours later (after a short gorging hiatus), there was nary a crumb to be found.  If you love peanut butter, this is the dessert you've been waiting for.

PB&J/N/H Bars (Peanut Butter Bars with Jam, Nutella, or Honey)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar (I used raw sugar)

1/2 cup gluten-free margarine, Spectrum organic shortening, or butter if you can eat it

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (or crunchy if you prefer)

1 large egg

2 tsp. gluten-free vanilla

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/3 cup potato starch

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Dash of salt

1/3 cup strawberry jam (or raspberry, or your favorite)

1/4 cup honey (creamed is best, but regular will work as well)

1/4 cup nutella spread or chocolate chunks

Gluten-free non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C.  Spray a glass 8" x 8" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl, cream the margarine and sugars together.  Add the peanut butter and mix well.  Add the egg and vanilla and continue to beat until smooth.

In a separate small bowl, combine the sorghum flour, brown rice flour, and potato starch with the xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and dash of salt.  Add little by little to the wet mixture, stirring very well to combine.  Batter should be light and fluffy.

Place spoonfuls of the batter into the bottom of the baking dish, then using a spoon or spatula, spread them so they cover the entire pan.  Spread your toppings evenly onto the base in whatever proportions you prefer (if you use nutella, be sure to pile it on so the chocolate flavor will come out!), and then drop the remaining batter on top, once again in spoonfuls to ensure even coverage.  Use the spatula again to spread the batter evenly over the toppings.  Place in the oven and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until the dough is firmly set and slightly browned.  Be careful not to overcook!  The edges should be a lovely brown.  Remove from oven and let cool for as long as you can before devouring them.

Note:  The honey in mine boiled in the oven and created a sort of honey fountain over the dough, so be careful to keep an eye so that it doesn't spill over into your oven.  It also became a little harder as it cooled, so you might want to eat these while still warm.  These were my favorite of the three!

Note:  I made these in an 8x8 pan, which gives them some nice height; I'm not sure they would turn out as well spread any thinner than that, such as in a 9" x 13" pan.

Crunchy Nutty Honey-kissed Granola

Being gluten-free means being a cook and a baker by default.  I rarely eat any processed foods that come out of a package ready-to-eat anymore.  For me, spending time in the kitchen preparing my meals in advance has become second nature, and I've since forgotten the convenience of being able to pick something off of a store shelf and eat it.

I have my standard recipes that I make over and over again, partly out of convenience and habit.  And I love them.  But it's not that I eat these things out of sheer convenience; I happen to enjoy the tastes I've perfected in these dishes to the point where they have become default comfort meals.  Being a person of routine only supports this; if I find something I love to eat for breakfast, which is also healthy, chances are I will eat it every single day without ever getting bored with it.  I appreciate the consistency - and the flavor - in that.

But sometimes, it can be a very good thing to leave the comfortable food arena and to experiment a little bit, even if it means just a tweak to what you've been doing.  That's how this granola came about: it was a departure.  As I was preparing to make my weekly batch of granola, I found that I was almost out of buckwheat flakes, and after surveying my cabinets, decided to experiment a bit with a mixture of grains and nuts that I had on hand.  What resulted was a deliciously flaky and crumbly granola that packs a protein punch and is the perfect way to start the morning.

Crunchy Nutty Honey-Kissed Granola

1/3 cup buckwheat flakes

1/3 cup rice flakes

1/3 cup gluten-free oats

1/2 cup coconut flakes

3 tbsp. sunflower seeds

2 tbsp. linseeds

3 tbsp. buckwheat flour

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 - 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup chopped mixed nuts (I used crushed hazelnuts, almond slivers, and chopped cashew pieces)

1/3 cup dried cranberries (or favorite dried fruit of your choice)

3/4 cup honey

3 tbsp. macadamia nut butter (optional)

2 - 3 tsp. gluten-free vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Spray a glass 8 x 8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients (everything but the honey, macadamia nut butter, and vanilla).  Combine well.

In a small saucepan, mix the honey, macadamia nut butter, and vanilla and heat over a medium flame, stirring frequently, until the mixture turns thin and starts to bubble. Pour the honey mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix in very thoroughly.  Spread the mixture into the baking dish evenly, and place in the preheated oven for 20 - 35 minutes, depending on how soft or crunchy you prefer your granola to be.

Serve with soy milk, over fruit, with non-dairy yogurt, or plain!

Stovetop Barbecue Chicken

Sometimes you want some good, barbecue chicken, with some roasted corn on the cob and mashed potatoes. 

But sometimes, you find yourself in Swaziland, without a grill, and without barbecue sauce.

No problem.

This is a very simple recipe, but one that satisfied the craving I was feeling for a good piece of seared chicken slathered with a rich sauce with some depth to it.  This sauce definitely has depth. 

Stovetop Barbecue Chicken

1 batch Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce
2 chicken breasts
1 - 2 tbsp. olive oil
3 - 5 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Dried oregano flakes

In a nonstick pan, heat the oil.  Put the balsamic vinegar into a shallow bowl and dip the chicken breasts in, covering them.  Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried oregano flakes to your own taste onto both sides and place the chicken into the hot pan.  Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, then flip the chicken breasts.  Add a little more balsamic vinegar to the pan while they are cooking and flip the chicken breasts to coat.

Meanwhile, make the barbecue sauce; stir the ketchup, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and a little garlic powder together and bring to a simmer.  Add your favorite kind of jam and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens and has the taste you want.  Set aside until the chicken is ready.

After the chicken has been cooked for about 8 - 9 minutes, remove from the pan to a plate or cutting board briefly.  Use a sharp knife to cut the chicken breasts into thin slices, and return the slices to the pan.  Continue to cook over medium-high heat for another few minutes, adding another few teaspoons of balsamic vinegar to the pan, until all pieces are completely cooked and the sides of each slice have been browned and seared. 

If desired, arrange in a baking dish, spread with the barbecue sauce, and bake in a 400 F oven for about 15 more minutes.  Alternatively, place onto a serving dish, drizzle the barbecue sauce over them, and serve immediately with rice, mashed potatoes, quinoa, or any other sides of your choice.