Quick and Easy Grilled "Cheese"

Cheese.  Melty, gooey, stringy cheese.  

Ok, it's not really cheese.  But I swear, it tastes and acts so much like it you won't be able to tell much of a difference.

My second attempt at gluten-free bread in my new breadmaker was a loaf of challah bread that I first posted about two years ago.  It came out beautifully - soft, chewy, and sliceable.  I'll be posting more about that one later.  

But did I mention it's sliceable?  As in, it doesn't fall apart when you try to eat it.  Something we take for granted with regular bread.  And that opens you up to a whole array of new recipes.

Like grilled cheese.  This is so simple, and so quick to make, and you can modify it any way you want and it will still be great.  (See below for some extra-good modifications).  The combination of the Daiya cheese with a bit of mayo makes the filling extra creamy and melty.  Serve by itself or with tomato soup.  If you were like me as a kid, maybe you ate it with ketchup (I know, I know - it probably sounds disgusting to those who haven't tried it.....but I remember it being oh-so-good that way!).

So slice up some of your favorite bread - the best kind for this grilled cheese is a softer white bread - and get cooking.  Get melting.

Quick and Easy Grilled "Cheese"

2 slices of soft, white bread (like challah)

1 tbsp. gluten-free margarine (I used Earth Balance)

1-2 tbsp. Veganaise or regular gluten-free Mayonnaise

1/2 - 3/4 cup shredded Daiya Vegan Cheese (either mozzarella or cheddar will work)

Garlic powder (optional)

In a small bowl, mix the Veganaise and shredded Daiya Vegan Cheese together.  If you want a garlic kick, add some garlic powder to taste; otherwise, omit.  Spread the gluten-free margarine on one side of each slice of bread. 

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Place the bread, margarine side down, in the skillet.  Immediately spread the cheese/Veganaise mixture evenly onto both slices.  Cook for 3 - 5 minutes, or until both pieces of bread are nicely browned and the cheese mixture has started to melt.  Carefully take one of the pieces of bread and flip it onto the other so the sandwich is formed.  Continue to cook over low heat until all the cheese is melted.  

Serve immediately (with tomato soup or alone!). 

Some especially delicious modifications include:

-Spread both slices of bread with your favorite dairy-free pesto before adding the cheese.

-Add fresh basil leaves to the cheese mixture.

-Arrange roasted red peppers onto the slices of bread while they are cooking.

-Add slices of tomato to the sandwich just before serving.

-Serve with tomato soup or any other favorite soup.

Multigrain Breadmaker Bread by the Gluten Free Goddess

You know how gluten-free bread sometimes withers under the heat of the oven?  How it looks so full of yeasty promise, only to deflate disappointingly once you attempt to actually bake it?

I've been hearing rumblings of the wonders that a breadmaker can work on gluten-free bread, and as I was lucky enough to inherit a Breadman Breadmaker from my cousin recently, I decided to try out a recipe from Karina's website (always trustworthy) in my first attempt to use it.  She raves about her Multigrain Bread in her blog, and so I decided to give it a try.  I followed her recipe pretty exactly, using real eggs instead of egg replacer and used all water for proofing the yeast instead of using half non-dairy milk.  I also left out the seeds on top (and I only did that because I stuck this in the breadmaker at an ungodly hour of the night after a marathon paper-writing session and promptly fell asleep before it was time to add the seeds on top).

The result?  Mine was a little dry, but made a beautiful piece of toast spread with sweet jam.  And it slices!  It slices without falling apart!  I'm inclined to blame myself for the slightly dry texture because I originally only used 1 cup of warm water to proof the yeast since I'm not cooking at a high altitude like Karina was.  I think next time I'll use the full 1 1/4 cup and see if it turns out to be any moister.  Overall, though, it was a pretty good loaf of bread and held up well in terms of texture, and was particularly good as toast.  I think everyone's breadmaker will be slightly different, so I'd start with Karina's original recipe and then tweak from there.  Even if mine turned out a little dry, it was still eons above some of the store-bought stuff I've choked down.  Thanks for the recipe, Karina!

Chewy Mint Chocolate Cookies

Do you ever miss Thin Mints?

I do.  They were my favorite kind of Girl Scout Cookie (aside from a maple cream one they sold for only one year before yanking it off the market for some inexplicable reason).  The combination of the chocolate and mint - dangerously addictive, and completely delicious.

Well, it's just as hard to stop eating these.  I overbaked the first tray I put in and was extra careful not to repeat that mistake with the rest, standing like a hawk by the oven to pull them out after exactly 9 minutes.  The results?  Chewy, chocolatey, minty, coconuty goodness. (But don't worry - if you hate coconut, you can leave it out and they will still taste awesome.  I tested it out for you.)

I got the idea from the Gluten Free Goddess and tweaked the recipe from her site (which you can find here) based on the ingredients I had on hand.  I also halved her recipe, fearful of the implications of a full batch of chocolate cookies alone with me in my apartment. 

And those fears were justified.  The gooey chocolate chips and chewy coconut are a wonderful combination, and the mint makes them festive somehow.  They'd be perfect for a holiday party!

Try them for yourself and see if anyone you serve these to complains about their being gluten-free.  Dare them to. 

Chewy Mint Chocolate Cookies

1/3 cup Spectrum organic shortening
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼   cup white sugar
1 tbsp. agave nectar
1 egg
7 - 9 tbsp. mint chocolate Silk soy milk (or any other non-dairy chocolate milk)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 -1 ½ tsp. peppermint extract (according to your own taste)
1 ¼  cup of your favorite gluten-free flour blend (I used Montina, but others would work, too)
½  tsp. xanthan gum

¾ tsp. baking powder
½  tsp. baking soda
¼   tsp. salt
¼   cup plus 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
½  cup chocolate chips
½  - 1 cup shredded coconut (optional, but recommended!)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Combine the shortening, sugars, and agave nectar and mix well.  Add the egg, 7 tbsp. of the mint chocolate soy milk, and the vanilla and peppermint extracts. 

In a separate bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.  Add to the liquid mixture, stirring well.  Stir in the chocolate chips and coconut, if desired.  If the batter is too dry, add more mint chocolate soymilk by the tablespoonful until the batter is smooth and stiff.

Drop by tablespoon-ful onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 8 - 12 minutes, or just until they are barely cooked all the way through.  I baked mine for about 9 minutes.  Do not overbake!  They may not look completely done when you pull them out of the oven.  Allow to rest for 2 - 3 minutes on the hot cookie sheet, then remove to a cooling rack or plate.