Raspberry Chipotle Taco Meat

Here is an absolutely delectable spin on taco meat for the next time you're the mood to try something new.  The flavor in this is amazing - it is sweet and spicy, and the smokiness of the ground chipotle peppers adds a startling depth.  It is fabulous.  

I made it with some of my black raspberry mango jam, but really, any dark berry jam would work (especially some variation of raspberry, cranberry, blueberry or blackberry).  I didn't have any taco shells or corn tortillas, so I whipped up some garlic potato fritters and ate mine over one of those (as pictured), but I think this would be wonderful as a filling for a cheesy quesadilla or over rice.

I can't wait to eat the leftovers.  Seriously - if it sounds good to you, chances are you'll love this. 

Raspberry Chipotle Taco Meat

1 tsp. oil
1/2 white onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, diced (optional)
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 lb. ground turkey
3 tbsp. gluten-free reduced sodium soy sauce
4 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. minced onion
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
1/2 tsp. ground chipotle pepper (or add 2 - 3 dried chipotle peppers, sliced open)
2 tbsp. dark berry jam
1/2 - 3/4 cup water


Combine all of the spices and brown sugar in a bowl and mix well.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion and jalapeno peppers (if you are using them).  Cook for 4 minutes or so, then add the minced garlic and continue to cook until the onions are tender.  Add the ground turkey and cook until it is done, stirring well and breaking it up into small pieces.  If desired, drain the excess fat and return to the heat.

Add the spice mixture, soy soy sauce, jam, and water and bring to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until it is thick (it may be a bit sticky because of the jam).  Serve immediately in tacos or quesadillas.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Mexican Chipotle Pulled Chicken

I say Mexican, you say....tacos?  Burritos?  Guacamole?  Salsa and chips?  While I love all of the above, there are times when I feel a pull towards a different kind of Mexican.  One that I don't taste very often, and which is full of simple -- but powerful -- flavors.  One that normally, I would have to go to a Mexican restaurant to find.  But that can be such a pain - finding a restaurant that can prepare something gluten-free, where there's no danger of cross-contamination?  I'm sure they're out there, but honestly, it's usually easier to make your own meal from scratch.

So that's what I did.  I recently became a fan of Pati's Mexican Table, a wonderful blog featuring recipes that will seriously make you drool as you click from page to page.  I started with her recipe for Chicken Tinga and modified it a bit, but I think what I ended up with is essentially what she did.  The sauce becomes smoky and flavorful with the chipotle peppers, and I let mine simmer for so long that the flavors had time to blend together in a truly fantastic way.  Pati suggests making it one layer in a stack of ingredients that make up tostados, but I ate it for at least five dinners in a row as you see it pictured here, in a crispy garlic pepper quesadilla with some melted Daiya cheese.  But it was also good over brown rice, with tortilla chips, or even on its own.  I can't imagine guacomole would be a bad idea.  I passed the recipe on to my cousin and got a text several days later telling me how fantastic it was.  I think you'll feel the same way.




Mexican Chipotle Pulled Chicken (Adapted from Chicken Tinga from Pati's Mexican Kitchen)
Serves 4 - 5


3 chicken tenderloins or 2 small chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
2 tbsp. oil
1/2 white onion, cut into thin slivers
4 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
1 32 oz. can diced or whole tomatoes in juice (or 6 - 8 roma tomatoes, chopped)
2 small tomatillos, chopped
1/2 can mild green chilies
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 - 1 tsp. dried thyme
1 - 2 tsp. sea salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper (if desired)
3 - 4 dried chipotle peppers, chopped into halves or thirds

Boil the chicken in salted water and then pull apart to shred.  Set aside.

In a food processor, blend the tomatoes and tomatillos until very smooth.  Set aside.

In a large pan, heat the oil.  Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes, then add the garlic and continue to saute for another 3 - 4 minutes (but be careful not to burn the garlic!).  Pour the tomato mixture in and stir in the spices and chipotle peppers.  Bring to a low boil and then reduce to simmer, covered, for about 30 - 40 minutes, or until you are happy with the flavor.

Add the shredded chicken and continue to cook over medium-low heat until it is very thick (or at least, no longer liquidy).  Remove to serve.

For pulled chicken quesadillas:

Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and sprinkle garlic powder and ground pepper across the bottom.  Place a corn tortilla on the skillet and press into the spices so they stick to it.  Sprinkle some Daiya cheese (or your favorite cheese alternative) over the tortilla and cook over medium-high heat until the tortilla is nice and crisp and the cheese is melted.  Spread 1/4 - 1/3 cup of the hot pulled chicken onto one half of the tortilla and fold over.  Serve immediately with guacamole, sour cream alternative, and/or salsa, if desired.  Also delicious on its own!

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Pad Thai

I cannot remember the last time I had Pad Thai.  It's not something I ordered very often in Thai restaurants to begin with, being much more of a coconut curry fan, but there's something about obtaining a bottle of gluten-free soy sauce that makes you feel adventurous and ambitious.  All of a sudden, you crave Pad Thai for the simple reason that now, you can eat Pad Thai. 

A quick survey of my kitchen revealed that conditions were perfect for my first attempt at this dish.  I had a bottle of tamarind sauce from an international grocery shopping spree of long ago, a bag of scallions in the freezer, frozen chicken tenderloins, stir-fry rice noodles, and several cloves of garlic.  And that new bottle of soy sauce.  It was a done deal - Pad Thai was happening.

I looked up a few recipes to get a general sense of what to do and then started frying.  I make no claims that this is a remotely authentic method of preparation, but what I can say is that my kitchen quickly started to smell amazing, and what resulted lived up to the smell.  This comes together pretty quickly and is easily doubled if you're cooking for more than one.  Whether this is an old favorite or you're developing a new taste like I was, I think you'll love this recipe.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Pad Thai
Makes 1 serving

Small handful of Stir-Fry Rice Noodles (just enough for 1 serving)
1 - 2 tsp. olive oil
1 small chicken tenderloin, chopped into small pieces (or about half of a chicken breast)
1-2 scallions
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. crushed cashews or peanuts
1 tbsp. reduced sodium gluten-free soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. tamarind sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 - 2 tsp. lime juice
Ground black pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper to taste
Salt (optional - you probably won't need it because of the soy sauce)
1 egg


*If you have a wok, that will be the optimal pan to use, but a nonstick pan will work just as well.

Place the rice noodles in a bowl and pour several cups of boiling water over them.  Set the timer for 8 minutes and let them soak.  You want them to be soft but not too soft; otherwise, they'll break up in the pan when you fry them.  When they are al dente, drain them and set aside.  If you aren't going to be using them right away, you might want to cover them in the interim with a bit of cold water to keep them from sticking to each other.

In a nonstick pan or wok, heat the oil.  Add the garlic, scallions, cashews, and chicken and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.  Add the cooked noodles, soy sauce, tamarind sauce, sugar, lime juice, and spices and cook until the sauce is mostly absorbed.  Push it all to the side of the pan and crack the egg into the open space.  Quickly scramble it, keeping it on that side of the pan until done, and then mix to combine it with the rest of the ingredients.  Serve immediately topped with another squirt of lime juice and crushed cashews or peanuts.

Chocolate Blackberry Protein Bars

I'm writing this from the throes of a gluten reaction, so this post will be pretty short and sweet.  I've been meaning to post about these for a while now, though, and since I've been otherwise terrifically unproductive today, I'll feel better if I've at least been able to share the recipe with you. 

You may be wondering why I've classified a protein bar as a dessert.  But these are switch hitters.  They strike that delicate balance between being healthy and being, well, dessert-y.  But trust me, they are as delicious as they are easy to make.  You can decide for yourself just how healthy they are, but my own opinion is that the sugar from the jam and chocolate chips is more or less canceled out by the dense, protein-filled, plain chickpea flour base.  I'm convinced that it all has to do with some complex mathematical culinary equation.  Which, of course, means that you can eat way more of them under the guise of their being secretly healthy.  If my friends and I are any indication, it will just take one bite for you and your friends to be hooked.

Chocolate Blackberry Protein Bars
Makes one 8 x 8 pan

1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water
1 tsp. salt
4 - 6 tbsp. blackberry jam
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp. sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Spray a nonstick 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray.

Combine the chickpea flour, water and salt in a small bowl and mix until all clumps are gone.  Pour into the pan and spread evenly.

Sprinkle in the chocolate chips evenly over the whole pan.  Microwave the jam for 20 - 30 seconds until softened, then drizzle it over the batter.  Use a fork or knife to swirl it in evenly.  If desired, sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon evenly over the batter.

Bake at 425 F for 15 - 20 minutes, or just until slightly browned at the edges and cooked through.  Remove from the oven and let cool before serving.  Cut into pieces and store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  They are best if warmed slightly before eating.

Teff Stovetop Flatbread

Several weeks ago, I came across a recipe for 30-minute flatbread on the Gluten-free Cooking School's website, and I've been meaning to share my modification of it with you ever since.  I decided to experiment with making it more whole-grain with teff and sorghum flour, and because I had also been talking with a friend about her recent experiments with stovetop flatbread pizzas, opted to cook it in a skillet instead of in the oven.

It was so. good.  This had one of the best tastes I've ever had in a gluten-free bread, and the texture is amazing, with a perfect balance between the dense whole grains and the fluffy starch.  And it bends.  You know, without crumbling to pieces.  It is a very quick and easy way to put bread on the table that, well, tastes like real bread (as if that is too much to ask).  I have used this to make stovetop pizzas, as a bread to scoop up stew, and wrapped around a hot dog as a sort of bun.  You can definitely make this in the oven instead of on the stove if you want.  It's fantastic either way!

Teff Stovetop Flatbread (Adapted from this recipe from the Gluten-free Cooking School)

1/2 cup teff flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 eggs

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.  In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients and mix.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix to combine.

Spray a nonstick cooking skillet with cooking spray and put over medium heat.  To make each flatbread:  scoop out about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of dough and spread it evenly around the pan to make a flatbread.  Cover the skillet with a lid to make a sort of makeshift stovetop oven and cook for 4 - 5 minutes (until browned).  Flip, then cook for another 4 - 5 minutes or until cooked completely through.  Remove from pan.  Serve immediately if desired.

To bake in oven:  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spray two 8x8 pans with cooking spray and divide the dough into two halves.  Spread each half of the dough evenly across the bottom of the pans.  Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes or until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan.  Remove from the oven and slice to serve immediately.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for several months.

Serving suggestions:
-Eat plain!  It's delicious.
-Top with your favorite pizza toppings and melt some Daiya cheese on top for a stovetop pizza.
-Fold in half to make a hot dog or hamburger bun.
-Fold in half to make a lavash-style wrap.
-Top with peanut butter and jelly.

Decadent Fudge Brownies

I'm not going to lie to you. These are NOT healthy brownies.  There are no black beans hidden in them to give you a protein boost; there's no banana or applesauce to replace the fat.  No cocoa powder to cut some of the calories, and no agave nectar to replace white sugar.  These are full-on chocolate fudge brownies.  If you're looking for a healthy brownie, you may want to excuse yourself and find a different recipe.

But for the rest of you, these are probably exactly what you're looking for.  They are chewy, fudgey, and dense.  They taste illicit.  And they are addictive.  I brought them to a dinner party with three friends, and we scarfed them down as if we hadn't just eaten a full meal minutes before.  We looked up at each other at one point, and one of my friends said with wide eyes, "I think I just ate four of those.  And not four small ones, either."  By that time, I think the rest of us had lost count of how many we had eaten.  That should probably tell you how fantastic these are.

I tend to like my brownies extra-fudgey and underbake them a bit to get that texture (just by a few minutes), but you can bake these a bit longer if you want to try for a more cake-y texture (although I have not tried it myself).  Either way, this is one recipe that mimics its gluten counterpart to a tee, and in my opinion, may even surpass it.  And it's appropriate for moderate to hardcore chocolate fans. 

Decadent Fudge Brownies
Makes a 9 x 13 inch pan

4 oz.(1 stick) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, sliced into 1-inch pieces
8 oz. Trader Joe's Pound Plus 72% Chocolate
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond flour
1/8 cup sorghum flour
1/8 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Optional toppings to swirl into batter:
4 tbsp. creamy peanut butter (optional)
4 tbsp. Marshmallow Fluff (optional)
4 tbsp. blackberry or raspberry jam (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with foil or spray with cooking spray.

Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water; stir frequently until chocolate and butter are melted.  Alternatively, place them in the microwave for 2 - 4 minutes, stirring frequently to break up the clumps of chocolate.  Let cool for 10 minutes (til they are about at room temperature).

Stir the sugar into the melted chocolate until combined. Stir in the eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. Whisk in the vanilla. 

In a small bowl, combine the almond flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, and salt.  Gently fold the mixture into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth top.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and pres lightly into the batter.  If you want some extra special brownies, swirl in Marshmallow Fluff, peanut butter, and/or jam with a knife.

Bake until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, anywhere from 35-45 minutes (I baked mine for 39 minutes or so). Start checking them after about 30 minutes to gauge how quickly they are baking so you don't overbake them.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.  Slice and serve once cooled.  Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze; reheat before serving.  Delicious served with vanilla or peppermint ice cream.

Noodle Omelette

Has anyone perfected the amount of noodles to make for one serving?  I often add just a few too many to the pot by mistake and end up with a little container with the unused ones sitting in my fridge.  They sit there, plain, sauceless, and sadly forgotten.  Too few in number to be a full serving of pasta, but too many to throw away.

The other day, determined not to let them go to waste, I got a little experimental.  I tossed them in a bowl, added an egg, some frozen kale, and Daiya cheese.  I crossed my fingers and poured it all into a hot skillet, forming it into a pancake-like omelette.  And what resulted was pretty delicious, I have to say.  It was so simple to make and accomplished simultaneous goals of using up leftovers (thus avoiding the guilt of throwing food away) and having a meal on the table quickly (it took me all of 5 minutes from start to finish).  So if you're like me and have some leftover noodles taunting you from the fridge, give this a try!

Noodle Omelette
Makes 1

1/3 - 1/2 cup cooked brown rice noodles
1 egg
1/4 cup frozen kale or spinach
2 -3 tbsp. soy creamer
1/4 cup Daiya Vegan Cheese
Salt and Pepper

Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and preheat over medium heat.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Pour into the skillet and cook for 2 - 4 minutes, or until the omelette is set.  Flip it over carefully and continue to cook until the egg is cooked through.  Serve with a fresh salad or on its own.

Ratio Rally: Strawberry Banana Scones with Lemon-Almond Glaze

What do you think of when you hear the word "scones"?  I think of tea.  Proper English teas, with tiny cucumber sandwiches and fancy tiered trays of desserts and small porcelain cups.  I think of raised pinky fingers.

This month, the Gluten-free Ratio Rally took on scones.

It's hard to find a universal ratio for scones.  Michael Ruhlman doesn't lay out a ratio for them.  He gives one for biscuits, but while scones are related, they're really somewhere in their own separate domain.  You can see the family resemblance.  A similar profile; a familiar crumb.  But they have their own thing going on.  They're independent.

So this month was particularly challenging, because not only was I trying to find the right combination of flavors, but I was also trying to find the right ratio at the same time.  To complicate matters, there are different kinds of scones as well - classic scones, cream scones, drop scones....  It's almost enough to make you throw in the towel and just make a cake or cookies instead.  Almost.

I hope it goes without saying that I had my fair share of baking failures this month.  Some were too liquidy, while others were too dry.  (I realize that it's starting to sound like the scones version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but seriously, the consistency was really tough!)  The first batch that actually tasted good turned out to be more like a cake than a scone.  Delicious, yes.  But scones they were not.

But finally came a version that I could dust with flour and pat out into rounds.  I could cut it into pieces and move those pieces to a baking sheet without them falling apart.  And they baked up into wonderful scones which, especially when paired with the lemon-almond glaze, tasted pretty heavenly.  They were dry enough to be, well, scones and crumble apart, but moist enough to actually stay together.  The ratio of flour : liquid : egg : fat I ended up with was 2.5 : 1 : 0.5 : 1.  Kind of a strange ratio, but there it is all the same.

I think it's important to note that the strawberry flavor may not come through very strongly if you don't add the chopped strawberries to the batter.  If you don't want to add them for some reason, I'd add a bit of strawberry extract to make sure that it gets its fair share of the limelight.  Also, I did add chocolate chips to some of these to test out the flavor.  They were really good, although I sort of had the feeling that they were standing between the lemon almond glaze and my palate.  So I've included them in the recipe as optional, and depending on how much you love chocolate and strawberries together, you can take them or leave them.

These are best eaten warm.  Warm from the oven is best (does anyone out there really wait for baked goods to cool before eating them?  I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who goes right in for a taste...right?), but at least microwaved for 10-30 seconds if you're having one from the fridge or freezer.

So here you go.  Put the kettle on - it's time for tea.

Strawberry Banana Scones with Lemon-Almond Glaze
Makes 12 medium scones

For scones:
75 g almond flour
100 g brown rice flour (plus extra for kneading/dusting)
75 g tapioca starch
50 g potato starch
45 g granulated sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
50 g shortening
100 g banana (1 small ripe banana), cut into pieces
100 g pureed strawberries
1 egg or Egg Replacer
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup finely chopped strawberries
Optional: 1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips
Optional: 2 - 4 tbsp. non-dairy milk to

For Lemon Almond Glaze:
60 - 100 g powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. almond extract (this is very strong, so use sparingly and to your own taste!)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 - 3 tsp. cold water (until you have desired consistency)

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and combine well.  Add the shortening and cut it into the flour with a pie cutter.  Add the banana pieces and cut those in the same way.

In a separate bowl, mix together the strawberry puree, egg, and vanilla.  Stir just until combined and then add in the chopped strawberries (if you want, reserve a few to place on top of the scones as they are baking).

Dust a flat surface generously with brown rice flour (this dough will be kind of sticky).  Shape the dough into a circle about 7 - 8 inches in diameter and dust generously with brown rice flour.  Using a large knife, cut it into sixths and place the pieces onto the greased baking sheets.  If desired, press a few strawberry pieces into the top of each one. Using a pastry brush, brush a light coating of the non-dairy milk onto each scone.

Bake at 425 F for 12 - 18 minutes or until firm to the touch and ever-so-lightly browned.  Remove from oven and leave on the hot baking trays for a few minutes to help them solidify more, then remove to a rack to cool.

Drizzle with the lemon almond glaze (see below) when they are completely cooled.  Store in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze.  Warm before serving.

To make Lemon Almond Glaze:
Combine all ingredients and mix well until you have the consistency you want (you want it to be relatively thick so it stays on the scones).  Drizzle over the cooled scones.

If you like scones, you'll want to check out what everyone else came up with this month - they all look pretty fabulous to me!  For a complete list of scone creations from the other gluten-free bloggers in the Ratio Rally, visit Lauren's site, Celiac Teen. She hosted the Gluten-free Ratio Rally this month.

Amie of The Healthy Apple made Rice Crispy Scones
Britt of GF in the City made Blueberry Buttermilk Scones
Brooke of B & the Boy made Coconut scones
Caleigh of Gluten-Free[k] made Scones
Caneel of Mama Me Gluten-Free made Savory Jalapeño Cheese scones
Caroline of The G-Spot made Carrot Raisin Scones with Cinnamon Glaze
Charissa of Zest Bakery made Amaretto-Soaked Cherry and Almond Scones
Erin of the Sensitive Epicure made Millet Scones
Gretchen of Kumquat made Maple Oat Nut Scones
Irvin of Eat the Love made Savory Green Garlic Bacon Thyme Scones with White Pepper Maple Glaze
Jeanette of Jeanette’s Healthy Living made Coconut Pineapple Scones
Jenn of Jenn Cuisine made Banana Apple & Currant Scones
Karen of Cooking Gluten-Free made Oat Scones with Currants
Kate of Katealice Cookbook made Cinnamon Fruit Scones
Lauren of Celiac Teen made Multigrain Scones
Lisa of Gluten-Free Canteen made Bisconies
Lisa of With Style and Grace made Lavender Earl Grey Lemon Scones
Marla of Family Fresh Cooking made Vegan Avocado Scones
Meaghan of Wicked Good Vegan made Simple Scones with Clotted Cream and Strawberry Jam
Melanie of Mindful Food made Hazelnut Cream Scones with Blackberry Jam
Meredith of Gluten Free Betty made Cinnamon Raisin Scones
Mrs. R of Honey from Flinty Rocks made Classic Cream Scones and Almond Fig Scones
Peter and Kelli of No Gluten No Problem made Mesquite Scones
Sea of Book of Yum made Dairy-free Scones
Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef made Currant Scones
Silvana of Silvana’s Kitchen made Pecan Streusel Scones with Cinnamon Drizzle
Tara of A Baking Life made Ginger Scones
TR of No One Likes Crumbley Cookies made Cinnamon Pecan Scones
Wendy of La Phemme Phoodie made Red Velvet Scones
Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen made Coconut Raisin Scones

Sun-dried Tomato, Basil, and Garlic Chickpea Farinata

This is sort of the power bar of bread.  I have written about farinata before, but since then, have experimented more with different flavors, as well as the consistency and how thick to make it.  This is my favorite new version so far - it's not quite as thick and bakes up in just 15 minutes, and it's loaded with the wonderful flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and Italian herbs.  I have used it as a pizza crust, pan-fried it with melted Daiya cheese on top, and eaten it warm from the oven.  But I also find it to be a fantastic snack to bring along with me to munch, as it's full of protein, low in fat, and totally delicious.  The best thing about this recipe is that it is totally adaptable to whatever flavors you feel like in that moment.  Just start with the 1:1 ratio of chickpea flour to water and then add whatever else your heart desires.  I have yet to try a sweet version of this bread (although that is coming soon - I am thinking about a chocolate chip and berry jam swirl?), but so far, every savory combination I've tried has been fantastic.  It's great with cumin, but this recipe is proof positive that it meshes with Italian spices and herbs as well.  So while I definitely recommend trying out this particular combination of flavors, you can just add whatever happens to sound the most delicious to you in the moment.

Sun-dried Tomato, Basil, and Garlic Chickpea Farinata
Makes a 9-inch round pan

1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 tsp. crushed oregano
1 tsp. crushed basil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Spray a 9-inch round non-stick pan with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine the chickpea flour and water and mix well to get rid of any lumps.  Add the other ingredients and mix well.  Pour into the pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, or just until slightly golden brown on top and the sides start to pull away from the edges of the pan.  Remove from oven and slice to serve immediately.  Store slices in the fridge for up to a week for snacking.


Serving suggestions:  
-Serve plain and warm
-Toast slices on a skillet and melt some cheese (or "cheese") on top
-Use as a base for pizza
-Slice into bars and wedges and pack for a snack on-the-go

Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Rosemary, Garlic, and Lemon

This is a perfect example of the power of a few simple, strong flavors that come together, mingle, and become something amazing.  My kitchen smelled ridiculously good while this was baking, and the taste lived up to it.  My cousin had emailed me this recipe a while ago, and I dutifully bookmarked it.  I looked at it periodically and thought about making it.  Then I got busy and forgot about it.

But last week, when a good friend of mine was in town and I was looking for something to make for dinner, I came back to it.  I tweaked and adapted, adding a little more of this and a little less of that.  And it was so good.  It's pretty simple to throw together, and the resulting lemon-rosemary-garlic flavor is wonderful (but not too overpowering - and you can add less or more of any of those elements).  You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts like I did (because that's what I had in my freezer) or you can use bone-in chicken with the skin on, if you prefer.  This recipe will forgive you for adjusting the ingredients according to your own tastes.

It's one of those dinners that looks and tastes kind of fancy, but is really quite low-maintenance in its preparation.  Just be careful to bake it just until the chicken is a little crispy, but not for too long, lest it get too dry.  And if you have leftovers, you can sprinkle a bit more lemon juice over it before heating it up again to keep it from drying out. 

My friend told me she was drooling all the way from the driveway, as she could smell this wafting from my house as soon as she got out of her car.  So, you should totally try out this recipe and see for yourself.  Just be aware that anyone within a certain radius of your house might show up at your door, demanding a taste.

 
Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Rosemary, Garlic, and Lemon
Makes 3 - 4 servings

6 small red potatoes, cleaned
4 small boneless chicken breasts (you can use bone-in if you prefer), cut into large chunks
2 - 3 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary + 3 more whole sprigs (to taste)
3 - 5 cloves garlic, minced finely (to taste)
Juice of 2 lemons
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
10 oz. sliced button or portabella mushrooms

Preheat oven to 450 F.  Line a baking dish with foil.

Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil.  Boil for 8 minutes (until tender) and drain.  Slice  into halves or quarters and set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the chopped rosemary, the juice of one of the lemons, garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, and olive oil.  Place the chicken pieces in the bowl and toss to coat well.  Dump the entire thing (including the juice) into a skillet and cook the chicken over medium heat for about 5 - 8 minutes, until browned on all sides.  Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for 2 - 3 more minutes.  If your skillet is big enough, add the potatoes.  If not, remove the chicken-mushroom mixture to a large bowl and toss together with the potato pieces.

Pour the entire thing into your baking dish.  Sprinkle the juice of the other lemon over the entire thing and add the remaining sprigs of rosemary, tearing off large pieces to evenly distribute it around the pan.  Bake at 450 for 20 - 25 minutes or until the chicken is nicely browned (stir it a few times to coat with the juice while baking).  Remove from oven and serve with rice, flatbread, or another vegetable side dish.

Matzoh Toffee Bark

So you've spent a week eating matzoh with anything you can think of (I have personally eaten it so far with various nut butters, tuna salad, charoset, and jam).  Maybe you've eaten more matzoh balls than you'd care to admit at this point.  Yet, somehow, seemingly impossibly....you still have matzoh leftover. 

So what to do with all that extra unleavened goodness?  Here's one very simple, easy, and quick way to turn it into something amazing.  Think of it as a Matzoh Makeover - you won't recognize it, I swear!  This toffee bark comes from a recipe that my friend Lisa used to make for us when we lived with three other roommates in college.  Lisa is an artist, which is perhaps why she has managed to turn even toffee bark production into an art form.  She knows exactly when the sugar and butter are juuuust browned enough to be done, without letting it get so browned that it burns.  She would work her magic and we would sit around the finished product, breaking piece after piece of this deliciously crunchy and sweet treat as we chatted late into the night.

While I admit the thought of burning the sugar was daunting to me as well, truly, the hardest thing about this recipe is letting it sit in your fridge long enough to get crunchy without eating it.  I think it took me 15 or 20 minutes from start to finish to make it, and 5 of those consisted of waiting while it was in the oven. And if you don't have matzoh, you can try it with your favorite gluten-free crackers instead.  Just try to use a lightly salted kind that will be as close to saltines or Ritz crackers as possible (Glutino crackers come to mind as a possible alternative, although I have not tried them in this recipe myself).

I won't lie to you.  This is really, really addictive stuff.  It has a wonderful sweet and slightly salty flavor (although I almost am tempted to add a bit of extra salt if I make it again since my matzohs were unsalted.  Chocolate + salt = heaven.).  The matzoh I used is thinner than most saltines - which is what the original recipe calls for - but it still worked really well in this recipe.  It gives it that lovely crunch you want it to have.  If you're feeling like it, drizzle some peanut butter onto the hot sugar and crackers before spreading the chocolate on.  That may be taking it a step too far for some people.  But for peanut butter fiends (we know who we are), it will make this even more of a treat.

Go ahead.  Indulge.  Breathe some life (and, um, butter and sugar) into that leftover matzoh.

Matzoh Toffee Bark
Makes an 8 x 8 tray of toffee bark

2 matzohs, broken into smaller pieces OR your favorite lightly salted gluten-free crackers (the best ones for this recipe will have the texture and taste of Ritz or saltine crackers--but gluten-free)
1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread (1 stick)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Trader Joe's brand)
Handful of sprinkles (Let's Do....Organic sprinkles are gluten-free!) or chopped nuts (optional)
Sea sal to taste (for sprinkling on top)
Optional: 2 - 4 tbsp. slightly melted peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Line an 8 x 8 pan with a sheet of parchment paper.

Break the matzohs into pieces and spread them evenly over the wax paper.

In a small pan, melt the butter and sugar together over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, then continue to boil for exactly 5 minutes.  Pour over the matzoh in the pan, spreading it evenly.  Place in the oven for 5 - 7 minutes, but watch it very carefully.  It should be bubbling and just barely brown around the edges when you take it out.  If you leave it in longer - even a few minutes longer - it might burn.  I left mine in the oven for exactly 5 minutes and 30 seconds.

Immediately upon removing it from the oven, spread the chocolate chips evenly over the hot mixture.  (If you're adding peanut butter, drizzle that on first and spread it around.)  If the chocolate chips don't melt right away, place the pan back in the oven for 30 seconds or so until you can spread them.  Spread them out evenly to form a thick layer of chocolate over the whole thing, and then sprinkle the sprinkles or mixed nuts evenly on top (if you are using them).  Let cool for a bit, but before it's totally cooled, sprinkle sea salt over the top (to your own taste) and then place in the fridge for several hours to chill.  Once it's chilled, flip it out of the pan and peel the wax paper off and break it into smaller pieces.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge for as long as they last!  You can also freeze them if you want to keep them for longer.

Flourless Mini Carrot Cakes for Passover

I am really on a roll with Passover food this year.  Usually I stick to a few favorites, but this year I've tried out several new recipes fit for the holiday, including this one and Flourless Orange Almond Cupcakes from last month.  The great thing about Passover food is that so much of it is naturally gluten-free.  It's kind of like our holiday, too.

I love carrot cake to begin with, and so when a friend of mine from school brought me a recipe for a flourless Passover version, snipped from the newspaper, I got really excited.  It only requires a few ingredients, and is sort of like a soft, lighter pudding version of the dense carrot cake I'm used to.  (Not that I'm disparaging the density of that cake.  I love that cake.)  This version, however, is seriously delicious ("a keeper," as one of my friends called it last night).

I halved the original recipe and made them into mini-cakes using my Fox English Muffin Rings.  This worked pretty well, although the batter is so runny that a little of it did escape from under the rings and onto the cookie sheet.  If you have any small custard dishes (about 4 inches in diameter), those would probably work better.  You could also use mini-loaf pans or a 9-inch round pan and just monitor it closely for doneness.  You could also make the original recipe by clicking here and making into a regular-sized cake as directed.  I added some pumpkin pie spice to mine and upped the cinnamon as well because I wanted it to taste like true carrot cake.  But that's really between you and your tastebuds.  I'll stay out of it.

If you like carrot cake, though, I hope you'll give this recipe a chance.  You won't be disappointed.

Flourless Mini Carrot Cakes (Adapted from this recipe)
Makes 8 mini cakes (can easily be doubled according to recipe in link above)

4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. white sugar
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup almond meal/flour (or substitute hazelnut flour)
1 1/4 cups finely shredded carrots

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, then arrange the 8 English Muffin rings on top and coat them all with cooking spray.  Or, prepare 4-inch custard dishes in the same way.

Separate 3 of the eggs, placing the egg whites and yolks in separate bowls.  Add the last (whole) egg to the egg yolks.  Using an electric mixer, beat them together.  Add the 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating.  Add the lemon juice and zest, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and vanilla.  Finally, beat in the almond flour and carrots.

Now rinse off your mixing paddles, and then beat the 3 egg whites and 1 tbsp. sugar together until stiff peaks form (about 2 - 4 minutes).  Gently fold the egg whites into the carrot-almond mixture.  Spoon equal amounts gently into each of the English Muffin Rings or custard dishes. 

Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes, or just until set.  The tops should be slightly browned and should spring back when you push on them lightly, and a toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean.  Remove from oven and let sit on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes, then slide the parchment paper off of the hot tray and onto the counter to cool the rest of the way.  Let cool for a full 45 minutes to an hour before serving.

Top with a light vanilla glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon to serve.  (Check to make sure that the ingredients you use for that are kosher if you want it to be a Passover dessert, though!)  Keep these in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Simple Vanilla Glaze
2 tbsp. Tofutti Vegan Cream Cheese
1/4 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 - 2 tsp. vanilla
Dash of cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together very well until there are no clumps.  Drizzle or spread over the mini-cakes in a thin layer. Sprinkle some cinnamon over the top for a nice visual.

Passover Charoset

Charoset (pronounced ha-ROW-set) is arguably one of the easiest Passover dishes to prepare, and one of the best foods of this holiday, in my opinion.  It is also one of the most varied, with recipes and ingredients ranging widely depending on the Jewish tradition, as well as the particular Jewish family.  Some use apples and dates, while others use figs and almonds.  Some people use cinnamon alone, while others use a wider variety of spices.  Check out the Jewess with Attitude's blog post, Charoset Medley, to find out more about the endless possibilities of this dish.  And the best part is that charoset is naturally gluten-free.  No modifications necessary!  Suffice to say, I have yet to find a charoset that I do NOT like.

Charoset is eaten as part of a traditional seder dinner and is a sweet paste made of fruits, nuts, red wine, and sugar, usually eaten as a topping for matzoh crackers. (And by the way, do you all know about Yehuda Gluten-free Matzoh crackers??  They are pictured in this post.)  The paste-like consistency symbolizes the mortar that Israelite slaves used to bind bricks together when they were building cities in Ancient Egypt.  I've seen it as a very chunky paste before (almost like a sweet, wine-infused salad), but also sometimes as a very thick, smooth paste, in which all ingredients have been very well-blended.  My own family's recipe is of the chunky variety, but you could easily puree this to make it more mortar-like if you want to increase the symbolic power of this delicious Passover treat.  What follows is the delicious recipe that I enjoy every year on Passover, but I encourage you to experiment with this and other charoset recipes to find one you love!

Charoset
Makes enough for 3-4 moderately hungry seder guests

1 whole apple, peeled, cored, and very finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts or almonds (or as much as you like!)
4 dates, chopped into small pieces
Handful of raisins
Red wine to coat
Cinnamon (to taste)
White and brown sugar (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Adjust sugar and wine to taste.  Chill until ready to serve.  Eat as a topping for gluten-free matzoh.

Lemon Passover Cupcakes with Blackberry Jam and Lemon Glaze

This cake is not just for Passover, friends.  And it's not even just for the Jews.  I'm convinced that this is one that everyone will like.  I try to test out as many of my recipes as I can on my friends so that, by the time I post it to the blog, I have gathered as much (hopefully honest!) feedback as possible.  So last week, I brought this cake to my classmates and to several other friends (the brave souls who are willing to serve as taste-testers for all of you!). 

And the feedback?  They liked it.  Like, really liked it.  And I am so glad they did, because this is one of my favorite cakes.  It's got a lovely lemon flavor without being overpowering, which means it pairs perfectly with  jam (mmm, it's so amazing with jam!) and/or a simple lemon glaze.  It's light, airy, slightly spongy but not too spongy.  In fact, it's so light that you'll be tempted to eat 2 - 3 times the normal volume of cake you might normally consume - just a fair warning.

This cake is pretty minimalist in its ingredients and the batter comes together pretty quickly.  You can make it as cupcakes (I had trouble getting them to puff up as much in a muffin pan as they did as cakes, although they tasted equally delicious both ways), as mini cake loaves, or as an angel food-style cake (which will take considerably longer to bake).  Directions for each one of these variations is below.

It's true that this is a cake borne out of Passover restrictions.  And by all means, eat it at Passover - eat a lot of it at Passover.  Eat it completely plain.  Top it with fresh fruit.  Or fill it with jam and add a lemon glaze - whatever you like.  Just don't tuck the recipe away for a whole year once the holiday's over.

Lemon Passover Cupcakes with Blackberry Jam and Lemon Glaze
Makes 24 cupcakes, 5 - 6 mini cake loaves, or 1 regular angel food cake

7 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1 /2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest from one lemon
3/4 cup potato starch
dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350 F.  If making cupcakes, grease two muffin trays with cooking spray or line with paper cupcake liners.  If making angel food cake, get out an angel food cake pan but don't grease it.  If you are making mini cake loaves, prepare 5 glass mini loaf pans by spraying them with cooking spray or greasing and then dusting with flour.  (You don't have to grease the angel food cake pan because you'll be able to cut it out of the pan when you take it apart, but if you don't grease the mini loaf pans, it will stick!).

Separate six of the eggs. Beat the six yolks and the remaining whole egg until frothy. Gradually add sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest, beating constantly and thoroughly at medium/high speed. Then gradually add the potato starch, beating constantly to ensure thorough blending.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff but not dry (it should form stiff peaks). Fold gently but thoroughly into the egg-yolk mixture.

For cupcakes:  Bake in at 350 F for about 15 - 22 minutes or until the cupcakes are lightly browned and spring back when touched gently with fingers.  Let cool completely before trying to remove; you may have to cut them out or use a fork to pry them out if you don't use paper liners.

For mini cake loaves: Bake in at 350 F for about 30 - 40 minutes or until the cakes are lightly browned and spring back when touched gently with fingers. Let cool completely before trying to remove; you may have to cut them out or use a fork to pry them out.

For angel food cake: Bake in at 350 F for about 50 - 55 minutes or until the cake is lightly browned and springs back when touched gently with fingers. Invert pan and cool thoroughly before removing cake.  Remove by running a knife around all edges to cut the cake out.

For the cupcakes pictured above:
When the cupcakes/cakes are cooled, use a knife to cut "slits" into it.  Fill the slits with a dark berry jam (i.e. blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, etc.).  Just make sure it's kosher!  Then drizzle some lemon glaze over the top.  Let the glaze harden before serving.

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

Drizzle over the cake and let harden before serving.

OR you can serve plain or as a base for fruit shortcake (with sliced strawberries, blueberries, or any other dark berries).

Gluten-free Easter Candy

For those of you who celebrate Easter (or for those of us who just really like Easter candy), here's a great list of gluten-free Easter Candy.  I found this on www.myglutenfacts.com. 

Please note that I cannot independently verify that this list is completely accurate and encourage you to use your best judgment when purchasing and consuming anything on this list, but I thought it was at least worth sharing with you so you can see that there is still candy that is safe for us.  The list is coded as follows:

CL = Cleaned Production Line (no gluten ingredients, and made on machinery that DOES process other gluten-containing products.  However, the manufacturer states that they use good manufacturing processes to clean the equipment between products)

DL = Dedicated Production Line (no gluten ingredients, and made on machinery that only processes gluten-free products)

DF = Dedicated Facility (no gluten ingredients, and no gluten-containing products made in the same building)

Everyone's body is different and sensitive in different ways, and what one person is able to tolerate or is comfortable with may not be right for another.  If you're unsure how strict to be, please discuss this with your doctor.

But whatever you do, go enjoy some candy!!

Banana Corn Muffins

Well, I thought that I had a favorite corn muffin.  But there's a new contender on the scene.  How does the saying go?  A lack of ingredients is the mother of invention - or something like that.

Yesterday, I went to an "April Fools" party at a friend's house, and since I knew there was a huge pot of chili waiting there, decided I'd make some corn muffins to share.  My go-to recipe for corn muffins is the Gluten-free Goddess' sweet potato corn bread recipe, which I dutifully opened in my browser.  Then I checked my pantry - no squash puree of any kind.  Ok - no problem.  This is why I buy bananas, let them get all brown and spotty, and then freeze them.  I took a few from the freezer, defrosted them, and then used them (with some applesauce) in place of the squash.  The result?  Deliciousness.  I still love the sweet potato version, but these make an excellent alternative.  They puff up beautifully and have a slight sweetness from both the banana and the cornmeal (so be forewarned that this is not the savory kind of cornbread that Southerners prefer!).  They were great with the chili, but you don't need chili as an excuse to make these.  These can stand on their own and would make a fantastic portable breakfast or snack, too.  And they come together so quickly, you'll be eating one before you know it.

Banana Corn Muffins (Inspired by, and adapted from, the Gluten-free Goddess' Sweet Potato Cornbread recipe)
Makes 12 muffins

1 1/2 small overripe bananas (a little more than 1/2 cup)
3 - 4 tbsp. cup smooth applesauce (the bananas and applesauce together should total 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
     (OR 1 cup of your favorite gluten-free flour blend - just be careful to reduce the baking powder and baking
      soda if it's a self-rising blend)
1 cup stone ground cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking power
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the bananas, applesauce, and sugar, eliminating as many lumps as possible.  (You can do this by hand, but it might be easier to use an electric mixer.)  Add the eggs and canola oil and continue to stir until well-mixed.

In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.  Add to the wet ingredients and mix well to incorporate.  Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin tins.  Bake for 18 - 22 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean.  Serve warm from the oven, if possible.  If not, refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve, then heat in the microwave.

Flourless Brownies

I don't know if you can call these healthy perse, but you can definitely call them healthier than regular brownies. They are incredibly moist, chocolatey, and full of amazing flavor with every bite.  They are probably the healthiest, most protein-filled brownies you'll ever eat.

And now I'll tell you the secret of why that is.  These are black bean brownies.  I know, I know.  Beans.  In brownies.  I had never tried black bean brownies before and can say that at best, I was skeptical.  There's a reason I had avoided making them.  I don't like the taste of bean flour in baked goods, and I could not fathom that a brownie with black beans as the backbone of the entire recipe would NOT taste beany.  But....they really don't taste beany!  I swear!

I had to resort to some trickery to find this out, though.  You tell someone that you're giving them a black bean brownie, they are going to imagine that they taste like black beans.  So....I just didn't tell anyone.  I'd recommend calling these simply "flourless brownies."  Your friends will probably think they are delicious, moist, and full of chocolate flavor.  They might wonder how you made them taste so good.  But they will definitely not guess that the answer is black beans.  I promise.  

Right before putting these into the oven, I had one of my peanut butter-crazed moments, grabbed the jar off my shelf and drizzled it over half of the pan.  Then I added some of the homemade marshmallows I had left.  Swirled perfection. But they are fantastic plain as well, so feel free to leave the chocolate unmitigated.

Flourless Brownies (Adapted from this recipe)

1 15 oz. can black beans,drained and rinsed very well
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup melted Earth Balance Butter Stick, cooled slightly (so they don't cook the eggs)
1 tbsp. applesauce (or 1 extra tbsp. of Earth Balance)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup chocolate chips
Optional: 1/2 - 1 cup small marshmallows
Optional: 2 tbsp. peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease an 8 x 8 inch pan or line with wax paper.

Combine everything but the melted butter, chocolate chips, marshmallows, and peanut butter in a food processor and process until perfectly smooth, about 4 - 6 minutes.  As it is processing, add the melted butter a little at a time so the heat doesn't cook the eggs.  Once everything is combined, stop the processor and stir in the chocolate chips by hand.  Spread evenly into the pan and, if desired, swirl in peanut butter and marshmallows with a knife so that they are slightly mixed into the batter.  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean (I baked these for exactly 29 minutes and they were still fairly moist, but I like my brownies that way.)

*Note: the original recipe called for 3 eggs, but I used only 2 because I like my brownies to be denser and richer.  But if you like yours a bit cakier, go ahead and add all 3 in!

**These are best made the same day that you want to serve them.  After a day or more, they still taste great but start to look less pretty.  Keep them in the fridge for best results!

Piña Colada Muffins for the Gluten-free Ratio Rally

I have been baking for as long as I can remember.  In fact, one of my first memories is standing on a chair next to my mom in the kitchen of our tiny house in St. Louis when I was about 3 years old, peering over her shoulder as she sifted flour into a large mixing bowl.  (Of course, part of why that memory sticks is probably what happened next - I got a little too engrossed in peering and toppled into the wall headfirst, ending up in the ER for stitches.  But the baking part is really clear to me, too, I swear.).  My childhood is full of moments like that, watching my mom bake loaf after loaf of fluffy braided challah early on the morning of our annual Hanukkah party, or cutting out cookies at Christmas, or stirring the thick batter of a cake just because she felt like making one.  It's no wonder to me that I grew to love baking too, and in a deeply therapeutic way.  I'm not good at painting, drawing, or really any other fine arts.  But baking is my escape, and my place of creation.

Woven into each of those memories, whether explicit or not, was almost always a recipe.  A map of ingredients and instructions.  Something passed down from a generation past, or found while rooting through the worn pages of a favorite cookbook, or even a recipe discovered online, rated and tweaked by dozens of other bakers.  I have always been slightly afraid of changing recipes for fear of destroying whatever internal balance has been so delicately constructed.  Even though I've done my fair share of tweaking recipes, it was always with trepidation, and without a clear understanding of what it really is that makes bread bread-y, a muffin muffin-y, and a cake cake-y.  I've experimented, yes - but I've always respected the recipe.  Feared the recipe, in a way. 

So when I was perusing my usual food blogs one day last month and came across the Gluten-free Girl's post on the Gluten-free Ratio Rally, I was immediately intrigued.  Here was a group of gluten-free bloggers breaking free from the bonds of recipes to get at what really underlies them all: a simple ratio.  Flour, liquid, egg, and fat - these ingredients appear in so many different kinds of baked goods, but without knowing how much of each one is in a pancake versus a biscuit, you'll have to follow a recipe.  Once you know the ratio at work, though, the world of gluten-free ingredients is your oyster.  As long as you measure each class of ingredient in the proper ratio by weight instead of volume (using ounces or grams instead of cup measures), you can create new recipes to your heart's content, using whichever flours and flavors you want.  You can reshelve your cookbooks.  That's right - you can create recipes.  Seriously.

The idea of baking from a ratio of weights makes so much sense when you think about it.  As bakers, we all measure things slightly differently.  The weight of my cup of flour may be quite different from your cup of flour, depending on how much the flour settles.  This is especially in gluten-free baking, in which so many different kinds of flours are used; the weight of 1 cup of sorghum flour will be very different from 1 cup of potato starch, for instance.  The amount of flour used in a recipe can therefore vary quite widely if it's measured by volume (cups) instead of by weight.

Last month, the Gluten-Free Ratio Rally bloggers took on pancakes as their challenge, and the recipes looked fantastic.  Just check them out and see what creativity can be unleashed when you're free to roam beyond the page of a cookbook.

So this month, I'm joining in the fun and have created my own recipe for you, for muffins.  Not just any muffins, though.  Really, really awesome muffins.  And what I can't get over is how I can honestly say that I created these.  Using Michael Ruhlman's ratio for quickbread and muffins (2 parts flour: 2 parts liquid: 1 part egg: 1 part fat), I just....made it up. 

I won't say that it was a seamless ride to the finish line.  These underwent a few different iterations before I finally settled on the recipe I'm posting here.  My first attempt was pretty tasty, but had a somewhat dense texture that I wanted to lighten up.  It also relied mainly on starches and refined grains, and I wanted to strike a healthier balance with whole grain flours instead.  The second attempt was an utter fail involving a fatal overdose of xanthan gum and too much liquid, which resulted in a gummy mess that puffed up nicely at first, tricking me in the first 30 minutes of baking, only to deflate back into itself, stubbornly refusing to rise again. 

But the third attempt - the third attempt was a keeper.  I kept several elements the same, using pineapple juice as part of the liquid (don't worry, it's not something separate you have to buy, as long as you buy crushed pineapple in 100% juice) and substituting applesauce for half the fat.  I did tweak a few things from the first recipe, though: reduced the xanthan gum, added some baking soda, and used a little less crushed pineapple in the batter.  I substituted brown rice flour for white rice flour.  I increased the amount of each extract, too, so that the piña colada flavor shines through unmistakably.  And I frosted them with a simple coconut-rum glaze and toasted coconut.

You could take my word for it and believe that these are amazing.  I had to give them all away for fear of eating every last one myself.  But in case the bias in that opinion is (understandably) too much for you, maybe I can share what my classmates and friends said when they tried these.  "Oh, my GOD," was the most common refrain of disbelief uttered after the first bite.  They couldn't believe these were gluten-free, and they all agreed that they tasted just like their namesake.  "DEE-licious!" read an email from another friend who tried these.  I could go on, but you get the idea.  They're good - really good.
 
For a healthier breakfast option, you can absolutely make these without the frosting.  If you do that, they'll look like this:

The inside came out moist, soft, and wonderful.  And they really do taste like a piña colada, with the rum, coconut and vanilla extracts complementing the sweetness of the real pineapple chunks perfectly.  These are seriously addictive, and so delicious that you can safely serve them to non-celiacs without any backlash about their being gluten-free and dairy-free (Now that I think about it, I believe I was the only celiac who tried this last batch, but everyone loved them!). 

So, because this recipe is the first one I've made up this way, I am especially excited to share it with you.  I hope that you enjoy them!

For a list of all the other fabulous recipes for muffins and quick breads that the Gluten-free Ratio Rally bloggers came up with this month, visit Sylvana's Kitchen.

*Note:  All measurements are given here in weight, but you only need a very inexpensive, simple scale to weigh these ingredients because they are all in multiples of 2 ounces.  I have a scale from Target that cost maybe $5 that I used for this.  Originally, I was measuring out approximations of how many cups each ingredient would have, but they were all such strange measurements (i.e. "somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 cup of sorghum flour") that I decided against including that here.  But suffice to say, overall, I ended up with about 1 3/4 cups of flour in the end using this combination.  I highly encourage you to weigh out each one for best results, though!

*One other note:  I bought a 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple in 100% juice for this recipe and used it for both the crushed pineapple and the pineapple juice.  I definitely had some leftover, but the smaller 6 oz. cans will not be enough.  So I'd recommend just getting the larger size and having the leftovers as a snack.


Piña Colada Muffins with Coconut Rum Glaze and Toasted Coconut
Makes 12 muffins 
Ratio for quick bread and muffins: 2 parts flour: 2 parts liquid: 1 part egg: 1 part fat

2 oz./57 grams sorghum flour

2 oz./57 grams brown rice flour

2 oz./57 grams tapioca starch

2 oz./56 grams potato starch

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. xanthan gum

4 oz./113 grams white granulated sugar or evaporated cane crystals

3 oz./150 grams shredded coconut (unsweetened or sweetened are both fine)

2 eggs (or Egg Replacer)

4 oz./113 grams So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk

4 oz./113 grams pineapple juice (from drained can)

2 oz./4 tbsp/57 grams Earth Balance Buttery Stick, melted

2 oz./57 grams smooth applesauce

1 ½ tsp. gluten-free vanilla

1 ¼ tsp.gluten-free coconut extract

1 tsp. gluten-free rum extract

4 oz./113 grams crushed pineapple from can, completely drained

Optional: combine these ingredients in a small bowl to sprinkle over the muffins before baking:

2 oz./57 grams crushed pineapple

2 tbsp. shredded coconut

1 tbsp. brown sugar

¼ tsp. coconut extract

¼ tsp. rum extract

To make icing, whip the following ingredients together, adjusting for desired thickness of glaze:

4 tbsp. Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese

2 – 5 tbsp. pineapple juice (depending on how thick you want the glaze to be)

½ tsp. rum extract

½ tsp. coconut extract

4 oz./113 grams powdered sugar

To be sprinkled on top:
4 oz. toasted coconut (about 1 cup)

Preheat the oven to 400 F (You'll reduce the temperature to 350 F after you put the muffins in, but this cushions it against the heat that escapes when you open the oven).  Line a 12-muffin pan with paper liners or grease with cooking spray.

Using a kitchen scale, measure out the sorghum flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, sugar, and shredded coconut.  Whisk together in a mixing bowl with the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and xanthan gum until well combined.  

Weigh the So Delicious Coconut Milk, pineapple juice, and applesauce and whisk together in a separate bowl with the eggs and melted butter. (Be sure to let the butter cool a bit before adding it so you don't partially cook the eggs!)  Add the vanilla, coconut, and rum extracts and continue to mix very well. 

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat by hand to mix until all ingredients have been incorporated.  Add the 4 oz. crushed, drained pineapple to the batter and mix in.

Pour about 1/3 cup of batter into each muffin tin, distributing the batter evenly among the 12 tins.  Sprinkle some of the pineapple-coconut-brown sugar topping on each muffin and press down slightly to get them to stick.  

Place the muffins into the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 350 F.  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean (I baked mine for exactly 29 minutes, but your baking time may vary depending on the oven and altitude).  Remove from oven and leave in the muffin tin for another 5 minutes or so before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  If you try to take them out and they are still too delicate, leave them in the muffin tin until you can take them out without crushing/crumbling them.  

When the muffins are completely cooled, drizzle with the coconut-rum glaze and top with toasted coconut (if desired).  Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  If you can wait that long. 

Check out the rest of the amazing recipes from the other Ralliers this month:

Mrs. R of honey from flinty rocks made Lemon Lavender Muffins with Lavender Sugar
Alisha Austin of gfmostlyvegetarian made Sweet Potato Breakfast Loaf
Amanda Schaefer of Gluten Free Maui made Classic Banana, Oat, Pecan Bread
Amie Valpone of  The Healthy Apple made Gluten-Free Agave Apricot Quick Bread
Britt Hodges of GF In The City made Date & Walnut Bread
Brooke Lippy of Bell Wookie made Double Chocolate Cherry Muffin
Caleigh of Gluten Free[k] made Cardamom Banana Bread
Caroline Karasik of The G Spot Revolution made Orange Spice Bread with a Vanilla Glaze
Claire Berman of Gluten Freedom made Piña Colada Muffins with Coconut-Rum Glaze and Toasted Coconut
Danna Owens of Sweet Dees Gluten Free made Blood Orange Cardamom Muffins
Erin Block of Mysteries Internal made Strawberry Yogurt Muffins
Erin Swing of The Sensitive Epicure made Chocolate Chip Walnut Muffins with Streusel
Flo of Makanaibio made 2 Recettes de Muffins ou de Gateau Rapides
Gretchen of kumquat made Gingerbread Fig Loaf
Irvin of Eat The Love made Gluten Free Glazed Meyer Lemon Muffins filled with Slow Roasted Balsamic Red Wine Strawberry Jam
Jenn of Jenn Cuisine made Chestnut and Chocolate Quickbread
Karen Robertson of Cooking Gluten Free made Muffins
Kate Brabon of Kate Alice Cookbook made Raspberry Banana Crumble-Top Muffins
Kate Chan of Gluten Free Gobsmacked made Mocha + Chocolate Chip Muffins/Quickbread
Lauren McMillan of Celiac Teen made Cocoa Quickbread
Lisa of Gluten Free Canteen made Almond Cherry Berry Banana Muffins, Gluten Free
Lisa of With Style and Grace made Rosemary Lemon Quick Bread
Marla Meridith of Family Fresh Cooking made Strawberry Snack Cakes
Mary Frances of Gluten Free Cooking School made Cranberry Orange Bread with Cream Cheese Icing
Meaghan Cassidy of The Wicked Good Vegan made Vegan Gluten-Free Apricot-Orange Bread
Melanie of Mindful Food made Almond Joy Muffins
Nannette Minley of Nannette Raw made Chai Muffins
Robyn of Chocswirl made Brown Butter Apple Spice Muffins with Pecan Nut Streusel
Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef made Lemon Poppyseed Bread with Ginger Glaze
Silvana of Silvana's Kitchen made Chocolate-Coated Marshmallow-Topped Vanilla Cupcakes
Wendy Kirby of La Phemme Phoodie made Cheesy Apple Butter Bread with Garlic Powder
Winnie Abramson of Healthy Green Kitchen made Brown Butter Banana Bread