Brownies Always Work

 If there is a dessert that is always a success besides chocolate chip cookies, it is brownies.  They are easy to make, can be made elegant or served plain.  Here is a “plain” version which is not plain, in the taste.  The baking time is shorter than was recommended, at least if you want a chewy brownie.  I did.

Someone gave me this recipe and I don’t know who to give credit to.  Regardless, I converted it to gluten free.  I made it for my grandson who was happy with them.   That is a good measure of success.  Boys do not swoon over brownies.

 Out of this World Brownies

2 cups margarine

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into smaller pieces.  Mine came in squares and I used the size of the square as a guideline.

1/2 cup eggbeaters

 1 cup  white sugar

1 cup Brownulated sugar

1 teaspoon guar or xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt

 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract – gluten  free

1 cup brown rice flour

6 ounces chocolate chips

 1.  Spray a 9 by 13 pan.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

3.  Combine margarine and chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on low for one minute.  Check by using teaspoon and see the degree that the mixture has melted.   Check every 20 seconds.  I know that microwaves do not register same temperature so there are no guidelines as to time.  When you see it is almost melted, you know it is  ready.

4.  In large bowl, lightly beat eggs.

5.  Add white sugar and brown sugar, salt, guar or xanthan gum and pure vanilla.  Mix together.

6.  Stir chocolate into the sugar mixture.

7.  Stir in flour.  Add chocolate chips and mix in.

8.  Pour batter in prepared pan.  Smooth the top.

9.  Bake for 42 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  (Of course, I taste when it is hot.)

10.  Enjoy.

 Hey ma, someone ate up my brownies.  Sob.

Sopa Paraguaya

Officially, today is the first day of vacation from teaching.  I did not realize just how much I need this break.  I had an easy class so I thought I should be less exhausted in June.  Not the case.   Perhaps, because they are terrific children, I gave more than to a challenging class, where a teacher has to concentrate more on control, less on an organized casualness.

I spent the year researching new ideas, knowing I had more leeway with this group than others.   I learned a great deal from them and hopefully next year’s class will benefit from this.  I guess I have not turned my back on school yet.   I will so I can come back rejuvenated, in September.

Back to the here and now.  I ran my errands, did a shopping to get some items to bake with and came home, before noon.  Before NOON!  What now?  I simply wanted a quiet day, no plans, no “must dos”.   I wanted to put up my feet and read.  Did I do that?  No.

I cooked.  I have a list of recipes I want to try, some from cookbooks, some from blogs, some from featured online cooks.  Yesterday, I was hanging around King Arthur’s — not his court, but his flours and his wonderful recipes.  If one wants to improve his/her baking, King Arthur Flour’s site is the greatest place to be.

I decided to make sopa paraguaya.  I had no idea what to expect other than cornbread.  This was not just cornbread.  It was rich in flavors and a better texture than cornbread.   A good choice for us.

Sopa Paraguaya

2  tablespoons olive oil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               1 cup diced onion
1/4 cup  each diced red and green pepper

1 1/2 cups   cornmeal
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup  low-fat cottage cheese
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups   frozen corn kernels
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated

 

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Grease a 9 x 9-inch pan that’s at least 2 inches deep, or a shallow 2-quart casserole dish.  I used an oval baking dish.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, pour in the oil.

Add the onions and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally.

Add the red and green peppers and cook for 1 more minute.

 

Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal and milk.

Stir in the sugar, cottage cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and baking powder.

Stir in the corn kernels and cooled onion mixture.

The last to add to the bowl is the grated cheese.

Stir and transfer to baking dish.

Waiting………

These are the Cutest – My Girl Paula

Paula Deen , with her versatile repetoire of recipes has gained many followers, over the years.  Check out My Girl Paula to see the recipes that  we are cooking or baking.  This week, we have made Orange Blossoms adorable , particularly if you have the mini muffin tins.   I am sure, they would look fine, full size, but these cut little shiny balls are just delightful to look at and especially to eat.

This is the first cake mix, I have used, in more than ten years.  I decided to follow the recipe exactly since this is my first time participating.  That means, this is not gluten free.   I will admit, using a mix is easy and the taste is just great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orange Blossoms

1 package yellow cake mix

one 3.4 ounce package instant lemon mix

4 eggs

3/4 cup cold water

3/4 cup canola oil

Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar  (I cut down the amount by a lot and I still had left over – originally it was 3 cups of the sugar)

1/2 cup frozen juice concentrate, thawed

3 tablespoons melted margarine

3 Tablespoons water

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease two miniature muffin pans or one miniature plus 6 regular sized or 12 regular sized, depending on the pans you have.  If you have the miniature, these are lovely in the smaller size, keeping in mind, I have never seen them any larger than this.

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil.

Beat well.

Fill muffin tins 3/4 the way up.  Bake for ten to 12 minutes or until cake springs back when touched or inserted toothpick comes out dry.

For the glaze, mix the confectioner’s sugar, orange juice, margarine and water until smooth. 

Dip the blossom in the glaze, immediately, after removing them from the oven.

Drain on waxed paper.

Enjoy!

Yummy Little Bites of Goodness

Ain’t that Sweet……and Simple?

Rose and Maria from Sweet and Simple Bakes are most generous hostesses and this month the goody that we are baking is Chocolate Orange Drizzle Loaf Cake.  The blend of orange and chocolate make for good eating.  The blend just has the taste buds buzzing away.  There is a sweet and tart combination that can’t beat.  I both enjoyed baking this and even more so, eating it, well some of it, anyway.  We had guests who helped with that.

I hope you will enjoy this cake.  This is the gluten free version so I had to make some changes from the original recipe.   That is the fun and challenge of baking gluten free.

Chocolate Orange Drizzle Loaf Cake

 Cake  (makes 2 cakes – I had plenty of use for extra)

2-1/4 cups brown rice flower mixture *                                                                                                    2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder                                                                                                                         1 & ½ teaspoons guar or xanthan gum
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup margarine
2 tsp. grated orange zest                                                                                                                                         1-1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup orange juice

 Orange Syrup 

1/4  cup of orange juice,      ½ cup sugar,       3 tablespoons water

 Topping
2 ounces dark chocolate                                                                                                                              Sprinkles of choice                                                                      ****** Method below photo

Moist and Delicious

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine brown rice flour mixture, baking powder,  guar or xanthan gum and salt.

Grease two loaf pans.

Using mixer beat margarine and zest.

Add the sugar gradually, mixing until the mixture is light and fluffy, about three minutes.

Add  eggs, one at a time, mixing well between additions.

Add dry ingredients alternately with the orange juice to the creamed mixture, beating at low speed after each addition.

Pour equal amounts of the batter into the two prepared loaf pans. Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted, comes out dry.

Cool for fifteen minutes before removing from loaf pans.

 Put the orange juice and granulated sugar into a saucepan and heat slowly until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and boil for a couple of minutes. Pour over the top of the cake. When all the juice has soaked in, carefully remove the cake from the loaf pan. 

 I melted the chocolate by in the microwave.  I used power level 2 and start at 25 seconds.  I then kept adding seconds until the chocolate had melted.                      Once the chocolate has melted, pour over the top of the cake. Smooth top  with a spatula or make a little pattern with the prongs of a fork.

 I happened to have yellow sugar crystals that I showered over the frosting.  I couldn’t make up my mind if I should scatter them far apart or leave or use a heavy hand.  I did both.  I like using more than less.  The problem is that the part with the most crystals looks bald.

*Note I made enough orange syrup for one cake.

 **Brown Rice Mixture – 3 cups of brown rice flour,  1 1/4 cups potato starch or cornstarch, 3/4 cup tapioca flour

Enjoy!

Unstuffed Stuffed Cabbage

When I don’t want to bother making the real stuffed cabbage, I make this un-version.

Unstuffed Cabbage

2 bags shredded green cabbage

1 pound chopped beef

1 pound chopped chicken

1  18 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 can (small) tomato paste (Ibelieve it is 6 ounces)

1 cup marinara sauce (jarred)

1 large onion chopped

2 bags of shredded green cabbage

handful of raisins

2 cups brown rice, cooked according to directions

salt and pepper to taste

two tablespoons brown sugar

 While you are cooking the meat mix, cook 2 cups of brown rice in your usual manner.

Combine chicken and beef and mix well.

In large frying pan, brown chopped meat combo with chopped onions.  We love onions so I usually add another to each recipe.  Mixing continually, fry mixture until meat is thoroughly cooked.  Drain any grease off of a meat.   I have a large colander I use for this and drain meat into a large pot and then get rid of it.

Place meat back into frying pan.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and marinara sauce.

Add brown sugar, raisins and salt and pepper.

Add until it is heated through and raisins have plumped a little.

Serve over a mound of brown rice.  Serve with a green vegetable and/or salad.

Enjoy!

 

 

Devil’s Food Cake

Two of the boys in my fifth grade actually made this cake.   They not only chose what they wanted to bake, they also chose the actual recipe.  It turns out, they have good taste. 

Devil’s Food Cake

1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 eggs

3/4 cup almond milk minus 1 tablespoon which is replaced with vinegar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups gluten free flour mixture  *

1 teaspoon guar gum

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup cocoa

1.  Preheat oven 350 degrees

2.  Grease a bundt pan

3.  Cream  margarine and sugar until light and fluffy (about three minutes).  Use medium bowl.

4.  Combine baking soda and almond milk with vinegar in a separate bowl

5.   Add baking powder to flour

6.  Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternating with almond milk mixture.

7.  Add salt, vanilla and cocoa.  Beat well but do not overbeat.

8.  greased bundt pan.

9.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  ________________________________________________________

 

 

Topping – a container of Cool Whip.  I used another brand which was basically the same.

Here is the time to be creative.  On top of whipped cream sprinkle chocolate  or colored sprinkles.  Take chocolate syrup and make lines on the cream.  Add fruit or chocolate candies.  Do your own thing.  Although, I put the whipped topping on (my only job), the boys decided how to decorate it.   

This is the cake that lost part of itself in the pan but the whipped topping covered it up nicely

*3 cups brown rice flour – 1 1/4 cups potato starch or cornstarch – 3/4 cup tapioca flour

LET’S c RUMBLE

Yes, let’s rumble with our peach and blueberry crumble.  Better make it.  It is easy.

Reeni from Cinnamon and Spice and Everything Nice  is hosting the BSI(Blogger Secret Ingredient) has chosen everyone’s favorite, blueberries.  Stop at her blog and  admire those photos and  try the recipes.  I am hungry just looking at what is at that site. Thanks Reeni for giving me the opportunity to share in the blogging community.  I have been blogging for less than a month. 

When I gave thought as to what I would make, I had one idea after another.  A blueberry pie, blueberry muffins, blueberry crisp, maybe a combo blueberries and strawberries in a salad, or maybe a cold blueberry soup.  As it happens,  I discovered the blog, Well Fed and there was my recipe, well not exactly mine and I am not sure who wrote the original recipe.  Well fed mentions Ina Garten , Martha Stewart and her mother.   I made some alterations so I thank all four of these ladies.  This is a good crumble.  Thanks to Cinnamon and Spice and Everything Nice, my family is having a great dessert, this weekend.  Thanks Reeni.

Peach and Blueberry Crumble

for the filling
a bag of frozen peaches

2 tablespoons cornstarch ‘

5 tablespoons light brown sugar

juice of 1 lemon

pinch of coarse salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

for the topping
2 1/4 cups gluten free flour  mix  (3 cups brown rice flour,
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher)
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine the peaches, cornstarch , brown sugar, lemon juice and salt, tossing gently. Carefully fold in the blueberries and transfer the mixture to an 8-cup baking dish.  (I used and oval pan, about nine inches long. It was not deep but there was no problem filling it.

 In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt just until combined.  Add butter; mix on low speed until pea-sized clumps form, 4 to 5 minutes.  Sprinkle over fruit filling.

Place crumble on a baking sheet and bake in oven for 45 to 55 minutes until fruit juices are bubbling around the edges.  Let cool for 10 to 20 minutes, to allow fruit juices to thicken.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Yummy

Blueberry and Peach Crumble

Go ahead honey, it’s gluten free

Life can be wonderful.  It was only a few weeks ago that I discovered,  the gluten free world is as active as those “normal” folk, who may not be constrained by a special diet. 

I am new to blogging and I continue to be enchanted by the wonderful foodies and fascinating blogs.  What is thrilling, is that we have a multitude of bloggers who address the gluten free eater.   Reading recipe after recipe throughout the Internet, throughout the world, I find recipes that match the richness and flavor and originality that others share.  It is proven that gluten-free does not mean deprivation.

My husband is the one who needs this diet but as the years have passed, I have joined him, and although not completely gluten free, I would say a majority of what I cook and eat fits the requirements of anyone with celiac disease.  The food is delicious.  The variety is startling.  The ease of cooking is no different from anyone else.

Gluten Free Bloggers share like other groups do and this month we are sharing on manly food.  My first th0ught was, “meat“, roast, hamburger, stew, or pepper steak.  I checked this with hubby and what did he say?  Meat!  I went to look through some good meat dishes that I have wanted to cook but stopped in my tracks.  We eat meat, maybe, once a week–so my husband isn’t manly?  Of course, that is not the case.  Manly food is more diverse than this and is not that different from women.  We both eat quiche, we both eat pasta, we both eat salmon and we both eat dairy, as a starting point. 

That opened the entire world to me so I thought of dessert and I made a  blueberry/peach crumble but I decided to use that for the Blogger Secret Ingredient (BSI) which happens to be blueberries.  The joys of blueberries.   You can add them to yogurt, add them to a fruit salad, fill a blintz, make a pie or coffeecake and I am betting you can name an easy ten more recipes.  I will share that with you in another post.  I took a little taste and I want more.

Cinnamon and Spice is hosting this event.  You should take a hop over there and see some of her outstanding recipes.  The photos look good enough to eat.  Check after all the blueberry submissions.  You just may want to run to the store for “tons” of blueberries.

Back to manly food.  That is another place for you to visit on Monday, June 19th to find all the manly recipes.  Our most gracious hostess is Simply Gluten Free  who has shared her manly food, gluten free onion rings.   If you like onion rings, try these.

Still waiting to see what I have chosen for my manly food?  A crunchy noodle salad which I know hubby will love.   I have made something similar to this but this one beats any other pasta salad I have made.  I even heat it up and serve it as a side dish.

I am a relatively organized cook, all the ingredients out, lined up before I s tart.  Therefore, out came the the pasta pot, the box of spaghetti, the vegetables and the makings for the liquid which are the true enchancers of this recipe.  Then came the fun.  I am truly happy when I am chopping and mixing, even cleaning up.  It is rewarding to to view a clean kitchen after all the pots and bowls are washed and put away.

Crunch Noodle Salad

This is based on Ina Garten’s recipe of the same name.  She is better known as the Barefoot Contessa.

kosher salt

1/2 pound gluten free thin spaghetti

8 ounces sugar snap peas 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons sesame oil  (I was out of it but it is important to use for taste)

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ginger

3 tablespoonstoasted season seeds, divided

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I used less because hubby does not love it.)

2 red bell pepper, cored and seeded and thinly sliced

1/ medium red onion

1 teaspoon dried parsley

Bring salted water to boil in a 4 quart pot.  Add spaghetti and cook according to directions. Drain.  Run cold water over gluten free spaghetti.  Set aside pasta.

I took a medium bowl and boiled water and added the sugar snap peas.  I microwaved this on high for 3 minutes. You can make this on stove cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp tender.  Drain the sugar snap peas and place them into ice water.  Drain.

Dressing: Whisk together the vegetable oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, oil, sugar, garlic powder, 2 of the 3 tablespoons of sesame seeds and peanut butter in a medium bowl.

Combine the spaghetti, sugar snap peas, red onion and thin sliced red peppers.  Pour dressing over spaghetti mixture and mix gently.   I sprinkled the parsley and last spoonful of sesame seeds on top.  They can be mixed in when you serve it.

 If you make this, please let me know, how it turned out. 

Coming next the blueberry/peach crumble.

Good Bite

We all had a surprise today  finding out that there is  a new web-based video show,  Good Bite, with a team full of food bloggers.   Best of all Shauna James Ahern,  Gluten Free Girl is one of the participants.   Clilck on Good Bite and go take a peek for yourself and enjoy.

The participants are:

Matt Armendariz from Matt Bites
Elise Bauer from simplyrecipes.com
Diane Cu and Todd Porter from whiteonricecouple.com
Jaden Hair from steamykitchen.com
Jeanne Kelley from jeannekelleykitchen.com
David Lebovitz from davidlebovitz.com
Catherine McCord from weelicious.com
Deb Perelman from smittenkitchen.com
Julie Van Rosendaal from dinnerwithjulie.com

Baked Chunky Potatoes with Cheese

I usually plan what I am making for dinner, even start it, in the morning, before I leave for work.   Today, I came home from work and was blank.  Nothing was sittting in the fridge calling my name.  No leftovers  appealed.

On our journey to healthier eating, we have cut back on meat.  That eliminated meatballs, pepper steak and stew, three of hubby’s favorites.  We usually keep chicken for the Sabbath meal; thus no chicken.  I had no fish in the house and I was not about to go to the store.  Today was the last teaching day and I felt numb.  I guess that fits with not being able to come up with a simple act like choosing food to eat.

As a side, for those of you who are not teachers, one of the hardest days, in my opinion, is the last day of school.  My class is like family.  I care for each child.  We have spent an intense year mastering skills and learning how to think.  We have shared experiences that are unique to us and we have bonded.  I have seen the boys mature and learn to take responsibility and to think before they speak.  That is huge.  (I teach in a boys’ school called a Yeshiva – a Jewish school.)  I don’t really want to leave them yet it is exciting to look forward to a new class.  Today is a day to ponder over the past year and to remember so many interactions.  Right now, I have not moved on.

Minutes went by and nothing came to mind. 

Baked Chunky Potatoes with Cheese (casserole)

What was I craving?  Aha! Potatoes, cheese, eggs, onions but what to do that was not mundane. 

 

4 medium size potatoes, cut into chunks

1 medium green pepper, cut into small pieces

2 small onions chopped – not diced

4 eggs

salt and pepper to taste (we usually do not use either)

1/2 – 1 cup cheddar cheese

 Without a plan, I first chopped onions and green peppers into small but not diced pieces .  I sprayed a 10 inch frypan with cooking oil and threw in the onions and green peppers.

I took the potatoes and cut them into small chunks and sprayed a casserole with cooking oil. In went the chunks of potatoes.   I baked them at 400 degrees for 35 minutes until they were almost cooked, completely through.    I added the onions and green peppers and poured eggs over the top, mixing gently.  I then mixed in 1/4 cup of cheese and sprinkled another 1/3 on the top.  Voila, we had something to eat.  I baked this for another half an hour and we devoured it.

You could add mushrooms and broccoli.    I would think this is an adaptable recipe, nothing exotic about it, but real food.

I can’t say this is not mundane, not that it is super healthy but we ate and enjoyed.