Chocolate Chip Cookies (in a Cup!)

The windchill has hovered around -35 all day here, which is (a) almost cold enough for frost to show up on the windows in hell, and (b) that's right, cold enough to motivate me to bake. 

I was originally wanted to make a healthy version of chocolate chip cookies with Greek yogurt, because I thought I had Greek yogurt in my fridge. This would help warm the house and produce something warm for me to give to my boyfriend when he came home. Closer inspection revealed, however, that the only Greek yogurt I had was pineapple flavored. I was not willing to leave though house, though, so I decided to make the full-butter, full-sugar Nestle Toll House cookies that my mom used to make for me. 

I used this recipe (seen below), but substituted Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour. My cookies turned out gooey and buttery and satisfying, but I call shenanigans on their claim that this recipe makes 5 dozen cookies. I only got 3 dozen and I don't think mine are THAT big. 

Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. 

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars. 

SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies. 

* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks. 

As I was pulling the last dozen out of my oven, my friend Jane told me about this recipe for a microwavable cookie in a cup. I haven't tried this, but this could have saved me effort and dishes. 

Here's the recipe I am stealing from Jane and Melissa at No. 2 Pencil:

Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Cup

1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Granulated White Sugar
1 Tablespoon of firmly packed Dark Brown Sugar
3 Drops of Vanilla Extract
Small Pinch of Kosher Salt
1 Egg Yolk (discard the egg white)
Scant 1/4 of All Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons of Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Start by melting your butter in the microwave. Add sugars, vanilla and salt. Stir to combine. Separate your egg and add the yolk only to your cup. Stir to combine. Add flour, then stir again. Add the chocolate chips, and give a final stir. Cook in microwave 40-60 seconds, start checking for doneness at 40 seconds. Mine takes 50 seconds. 

Serve warm.

FYI, Jane recommends microwaving for longer than 60 seconds. Next time I feel like baking, I'll try doing it the lazy way. 

Thanksgiving Update

Hi everyone,

I hope you had lovely Thanksgivings with your family/friends/coworkers/self. For the first time in seven years, I did not host a meal for my friends. Mainly because I don't have any friends here yet, but really because I am in driving distance of my family now. Over the years, my Thanksgivings have morphed into a gluten-free smorgasbord of delicious turkey, vegetarian entree, and sides. However, re-entering the regular world meant that there were fewer options this year. Instead of quinoa-based alternative stuffings and crustless pumpkin pies, I was back in the land of traditional stuffing, dinner rolls, and regular pies. This meant less food, but that is probably better in the long run anyway. Gobs of research suggest that caloric restriction may improve longevity. I did team up with my cousin, a recent culinary school graduate, to make some really tasty roasted asparagus with lemon and dill. The original idea came from here, but I didn't look at the recipe after deciding that this was a good idea. The asparagus was so tasty that it will probably become a more frequent visitor to my plate.  

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Dill (another half-baked recipe from your Goddess)
Fresh asparagus, or frozen*
Olive oil
Half of a Lemon, juiced and zested
Dill, chopped finely, or dried*
Salt

Trim asparagus. Lightly coat with olive oil and salt and roast in oven at 350 for about 10 min. Make a sauce by combining olive oil, juice of lemon, zest of lemon, and dill until it tastes good to you. Chef Cousin was pretty adamant that the zest go in, since it would make the flavor stronger and richer. Chef Cousin also shook his head in quiet disgust when he noticed how old my dried dill was. Clearly, Chef Cousin was the brains of this operation. After 10 min, turn asparagus and add sauce, then roast for another 10 min. I think our asparagus took about 20-25 min total to roast. 

This dish is best enjoyed eating straight from the scalding hot baking sheet and pretending you're my uncles. 

*same sh*t, different pile :P

Fancy Chickpeas

I miss stuffed grape leaves. I miss how the lemon, dill, mint, and olive oil came together to make something fatty and savory, yet bright. Using only local grocery store ingredients, I got really close to mimicking that taste. Here's how I made my 'fancy chickpeas' tonight*:

Fancy Chickpeas

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 roma tomato, coursely diced (I tossed this in to add texture and color)
A little bit of red onion, coursely chopped
Crumbled feta 
Lemon juice (a little)
Olive oil (more)
Dill weed
Salt

I don't really have proportions to share... I was really hungry, so I just dumped and stirred until I had a nice ratio of olive oil, lemon, and dill. I'd have added mint, too, but the local grocery store was out. 

*I assure you that there was nothing fancy about the disposable lunchmeat container I mixed it in. 

Command Center Brunch, Part 1: Egg Bake

So back in August I moved across the country. One of my best friends, Kathleen, also moved across the country (but much farther away ::sadface::). Fate smiled upon us and we were actually able to leave at the same time. This meant that I had someone to support me as I said goodbye to my old life, and someone who was sharing my excitement about leaping into the unknown. This also meant that there would be 2x the logistics, since we were doing a coordinated move. Essentially, her moving posse and my moving posse convoyed halfway across the US, then my moving posse waved goodbye as her moving posse continued their journey. It was kind of like a Modern-Day Oregon Trail Live-Action Movie. Except instead of wagons we had Penske trucks, I didn't have to shoot any buffalo or squirrels, there was no dysentery, and no oxen died fording a river. We did have some pretty epic weather that threatened our caravan, and some near-death experiences at a sketchy motel, though. 

<<Rewind>> So I hosted a 'command center' meeting to coordinate the move. This was a great opportunity to get together in the same room to enjoy a hearty brunch and discuss the logistics of moving two households in tandem. In addition to the in-person team, my boyfriend joined the meeting via webcam and my best friend joined via instant messenger. (I was serious... most of my favorite friends were a part of the command center. And yes, I play favorites.). I had been hungry all week, so I wanted brunch to be super-filling. It was also one of my last opportunities to show my appreciation for them through cooking, since we'd soon be scattered across the country. I made an egg bake and cheesy potatoes. The meal was a hit, and we all rolled out of the meeting stuffed to the gills with brunchiness. Today I'll share the egg bake recipe; when I get a break from work again, I'll share the recipe for the cheesy potatoes. 

My Friend Jenn's Egg Bake (That Will Blow Your Mind If You Are Not Lactose Intolerant)*

½ cup butter
12 eggs
½ cup gluten-free flour blend (I used cup4cup this time and it worked well)
1 tsp baking powder
8oz chopped green chilies
1 pint cottage cheese
1 lb shredded jack cheese

Melt butter in a 9x13 baking pan. Beat eggs lightly add flour, baking powder, butter, chilies and cheese pour into pan. Bake for 30 to 40 min on 350 degrees. Cool slightly before cutting.

Devour. 


*If you are lactose intolerant, it will blow your colon. 

A Second Mac & Cheese Recipe!

I love mac and cheese. So much so that I want to shout it from the rooftops. However, it is not exactly the healthiest meal on the planet. Which is why I am so glad that my friend Kathleen posted a recipe a while ago for a healthier Cauliflower Mac and Cheese over at her blog, Perfect Recipe Project. This recipe is easier than the previous one I linked to, but just as satisfying. It also includes Tony Chachere's cajun seasoning, which is one of my new favorite things. In fact, 'In Tony I Trust,' is my new seasoning motto. Cauliflower is a fantastic vegetable addition to the pasta since it is already relatively white and flavorless ...just like noodles! Plus, cauliflower holds up better for leftovers, so you're not just left with an amorphous blob of day-two gluten-free noodles. But wait, there's more! Kathleen's recipe calls for Greek yogurt, which means that you're sneaking extra protein in along with the veggies! How clever! 


Being me, I took it upon myself to pimp out Kathleen's recipe. I used quinoa noodles, my favorites, as the pasta base (more protein!). Then I followed the directions, except: 
-I sauteed half of an onion in butter (because it was already on my counter) and added that to the mix
-I nearly doubled the amount of cheese. 50% less fat = 50% more cheese! I trust Kathleen and think her recipe is probably awesome already, but I wanted it to look cheesier while I was stirring all of the ingredients together
-I also browned some gluten-free bread crumbs with butter, salt, pepper, and a dash of Tony's and topped my mac and cheese with that before baking it (because I had leftovers)


This version has surpassed Alton Brown's as my favorite homemade mac and cheese because it is easier and healthier while still being flavorful. It is the perfect bit of comfort food for when the weather decides it should be chilly and rainy even though it is June. 

Gluten Free Brownie Cookies

The choice is yours... You can either think of this post as really late or kind of early. In short, life has been pretty distracting lately and I've been tired. Plus, my computer randomly loses its mouse pointer, which makes doing even the most basic of tasks an epic test of my patience. But this be worth the wait -- Gluten Free Brownie Cookies!!! My friend E introduced me to this recipe and although I've never personally baked them because baking isn't where my strengths lie, she says that they're really easy to adapt to be gluten free friendly. The original recipe from Pink Apron can be found here. Here's E's glutard-friendly take:


Gluten Free Brownie Cookies (Thanks, E!!!)
-8 oz bittersweet baking chocolate or good chocolate chips. We like Trader Joe's chocolate chips.
-2 tbsp unsalted butter
-3/4 cup light brown sugar
-2 large eggs
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/8 tsp salt
-1/4 cup plus tablespoon(s) gluten free flour blend. I like Gluten Free Panty's All Purpose Flour Blend (in a convenient six-pack on Amazon for you hardcore bakers like me :P)
-1 cup of carefully-vetted butterscotch or white chocolate chips. These can have all sorts of hidden gluten, so read your label carefully. 


Preheat oven to 350. Grease baking sheet or slap some parchment paper on it. Melt chocolate and butter together slowly and carefully (because chocolate is a mofo and will burn easily... just one of the many reasons why I hate baking). Set that sh*t aside to cool.  Beat the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, baking powder, and salt together, then slowly beat in the choco-butter. At this point is where our recipes diverge for a hot second. Add the 1/4 cup of gluten free flour. Then slowly add in extra flour one tablespoon at a time until the dough becomes properly thick. Be careful because the dough will get doughier as the flour absorbs the liquid. Add the chocolate/white chocolate/butterscotch chips (or maybe nuts, too). Then drop the dough on the baking sheet in little balls and bake for about 12 minutes or until tops are look dry but are still soft to the touch. You might want to bake the gluten free cookies for a shorter amount of time since they overbake easily. Remove them from the oven and let them cool and firm up on the cookie sheet for about 10 min, then move them elsewhere for final cooling. 


These are crazy good, yo. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free-Friendly Sick Food

I'm not going to lie: One of the pleasures of being sick in my past life was Campbell's Goldfish chicken noodle soup with an inappropriate number of saltines crushed into it. That was the ultimate comfort food: warm, salty, mild, slightly absurd, but adorable. 


Now that I'm a glutard, my sick foods of choice have changed a bit. Instead of buying a can of chicken noodle soup, I now make my own Beat-the-Bastard-Bug Broth. Bug-Beating Broth is very simple -- easy enough that you can make it even when a bunch of gnomes are pick-axing your head or when you discover that a snot Nile has sprung forth from your face. 


Bug-Beating Broth (a more detailed description of what I described here)
Step 1: Put some broth on the stove. Preferably in a saucepan, not directly on the stove. You can use actual broth or bouillon cubes to make broth. Whatever you have the capacity to do. 
Step 2: Add parsley, pepper, dried onion flakes, and garlic powder to taste.
Step 3: Toss some fun, fast cooking gluten-free noodles in. I like these because they soften in 4 minutes: Schar Anellini. I also like them because I imagine I'm eating a thousand tiny life saving floaty devices. (Note: boiling the noodles directly in the broth might make your soup milky from the starches that cook off. If you aren't so sick, cook your pasta in a separate pot of water and toss it in at the end for a min. If you're super sick, don't waste precious energy that could be spent overcoming illness.)
Alternate Step 3: Microwave some frozen green beans. Toss them into the broth instead of the noodles. It might sound weird, but it tastes fine. Plus, sometimes it is nice to have a vegetable. 
Step 4: Simmer until you're bored standing there looking at it.


Warning: New Content Below!
In addition to recycling a blog post that I just remembered that I already wrote because I am apparently obsessed with my hobo soup, lets also talk about what happens when you're digestively unwell. For most people, this calls for crackers and toast. In lieu of gluten-free versions of those things because they are prohibitively expensive, I've found that original Baked Lay's potato chips make a great stand-in for crackers. They're absorbant, slightly salty, and come in a giant bag so you can eat a lot of them. I'm also a huge fan of Trader Joe's Wheat Free Waffles. They're kind of dense compared to other g-free waffles, but they're also absorbant and mild. Plus, they're affordable since TJ's doesn't upcharge them for being g-free. And you can always have bananas and wash it all down with gatorade or powerade. 


I'm going to stop before I re-blog something else. I hope you stay healthy!

I Shall Build A Meal Around The Corn Muffins

Sorry I didn't post last night. At the last minute, I decided to go out for tapas and sangria with two fab friends. The food was fantastic and it was nice to get away from work for a bit and to socialize. It was obvious that I was eager to get out of my house when I put on sparkly lipgloss. 


Unrelated to tapas, I've been craving cornbread for a while. Most cornbread mixes have wheat flour in them, but lucky for me, my friend Jenn had given me a very simple recipe a while back for corn muffins. They're super simple, slightly sweet, and they hit the spot.


Corn Muffins
1 cup cornmeal (course is fine, and I hear blue corn works great)
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup maple syrup (you can add less if you'd like them to be less sweet)
1 egg


Mix everything together, then pour into a muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes. I followed Jenn's instructions and filled the cups about 1/4 full and baked them for around 17 minutes. This recipe only makes about 9 muffins, which is just about right for a single person's cornbread binge, but may not be enough for gatherings. 


My corn muffins were all dressed up with nowhere to go, so to speak, so I ended making barbecue baked chicken and green beans to escort them into my belly. The bbq chicken was even simpler than the corn muffins: I covered some chicken breasts with a mesquite rub and bbq sauce and stuck them in the oven. Yumsies! 

Second Best Lunch Ever!

I stumbled upon a gem in the midst of my culinary laziness that I feel obligated to share because it is so simple and affordable. All you need is a Trader Joe's, a microwave, and a little time in the morning to make a sandwich. 


Roasted Red Pepper-Palooza!
Part 1: Sandwich. 
Make this in the morning so that the rice cakes soften up in time for lunch.
-Pull out two ricecakes, our trusty and affordable bread substitute. 
-On one ricecake, spread a thick layer of Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper Spread with Egglplant and Garlic. This stuff is flavorful and adds a delicious pop to sandwiches.
-Place some turkey lunchmeat atop the rice cake with the roasted red pepper spread. 
-Add a slice of mozzarella cheese to your sandwich base.
-Spread a thin layer of light mayonnaise on the other ricecake. This will add creaminess and dimension to the sandwich AND will really help the roasted red pepper spread pop. 
-Put the two halves together and place in a container to "marinate" until lunch.


Part 2: Soup.
-Microwave a bowl of Trader Joe's Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup. This soup is so creamy, plus the tomato and roasted red pepper flavors subtly combine to create soup bliss. Enjoy alongside your sandwich. 


Roasted red pepper overkill? Not really. Both portions of this meal have a common thread, but they actually have unique flavors. Spicy? Not at all. Just flavorful and satisfying! Simple? You betcha. Best part? You'll feel full for only 330 calories! 

Gluten-Free Chocolate-Covered Cherry Holiday Cookies!

I'm in the holiday spirit already, folks. It doesn't usually get me this early, but there's something special about being in love around the holidays. ...You can barf now if you need to. I still haven't found a great recipe for gluten-free sugar cookies, so today I am sharing a new favorite recipe from my mom to kick off the holiday treat season!

Gluten-Free Chocolate-Covered Cherry Holiday Cookies!

1 1/2 cups flour (I like Gluten Free Pantry's all-purpose flour blend)
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

10 oz jar maraschino cherries, drained (reserve juice)

1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk


Mix the first chunk of ingredients into a dough. Shape dough into 1" balls and place on cookie sheet. Press down center with thumb & place cherry in the center of each cookie. 

In a small saucepan, combine chocolate chips & sweetened condensed milk. Melt together over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in 4 tbsp of the reserved cherry juice. Spoon about 1 tbsp of this frosting-like mixture over each cherry to cover cherry. If the frosting is too thick, you can thin it out with more cherry juice. 


Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 min or until done.


Enjoy!!

Turkey Leftovers?

If you, like I, have about 12 pounds of turkey in your refrigerator, consider converting your leftovers into one of my two favorite day-after-Thanksgiving-meals:


(1) open-faced hot turkey sandwiches with gravy and cold cranberry


or 


(2) jambalaya

(1) is possibly my favorite meal of the year. Hot, juicy, satisfying. But one does not really need to eat 24-36 leftover turkey sandwiches. One will probably get sick of them. Plus, one does not want to go bankrupt purchasing gluten-free bread or rolls. Enter (2). 


(2) will blow one's mind. Yesterday, one had a tame little turkey that tasted like holidays. Today, that turkey has reincarnated as spicy, sassy, cajun turkey. The newly-saucy turkey (think Sandy from Grease) mingles with some hot sausage (Danny Zuko, naturally) in this reboot of a classic holiday tradition. This jambalaya recipe makes about 187 pounds, so either invite everyone over for Thanksgiving The Sequel: Friendsgiving or prepare your stomach/freezer for 24-36 servings of jambalaya. 


Either way, you won't be sorry. :)




PS: Every time I type "jambalaya" today, it comes out "jambalamba." I blame the tryptophan. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just like every other day, I am thankful for the many wonderful people in my life and all of the amazing opportunities I've had thus far. But tomorrow I get to be thankful and share a meal with a subset of my favorite people. YUM! I have discretely sewn elastic into the waistband of my jeans, so I am ready. Bring on the food, family, and friends!


Here are some of my favorite alternatives to glutenous Thanksgiving dishes:
Quinoa Stuffing with Leeks, Walnuts, and Cherries. Quinoa is great, duh! Your traditional relatives may be suspicious, but encourage them to try it! Subbing in dried cranberries instead of cherries is a way to make this more consistent with the traditional cranberry-infused fare. Also, you can easily make this vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.


Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gluten Free Crumb Crust. Ok, so this simple recipe isn't gluten-free, but it is easily modifiable. To make it friendly for us, I recommend making your own crust using 1.5 cups of crumbled Kinnikinnick's gluten free graham crackers or Trader Joe's gluten free ginger snaps mixed with 6 tbsp butter. The filling should be gluten free anyway, but be sure to check your labels!


You can make a mean gravy by using corn starch instead of regular flour as a thickener. 


Leftover turkey? Make a mean open-faced turkey and gravy sandwich on some slices of Udi's gluten free bread. 


Many other sides are either gluten free by nature (e.g., mashed potatoes) or can be modified (e.g., green bean casserole), so I hope everyone has a holiday full of happy eating! And if you're feeling generous and are able, consider making a donation to a food pantry or homeless shelter this holiday season. Everyone deserves a warm meal! 

Fall Comfort Food: Amaretto Roasted Pears

So you just ate a bunch of salty lasagna, and now you're craving something sweet... Amaretto Roasted Pears to the rescue! This recipe is really simple and is a boozy take on this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. 


Amaretto Roasted Pears
PEARS
-Cut your slightly under-ripe pears in half and cut out the cores. Arrange in a glass baking dish cut-side up.


SAUCE
In a separate bowl, mix:
-1/8 cup sugar (use less for a less sweet version)
-2 T lemon juice
-1 t vanilla extract
-3 T amaretto liqueur 


PREPARATION
-Preheat oven to 375.
-Divide your 2 T butter so that there's a little on each pear.
-Drizzle the sauce on the pears
-Roast 15-30 min on each side, depending on the ripeness of your pears. They'll be soft but not yet mooshy when they're done. Baste those little guys a couple of times while they're baking so that they get lots of opportunity to absorb the sauce. 


Serve warm and with some of the sauce from the pan. I drizzled a little extra amaretto on them before serving. They're great alone, and also pair well with vanilla ice cream. 


Kathleen from Perfect Recipe Project helped me perfect this recipe! I hope you enjoy it! It is a great warm dessert for fall, and is a light, sweet complement to heavy meals like lasagna. Plus, roasting pears sounds way more sophisticated than baking brownies :P

Fall Comfort Food: Gluten Free Lasagna

If you live somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere with seasons, you may have noticed the fall chill has crept into the air. One of my favorite cold weather foods is lasagna, so today I'll share my recipe for Lazy (Gluten Free) Lasagna, the perfect warm fall meal. 


Lazy (Gluten Free) Lasagna
FILLING:
-Sautee 1 medium onion and a clove or two of garlic with:
-Carnivore filling: brown 1 lb hamburger or Italian sausage 
-Herbivore filling: thaw, drain, then sautee 1 block frozen chopped spinach and 1 block frozen chopped broccoli (I think these packages are about 10oz each)
-Add approximately 26 oz of your favorite pasta sauce to your filling (you'll need to save a little sauce to put in the bottom of your baking dish) and let it simmer for a couple minutes so everything gets warm and toasty, like your innards will be after you eat some piping hot lasagna. I like Newman's Own Organic Tomato and Basil sauce. Last time I made this, I used nearly 2 jars of pasta sauce because I had one open and it was lonely. This works fine and makes for a saucier lasagna (duh). 
-Sometimes I like to add some red Tabasco sauce to my filling mixture to make a tangier lasagna, and sometimes I add red pepper flakes to give it some kick.


CHEESE MIXTURE:
Mix together in a bowl
-12 oz of cottage cheese (I like to use low fat, and I also like to disregard my own recipe and add the entire 16 oz container)
-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
-2 eggs, beaten
-2 T parsley
-pepper, to taste


MORE CHEESE:
-2-4 cups mozzarella, depending on how cheesy you like things. I always err on the side of 4 cups. I also like mozzarella parmesan blends. You could probably use reduced fat cheese in this recipe, since there's lots of moisture to mask the weird way that stuff 'melts.'


PREPARATION
In a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray:
-Add that little bit of pasta sauce you saved to the bottom of pan. This moisture is crucial for the gluten free noodles to cook.
-Put down a layer of gluten free lasagna noodles. I like DeBoles Gluten Free Rice Lasagna. No boil! 
-Use half of the filling mixture to make a layer
-Add half of the cheese mixture on top of that
-Add 2 cups mozzarella
-Add another layer of noodles
-Add the other half of the filling
-Add the other half of the cheese mixture
-Add another 2 cups mozzarella


-If you hate non-useful amounts of leftover ingredients like I do, you can add another layer of noodles to the top layer, since the box contains approx 9-10 noodles but we've only used 6ish so far. If you do this, you MUST add some more pasta sauce to the top, or else the noodles will stay hard. Add some more mozzarella on top, too, because guests like a nice golden cheese crust. Or you can break up the extra noodles and jam them in wherever there's space. Or you can save them for next time. Whatever suits your fancy. 


-Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove from oven to set and cool, or else you will burn your mouth. Enjoy!


Note: This recipe is resilient! I tend to throw whatever I have around into it, in whatever quantities I have, because of my aforementioned annoyance with leftover ingredients that I don't use often. 
Second note: This is my mom's recipe. She makes so many delicious dishes! Thanks, mom!

Excuse me. I am very busy and important. Hold on. Is that cheese on my shirt?

Life is real busy right now. I am heading off for some business travel this week, then I am off for my international adventure. I've also been busy with roommate moves and the cleaning that those entail. That means you don't get a real blog post this week. I'm sorry. I'm very busy and important, which means sometimes I have to drop a ball or two so I can hold the others. Hmm... that doesn't sound quite right. 


In lieu of a real post, I'm gonna link to the recipe for Alton Brown's baked macaroni and cheese. I love this recipe. To make it g-free, I use gluten free noodles and gluten free breadcrumbs. If you're going to make it with glutard noodles, I'd recommend a corn or quinoa blend pasta. They'll hold up better than rice noodles, since you'll be boiling the noodles, then baking them. The other thing you should know is that gluten free noodles tend to soak up all of the liquids in a dish. When it comes time to reheat your leftovers, I recommend adding a splash of milk to soften and rehydrate the block of dry, cheesy pasta.
Don't be afraid to add some extra cheese to this recipe. Support America's dairy farmers!


When I made this recipe for my friends over the weekend, I omitted the bread crumbs, baked some tater tots, then put the tots atop the mac and cheese after it was done baking. I got the idea from Q Restaurant in San Francisco in my previous life as a glutevore*. It was a carb-splosion, and it was amazing. I ate a few token slices of cucumbers and also had plenty of heart-healthy red wine to offset the dairy bonanza. 




*I just made up a new word! It is pronounced 'glute-a-vore,' and means someone who eats gluten. I'm explaining it in far too much detail down here because I am quite tired and I am not sure I'll understand my faux-cabulary** after I sleep. 
**Faux-cabulary, another word-vention of mine. Clearly I do not have a command of real English vocabulary. 

Bonus Post: More Food Blogs to Check Out!

This week I am posting twice because there are two recipe blogs I want to bring to your attention.


The first is Yet Another Useless Food Blog, which is a new recipe blog started by one of my friends. Despite it's name, it is not actually useless. YAUFB contains satisfying vegetarian recipes, most of which are gluten free. 


The second is The Existential Chef, which is by another one of my friends. EC's posts are often chock full o' gluten, but look delectable. Non-glutards: enjoy! Glutards: enjoy the challenge of adapting these to fit the g-free diet. 


Both blogs offer clear directions, so you can easily recreate their masterpieces in your own home. 


PS: If you haven't checked it out yet, here's another link to The Perfect Recipe Project, a go-to for amazingly simple, yet healthy meals. You guessed it, PRP also belongs to one of my friends! I seem to be surrounding myself with people who like to cook delicious meals. I recommend that you do the same ;-)


Go forth in foodiness!

The Lazy Lunch Survival Guide

Here be some handy meals I came up with for very quick meals on the go specifically designed for glutards. Most of them can be made in one pot and in bulk on Sunday, then packaged to feed you through the week! 


1. Poor-itos
This is a very simple, stripped down version of burritos. Poor-itos are named as such because they were primarily what I ate when I was finishing my dissertation and wasn't getting paid. I could only afford the most essential groceries, so no gluten free versions of regular carbs. Buy the "Latino-sized" package of corn taco tortillas -- there are probably 50 of them in there and the not-marketed-to-White-people tortillas don't tend to contain weird fillers. They are also very cheap... so fantastically, amazingly affordable! Then buy a bag of dried black beans. Also very cheap. Soak beans per the package directions, then cook with cumin, lime, cilantro, salt, pepper, and chipotle tabasco sauce. Warm the corn tortillas, plop some beans in, sprinkle with cheese and salsa, and then you have lunch. Microwave acceptable for nearly every step! To quote Emeril, "Bam!" Cheap and easy (assuming you had the foresight to soak your beans)!


2. Stir fry
When you don't have the foresight to soak your beans a day in advance, you can easily make a quick stir fry to sustain you for the week. I like brown rice because it is heartier than white rice and people tell me it is healthier. There are some gluten free soy sauces out there (GF Tamari is the best, but La Choy is usually gluten free, too), so you can mix soy sauce with ginger, sugar, and garlic and use that to sautee veggies and tofu/meat. If you want to thicken the sauce, use corn starch. Frozen veggie combination bags make for thought-less cooking!


3. Glutard spaghetti (well... elbows or pagodas if you're going to be a stickler)
I have a carb-crush on quinoa pasta. I have never actually checked the label, but I'm assuming it is full of protein and fiber. I like to buy quinoa pasta and dump a jar of spaghetti sauce on it. To quote Shaq, "Shazam!" Now you can be just as lazy as you were pre-gluten allergy... it is just more expensive. 


4. La Fiesta
This is a lazy variation of the poor-itos in which the burrito fillings are placed atop of a bed of rice. If you don't feel like making your own Fiesta, you can always be ultra-lazy and go to Chipotle, where pretty much everything is gluten free (including the corn tortillas) except for the flour tortillas, obviously. 


5. Indian food packets
Many of the packets of Indian food at the grocery store or Trader Joe's are gluten free and pair well with brown rice. Ya know, you can even buy pre-cooked brown rice that you just need to microwave. La-zy.


6. Rice cake sandwich
I'm almost embarrassed to admit this one... 
When g-free bread was really bad in the early days, I stopped bothering with it entirely. Maybe it is better now, I don't really know or care. But if you make a turkey sandwich/PB&J/etc on plain rice cakes in the morning and let it sit until lunch, the rice cakes get a little soggy and no longer shatter all over you. This is my preferred vehicle for relish these days, since I can take or leave meat, but it is really hard to justify just eating spoonfuls of relish straight from the jar.


Very quick and simple meals for gluten intolerant folks! FIguring this out was critical because I developed my gluten allergy while in grad school pursuing my PhD and didn't have a lot of time to cook, but could no longer exist on sandwiches, frozen pizza, and macaroni & cheese. These options are far healthier and tastier than what I used to eat while being about as simple. Bon appetit!

Super Simple Strawberry Scrumptiousness

I've caught the recipe bug, so I am going to share the "recipe" for the cake over which I am obsessed right now. 
(Note: I resisted the urge to end that sentence with a preposition! A+ in English Grammar for me!) 
(Second note, this is a lazy, glutard adaptation of a recipe I found here.)

1 Box Betty Crocker yellow cake mix, prepared according to directions
Approximately 1 cup frozen strawberries
8 oz cream cheese
1-3 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tsp vanilla
A few droplets of milk

After Betty works her magic, it is your turn to shine. Puree 1-1.5 cups frozen strawberries in a food processor and stir them into the batter. When well-mixed, pour into the baking dish of your choice and bake according to box instructions. The extra moisture may warrant a couple of extra minutes in the oven, so use your best clean-toothpick judgment... for me, one time it did and one time it didn't.


You can either buy a container of cream cheese frosting to top it off after it cools, or you can make my Fabulously Fast Frosting Featuring FCream FCheese. To make your own cream cheese frosting, combine room-temperature cream cheese with some powdered sugar (maybe 1 cup? depends on your specific tastes and how thick you like your frosting), 1-2 tsp vanilla, and JUST A TOUCH OF milk. If you add too much milk, your frosting will taste fine but look like a bodily fluid. Don't say I didn't warn you. 


Top with springy sprinkles to really bring the jazz. 


Go forth toward obesity and diabetes! Enjoy!

Speaking of Recipes...

I realized after I posted the link to my friend's recipe blog earlier (methinks I will re-post it here for your linking convenience) that I haven't written a post about one of my favorite recipe blogs, which can be found here.

I love Crockpot365 because the recipes are simple, gluten-free, and delicious. Basically, you grab some ingredients, toss them in a crockpot, go to work for the day, then come home to a hot and tasty dinner. What more could a girl ask for? ...Except maybe to come home to a hot significant other serving up the hot meal (take this as your hint, George Clooney). If you're looking for a place to start on the blog, I highly recommend the Buffalo Chicken Lasagna. I've made it for my friends numerous times. At each dinner party, they show up twitching slightly like heroine addicts awaiting their methodone fix. I recommend serving it with a salad with g.f. bleu cheese dressing and some wine. If you're lucky enough to live in a multiple-crockpot home or have the foresight to plan you meals in advance (I am lacking in all ways mentioned), you could even make crockpot brownies for dessert. Brownies you say? Why yes! Crockpots are magical! She has books that you can purchase, too! I own her first one and it is full of dog-eared pages and notes to myself about substitutions that have worked when I was too lazy to walk to the grocery store. Have I mentioned how forgiving crockpots are???

So now you have no excuse not to try something new and tasty this week. Meanwhile, I'll be slogging through my leftover g-free Easter ham. 

Recipes!

What up, blog-o-sphere?

Just letting you crazy cats know that one of my good friends just started a recipe blog, http://perfectrecipeproject.blogspot.com/. Because she's amazing, she is also going to note which recipes can be easily adapted to be glutard-friendly. As a frequent consumer of her cookery, let me tell you that these recipes are definitely worth making!

Keep on keepin' on. More content to come as final projects release their death-grip from my neck.