Happy New Year!
Friday, December 30, 2011
2011's Top GF Blog Posts
Thanks to Foodista once again, I bring to you their Top 10 Gluten Free Blog Post List of 2011. Here you will find all sorts of recipes that are sure to please. I hope you enjoy these in the New Year. I know that I will be trying out a number of these recipes!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Dangerously Addictive... GF FUDGE!!!
As any Celiac knows, gluten is everywhere...even when it comes to chocolate. Well for all those Celiac Chocoholics out there, here is a fudge recipe that is so simple to make it would take you longer to drive to the store to buy yourself a piece of chocolate heaven.
I was lucky enough to discover this recipe gem through Foodista on Facebook. It truly is as simple as it looks. I did only a couple of minor changes. First I highly recommend using the plastic wrap suggestion of lining your pan- it makes things so much easier. I also used Semi Sweet Hershey's Chipits instead of the brand that was recommended. As for marshmellow's make sure you read your labels here again- I've used Jet Puff before, as well as store brands as I did for this recipe. Many do not contain gluten, but I've come across the odd brand that does- so read. Also feel free to experiment with flavorings. I made one batch with orange flavoring and omitted the vanilla and nuts. I used the same amount of orange flavoring as what was called for vanilla- however, next time I try that orange-chocolate combo I may increase the amount of flavoring slightly. Peppermint has also come to mind.
One last tip...if you find that when you are combining the marshmellow mixture with the chocolate that it is cooling too quickly and cracking- put it in the microwave for 30 seconds, give a final stir, and then pour into your pan.
Woops! I forgot...more tips!!! Place plastic wrap over your poured fudge and press into place with your hands while warm. This makes a smooth top, helps get rid of air bubbles, and your spatula wont keep grabbing the surface of the fudge as it cools while you try to press it into the corners and edges. Don't fuss over the size of your pan either- mine was 13x9 inches. Also, store your fudge in the fridge after cutting into squares. Other than that, I hope you enjoy this delight as much as my family and friends did.
I've included the original recipe below. If you want to visit the site this came from, take a peek at foodiecrush.com.
http://www.foodiecrush.com/2011/12/craving-the-best-homemade-fudge-and-a-big-kiss/
WARNING: This recipe results in extremely tasty treats. Potentially addictive.
My Mom’s Fudge with Pecans
1. In a large mixing bowl, add:
1 stick butter, or 8 tablespoons (room temperature)
12 oz. package Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate chips
Set aside
2. In a large pan stir together:
2 cups of sugar and
2/3 cup evaporated milk, until mixed
Then add 12- 15 large, fresh marshmallows
3. Cook over medium heat, (I use an electric fry pan set at 250 degrees) and stir constantly, I use a rubber spatula to stir and clean the sides of the pan. Once the mixture has melted, continue to cook and stir a bit more until you’re sure the sugar has melted; don’t let it change color.
4. Pour the hot mixture over the ingredients in the bowl and stir until the butter and chocolate melt then add:
¾ cups chopped nuts (I use pecans)
1 teaspoon vanilla
5. Continue to stir vigorously until it is very well mixed. [I kind of beat it by hand with the spatula]
6. Spray an 11” x 7” Pyrex baking dish with Pam and pour in cooked mixture, cover and refrigerate until set and ready to cut. FYI Recently I’ve lined the dish with plastic wrap so I could easily remove the fudge and sliced it with a pizza roller.
I was lucky enough to discover this recipe gem through Foodista on Facebook. It truly is as simple as it looks. I did only a couple of minor changes. First I highly recommend using the plastic wrap suggestion of lining your pan- it makes things so much easier. I also used Semi Sweet Hershey's Chipits instead of the brand that was recommended. As for marshmellow's make sure you read your labels here again- I've used Jet Puff before, as well as store brands as I did for this recipe. Many do not contain gluten, but I've come across the odd brand that does- so read. Also feel free to experiment with flavorings. I made one batch with orange flavoring and omitted the vanilla and nuts. I used the same amount of orange flavoring as what was called for vanilla- however, next time I try that orange-chocolate combo I may increase the amount of flavoring slightly. Peppermint has also come to mind.
One last tip...if you find that when you are combining the marshmellow mixture with the chocolate that it is cooling too quickly and cracking- put it in the microwave for 30 seconds, give a final stir, and then pour into your pan.
Woops! I forgot...more tips!!! Place plastic wrap over your poured fudge and press into place with your hands while warm. This makes a smooth top, helps get rid of air bubbles, and your spatula wont keep grabbing the surface of the fudge as it cools while you try to press it into the corners and edges. Don't fuss over the size of your pan either- mine was 13x9 inches. Also, store your fudge in the fridge after cutting into squares. Other than that, I hope you enjoy this delight as much as my family and friends did.
I've included the original recipe below. If you want to visit the site this came from, take a peek at foodiecrush.com.
http://www.foodiecrush.com/2011/12/craving-the-best-homemade-fudge-and-a-big-kiss/
My Mom’s Fudge with Pecans
1. In a large mixing bowl, add:
1 stick butter, or 8 tablespoons (room temperature)
12 oz. package Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate chips
Set aside
2. In a large pan stir together:
2 cups of sugar and
2/3 cup evaporated milk, until mixed
Then add 12- 15 large, fresh marshmallows
3. Cook over medium heat, (I use an electric fry pan set at 250 degrees) and stir constantly, I use a rubber spatula to stir and clean the sides of the pan. Once the mixture has melted, continue to cook and stir a bit more until you’re sure the sugar has melted; don’t let it change color.
4. Pour the hot mixture over the ingredients in the bowl and stir until the butter and chocolate melt then add:
¾ cups chopped nuts (I use pecans)
1 teaspoon vanilla
5. Continue to stir vigorously until it is very well mixed. [I kind of beat it by hand with the spatula]
6. Spray an 11” x 7” Pyrex baking dish with Pam and pour in cooked mixture, cover and refrigerate until set and ready to cut. FYI Recently I’ve lined the dish with plastic wrap so I could easily remove the fudge and sliced it with a pizza roller.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
GF French Fry Cravings...Solved!
French fries are one of those things that you must be careful about as a Celiac. Many restaurants use the same deep fryer to cook things like battered pork bites and chicken tenders, including fries. This automatically excludes Celiac's from enjoying this simple food when out and about, since this causes cross contamination. Even these small amounts of gluten that are transferred to fries in this way causes problems for my Celiac daughter- severe cramping, bloating, the sensation wanting to vomit but can't, and then for the next day or two... a general blah lethargic feeling combined with headache often and becoming lactose intolerant for a week. Not fun.
For many (including myself), making fries at home is an intimidating proposition. I have attempted it, but my results have varied greatly ranging from burnt tasting to underdone, to oily and risking my skin to being scorched by the hot oil. Oven fries on the other hand, are either soggy or tough. Some of the frozen oven fries are not even gluten free, having been coated with gluten to adhere flavorings to their exterior. A losing battle it seems all for the sake of a simple comfort food. But I am here to tell you that all this fuss and frustration can be pushed aside!
Perfect homemade fries are possible. The "How", is called the ActiFry -made by T-fal. My son has been wowed by the commercials for the last few months and has begged for us to get one. Although intriguing, it was not on my priority list.
With Christmas coming, I took stock of my Airmiles that I have collected over the year, and began using my points to purchase various gifts for my family. As I browsed, I came across the long desired ActiFry that my son was wowed about. Well as you might guess, I bought it with my Airmiles.
It arrived yesterday. My son was elated, and hurried to help me wash the components. (If only I could get him that excited about doing dishes all the time! Lol.) I asked the kids what they wanted me to make with our new appliance, and in unanimous shouts it was FRIES.
I must say that I was impressed with results. The fries were golden brown, perfectly done and had an audible crunch to their exterior while still being tender and fluffy inside. All this was done with a tablespoon of oil! No more dealing with oil baths and splatters...and not to mention the cost savings in oil usage alone.
The ActiFry also comes with a cookbook. Here you will find everything from risotto to shrimp, and even desserts. Tonight I am going to try out a creation of my own. I will share it with you if it turns out! In the meantime here is a link to see for yourself what this contraption is all about. To briefly describe its cool factor... it is similar to what people have told me that they did when they got their first front loading washing machine (myself included)- stand there and watch it! http://tfalactifry.com/
Perfect homemade fries are possible. The "How", is called the ActiFry -made by T-fal. My son has been wowed by the commercials for the last few months and has begged for us to get one. Although intriguing, it was not on my priority list.
With Christmas coming, I took stock of my Airmiles that I have collected over the year, and began using my points to purchase various gifts for my family. As I browsed, I came across the long desired ActiFry that my son was wowed about. Well as you might guess, I bought it with my Airmiles.
It arrived yesterday. My son was elated, and hurried to help me wash the components. (If only I could get him that excited about doing dishes all the time! Lol.) I asked the kids what they wanted me to make with our new appliance, and in unanimous shouts it was FRIES.
I must say that I was impressed with results. The fries were golden brown, perfectly done and had an audible crunch to their exterior while still being tender and fluffy inside. All this was done with a tablespoon of oil! No more dealing with oil baths and splatters...and not to mention the cost savings in oil usage alone.
The ActiFry also comes with a cookbook. Here you will find everything from risotto to shrimp, and even desserts. Tonight I am going to try out a creation of my own. I will share it with you if it turns out! In the meantime here is a link to see for yourself what this contraption is all about. To briefly describe its cool factor... it is similar to what people have told me that they did when they got their first front loading washing machine (myself included)- stand there and watch it! http://tfalactifry.com/
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Amazing and Easy GF Ribs
I've had alot of cravings these days and good ribs was one of them. I've never made great ribs before...until this recipe. And these are not great- they are Amazing! On top of that, they are simple with little to no fuss. The hardest part of this recipe is getting them out of the slow cooker in one piece. Yes they literally fall off the bone. Gotta love Google when you can find recipe gems like this one I found!Easy GF Ribs
Ingredients:
2 tbsp Brown sugar
2 tbsp Smoked paprika
½ tsp Salt (I use kosher)
1 tsp Garlic powder (I ran out of powdered, so used 2 cloves of crushed garlic and mixed it in with the cola)½ tsp Cayenne pepper
2-3 lbs. Pork back or side ribs
1 cup Cola, regular (I used Pepsi, but don't use diet of either Coke or Pepsi)
½ cup GF BBQ sauce (I used CattleBoyz again, it's gf- use your favorite)
Method:
Combine the first five ingredients to make a rub.
Generously rub the ribs with "the rub" all over both sides and then let them sit for 5 minutes.
Cut the ribs into 3-4 bone pieces and layer in a slow cooker.
Gently pour the cola over the ribs, making sure you don’t wash off all the rub. .
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
After 6-8 hours, carefully remove the ribs from the slow cooker and place them on a baking sheet.
Brush with bbq sauce and place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes.
Enjoy!
Note: Smoked Paprika really makes this dish. It is more common in grocery stores now than even 5years ago. It is wonderful to add to many dishes and is one of my go spices- a great addition to any pantry.
My source for this lovely recipe:
http://moneygrubbinglawyer.com/2008/10/03/foodie-friday-lazy-man-slow-cooker-ribs/
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