GF Hamburger Bun

I was so excited when I found this recipe. The Tropical Traditions site contains a plethora of recipes, many of which are gluten free. I definitely wanted/needed a recipe that would make one roll at a time, since I am the only GF foodie in the family and don't eat rolls often. I have made it twice so far, once with pork bbq and another with hamburgers. I even used a leftover one in place of stuffing with a baked chicken meal. I just popped it in the toaster (for I like crispy stuffing), topped with chicken and gravy and I was good to go :)  I also plan on trying this shaped like a hot dog bun. Also this recipe does double/triple well if you want/need to make more.

GF Hamburger Bun

1 egg
1 T coconut flour
1 T almond flour
1 T coconut oil, melted (if you do not want the coconut flavor, use expeller pressed oil or palm oil)
dash of salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
sprinkle of chia seeds on the tops

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and blend in food processor (I used a Magic Bullet, it only took a few seconds). Divide into 2 amounts and spread onto parchment paper. It will be pretty gloppy so you have to just smush it around on the parchment paper until you have about the right size and shape. It will rise some so don't make it too thick or it will take long to bake.

Sprinkle a few chia seeds on the top. Bake about 10 minutes but keep a close eye because the time will vary based on the thickness (but let me tell you, if you don't bake long enough...yuck!).

And so it begins...

Finally time to start getting the seeds going for the garden this year! Due to having to waterproof our basement we had to move a significant number of plants to other beds. Needless to say it has been very busy with just this project! Fortunately almost everything that was moved has taken nicely (even bulbs) and most are blooming! Looks like we may lose one knockout rose and a heather, but hoping they come back.

Today was finally nice enough to get some seeds going. Because of the aforementioned work, our raised bed had to be moved and re-filled, and it broke in the process. Waiting for that to get repaired before I can direct sow any cold weather seeds. Saw this site over the winter and thought I would try starting some seeds in eggshells to not have to disturb the roots as much when it is time to transplant. So, we've been eating a lot of eggs :)

Here's a list of what's to come...

Tomatoes- Roma, cherry, Rutger and beefsteak
Yellow and spaghetti squash, pumpkin and zucchini
Watermelon
Peppers
Cauliflower
Cucumbers- market and pickling (hoping for a great crop like last year so I can make lots of refrigerator pickles!)

For some reason I'm not feeling as excited or optimistic about the veggie garden this year. I think it may have something to do with all of the work we have to do in the flower gardens, and the fact that I was a bit disappointed with our harvest from last year. Hoping that moving the bed to a sunnier spot will help.

This post is part of the link-up featured here:

Frozen Mocha

So, I definitely have a few downfalls, one of which being frozen mochas/frappuccinos/frappes/whatever-the-current-coffee-shop-I-am-at-calls-them. After seeing this image I realized that event though this is not a frequent indulgence, I needed to find a way to make it at home. Boy was I tickled when I made this! YUM!

Frozen Mocha

6 ice cubes
1/2 c milk (I also made with water if you are trying to not have TOO much dairy)

Blend ice and milk together first. This will help break up the ice without leaving big chunks.

Then add:
1/2 c coffee ice cream (my choice is Perrydell)
squirt of chocolate syrup (make sure it is homemade or organic due to a certain, very popular brand, not actually having ANY chocolate in but having lots of HFCS and chemicals)

Blend again until combined. Add a dollop of homemade whipped cream (recipe below) and a straw and you are good to go!

Whipped Cream

1 pint organic whipping cream (I use Organic Valley)
1-2 T organic cane sugar
1 T vanilla

Combine all in large glass bowl (I love using my Pampered Chef batter bowl!) Blend with hand mixer until stiff peaks form.

I have found if I blend a little longer than I think I need, then it stays good for a couple days in the fridge without separating. This is also a great topping for my sis' gluten-free vegan pumpkin pie!

Quinoa Flake Breakfast (GF!)

It's official, I am in love with quinoa flakes! After making these cookies I knew they were going to become a staple in my kitchen. Quinoa flakes can also be made similar to oatmeal, so one morning when I was out of homemade yogurt I thought I'd give it a whirl. Feel free to switch out your favorite ingredients (nuts, or add dried fruit), although I must say, this combo is pretty delicious :)

Quinoa Flake Breakfast

1 serving quinoa flakes, cooked (My directions are boil 1 cup water, then add 1/3 cup flakes and boil for 90 seconds)
Place all these ingredients into bowl while flakes are cooking:
1-2 T coconut oil
1 T each flax, chia seeds, almonds

Once flakes are done cooking add to bowl and stir. The heat from the flakes will melt the coconut oil

Then add:
Drizzle of real maple syrup
splash of vanilla
dash of cinnamon

Stir and enjoy! This is very filling, and don't be afraid of the chia seeds, they add a nice crunch and a lot of nutrition!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust (Gluten Free!)

It has been quite a few weeks since my friend Susan first gave me this recipe. And after losing it 3 times and running out of cauliflower twice, I finally got it made! It was good, although I altered the recipe a bit. I have an idea for a version that will blend this recipe with the other gluten free crust recipe. Once I get that figured out, I'll definitely post! This was good, filling and yet without all the heaviness of "real" pizza. It made 2 pizzas, 4 slices each, and 2 slices was definitely enough per person.

Gluten Free Cauliflower Pizza

2 c shredded cauliflower (about 1/2 head of cauliflower, shredded using cheese grater and then steamed)
2 eggs
2 c shredded mozzarella (I used a bag of Organic Valley Italian blend which is 1 1/2 c and then 1/2 c Parmesan)
dash each of oregano, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt

sauce, cheese, toppings of choice

Preheat oven to 450 degree. Place parchment paper on 2 baking sheets. Mix all ingredients together. Divide and form into 2 large circles.

Bake about 20 minutes. About halfway through I turned the crusts and switched the racks for even baking. Here's what it looked like after baking:

Add sauce (I use Nature's Promise organic sauces), spices (onion, garlic), cheese (Organic Valley Mozzarella), toppings (onion and pepper) and more spices (oregano and parsley). Bake at 350 for a few minutes to melt cheese, it will not take long. Enjoy!

Crab Cakes, Cheddar Biscuits and Spaghetti Squash

I love all three of the foods listed in the title. I just HAD to figure out how to make gluten free garlic cheddar biscuits. So, here's the yummy recipes (thanks again to Susan for the squash recipe!).

Crab Cakes (adapted from the recipe on the back of the Old Bay container)

1 lb crab meat (I was so thankful to have picked mine out of crabs we had last summer!)
2 T mayo
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp Old Bay (but I really didn't measure)
1/3 c gluten free bread crumbs (I didn't measure this either, just sprinkled a little in to help hold it together, I really wanted to have as little as possible.)
2 tsp parsley (yeah, didn't measure this either)

Mix all ingredients together. Form into small round patties (I got 8 out of one pound of meat). Heat skillet on medium heat (too hot and you'll sear the outside but the inside will be cool). Cook on both sides until brown. You can also broil but for some reason I have never done that. Enjoy! These also reheat well on foil in the oven (as you can see from the pic).

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

2 eggs
1 c milk
2 c Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour
1 T baking soda
1/2 c melted palm shortening
dash salt
garlic powder (as much as you like)
1/2 c shredded garlic

melted butter, garlic, parsley, salt grinder

Mix all ingredients and drop on greased cookie sheet (I did not use parchment paper but perhaps should have). Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown on top. When they are almost done, brush with mixture of melted butter, garlic, parsley and salt and return to oven for last few minutes.

The batter was runnier than I thought, and I might eliminate the eggs next time (they were really in there by accident this time). And DO NOT lick the batter- yuck! Don't know what it is, but most of my gluten free batters have tasted horrible! The result was not bad, but not as good as my other, non gf kind. I'll try another incarnation at some point and let you know how it goes!

Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin (to be honest I had no idea how this would turn out, but loved it!)

1 medium spaghetti squash (I wash, cut in 1/2 and boil until soft, then use 2 large forks to scrape out the flesh)
2 T butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 c sour cream
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Saute squash, onion and butter in skillet about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and add sour cream and 1/2 cheese. Place in baking dish (I used a glass bread pan which worked well) and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. I liked a little pepper on mine as well.

I know this picture doesn't do it justice but I forgot to take a picture of it in the pan. This also reheats well in the oven!

Chunky Monkey Muffins

I owe the finding of this recipe to my friend Susan. The recipe came from Tropical Tradition's free recipe site. It is SO yummy and absolutely does not have the texture of a gluten free muffin at all. I did make a few tweaks, and mine haven't looked at all like the picture on the site, which is kind of funny. One side affect of these muffins is you may randomly go around saying "chunky monkey, chunky monkey" just for fun. Don't ask how I know ;)

Chunky Monkey Muffins

1/2 c coconut flour
dash salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash cinnamon
6 eggs
1/3 c honey
1/3 c coconut oil, melted (I usually place in a small glass dish and place in the oven so it can melt while the oven preheats)
1 T vanilla
3/4 c mashed banana or applesauce (or a combo of both...oooh, this might be yummy with pumpkin!)
1/2 c walnuts, broken in small pieces
1/3 c unsweetened coconut flakes
1/3 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, mix together flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. In a large bowl, mix together banana, eggs, honey, oil, and vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet till thoroughly mixed. Fold in walnuts, coconut and chocolate.Scoop batter into muffin tins to 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!