GF Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I adapted this recipe from my friend Tania. I am not a big fan of pumpkin flavored things, but this is a hit with me. More chocolate and spice comes out instead of the pumpkin flavor. Most importantly, these cookies are super soft and moist.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ C butter

1 C brown sugar

1 egg

1 C canned pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

2 C Rice Flour

1 tsp GF baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

chocolate chips

Cream butter & sugar, add egg, pumpkin & vanilla.Then add all dry ingredients, then choc chips.Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. (They're best a little underbaked, so they are still really soft.)

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie

1 (8oz) box gluten free spaghetti

1 Tbsp margarine

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 lb ground turkey or beef

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 (15 oz) container Ricotta cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Cook the spaghetti as directed, and drain. Return to saucepan and add margarine, stirring until it melts. Add the egg and Parmesan cheese, stirring well.

In a large skillet, brown ground turkey with the onion, pepper, and garlic, cooking until the meat is browned. Drain the fat and add the tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Heat on low.

Spray a 2 qt casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Press the spaghetti mixture on bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Spread the ricotta over the spaghetti. Add the meat mixture over the ricotta. Sprinkle with mozzarella.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I've been wanting to make this forever, and was very happy with how it turned out (although the picture doesn't do it justice, we ate late that night). The sauce wasn't too runny but still had a ton of flavor, and the ricotta made me feel like I was eating lasagna, which I love. I guess you could use cottage cheese, but why? The tricky part is forming the spaghetti mixture into a crust. Don't feel like you can't break noodles, they aren't supposed to be long. And it doesn't have to look pretty, it just needs to do the job of holding the filling. Mmmmmm, this one's good. I give credit to my Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, from which I adapted this recipe.

Guest Chef: Lindsey Johnson on Summer Beans

Photo, recipe, and post by Lindsey Johnson at Just Recipes.

Summer Beans

Tomatoes--can use fresh (5-6 large tomatoes) or canned (2 small cans or 1 large)

4-5 Yukon Gold potatoes (or other waxy potato), sliced into 1/4" rounds

1 bag frozen green beans (I like the Haricot Verts from Trader Joe's)

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced (whatever you like)

Salt and pepper

Drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil. Cook sliced potatoes, tomatoes, and garlic in a large pot until you can pierce the potatoes easily with the tip of a knife--so there is still some resistance, but the potatoes aren't mushy.Remove the potatoes and tomatoes to a large bowl.

Steam the green beans in the same pan you used to cook the potatoes and tomatoes. Add the cooked green beans to the bowl with the potatoes and tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve:My husband likes a splash of balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce. I like a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

Typo-Soooooo Sorry!

It's a little embarassing when we mess up around here, but it does happen. The Pineapple Chicken with Coconut Rice recipe calls for 1/3 cup soy sauce instead of the 2/3 that I wrote. I apologize for the mistake. Really apologize. Thanks to Kacey for taking the time to ask.

Guest Chef: Lindsey Johnson on Salad & Dressing

Recipe, post, and photo by Lindsey Johnson of Just Recipes.

Spinach Salad with Pork, Avocado and Oranges

1 bag baby spinach

1 (not overly) ripe avocado, sliced and cut into chunks

2-3 oranges, peeled, segmented

2-3 green onions, thinly sliced--white and green parts

1/2 sliced, toasted almonds

sliced olives

shredded pork (you can also use chicken)**

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing (recipe below)

Toss all the ingredients together and serve with the dressing. Serves 2-4.

**To prepare the pork:

I like to use my crock-pot for slow cooking pork roasts. This was a very lean pork loin roast. I seasoned it well with salt and pepper and seared it in a very hot cast iron skillet. I cooked the roast on high for a few hours to get it going and then turned it to low for about4 or 5 more hours. Because it didn't have a ton of fat, I also added a bit of water.I let the pork cool a bit and then shredded it with two forks. This makes more than enough for the salad. You will have some leftover. Use in tacos or add some BBQ sauce.

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Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing

1 cup low fat buttermilk

2-3 Tbsp. light mayonnaise

1/2 cup tomatillo salsa

1 small bunch of cilantro (to taste....)

juice 1/2 a lime

freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

Puree in a food processor or blender

Guest Chef: Adriana Velez on Pad Thai

Pineapple Pad Thai

Recipe, post and photo by Adriana Velez of What I Made for Dinner.

1 package rice noodles

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice

broccoli, chopped and lightly steamed

1 fresh pineapple or 1 can of pineapple rings, cut into 1" cubes

1 pound pork loin or tofu cut into 1" cubes

1/2 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup chopped salted peanuts

1 bunch mint, chopped

1 lime, cut into wedges

1. Place the noodles in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the tamarind paste, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and 1/4 cup water; set aside.

2. Drain the noodles. Set a wok over high heat for 1 minute, then add the oil and heat until almost smoking. Add the garlic and ginger; saute for 30 seconds. Add the pork and saute until almost cooked through, 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. [Skip this step if you're using tofu.]

3. Add the noodles and stir-fry for 1 minute. Pour in three-quarters of the tamarind sauce and toss to coat the noodles. Add more sauce if needed. Cook until the noodles are al dente, then push them to one side of the wok and scramble the eggs in the remaining space. Add the protein whatever, broccoli, pineapple, and half the peanuts. Toss to mix. Divide among plates and garnish with the remaining peanuts, the mint, and lime wedges.

gift basket

This was a unique gift basket we recieved that The Celiac can also enjoy!

It came from Edible Arrangements.

Guest Chef: Lindsey Johnson on Clam Chowder

Market Street Clam Chowder (a modified version)

Recipe, post, and photo by Lindsey Johnson of Just Recipes.

(Serves 12)

3-4 potatoes, cut into 1/2" dice
2 green peppers, cut into 1/2" dice
2 small onions, 1/2"dice
4 stalks of celery, 1/2" dice3 or 4 leeks, cut into 1/2" dice** (see note)
3, 6.5 oz. cans of chopped clams plus the juice
3/4 Tbsp. fresh coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt
6-7 stalks of fresh thyme
3-6 bay leaves
a couple of shakes of Tabasco sauce
4 cups water
1 stick butter
3/4 cup [rice] flour
1 cup heavy cream
about 5-6 cups milk

Add all the vegetables, clams, clam juice, salt and pepper, thyme, bay leaves, Tabasco and water to a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and then lower the temperature to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to mix. Cook the mixture over a very low heat for about 3 minutes. But be careful that it doesn't brown. Set aside until ready to use.

When the potatoes are tender, remove the pot from the heat and add the butter/flour mixture to the stockpot. Stir well. The soup will get thick like cookie dough. Slowly add the milk and cream while stirring constantly until it reaches the consistency you want. More milk for a thinner broth, less milk for a thicker one. Taste and adjust salt and pepper and Tabasco according to your taste. When ready to serve, put the pot back on the stove and heat to serving temperature. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stalks before serving.

Serve with [GF] crackers, [GF] bread, or all by itself.

**Make sure you wash the leeks very well. They tend to be very dirty because of the soil they are grown in. I cut them in half vertically and into thin slices, then I wash them well under running water in a colander.

Guest Chef: Lindsey Johnson on Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Bacon-wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Recipe, post, and photo by Lindsey Johnson of Just Recipes.

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 lb. each

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp dried thyme

12 slices (more of less) bacon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a jelly-roll pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.Trim the fat and silver skin from the pork tenderloins. Dry off the surface of the tenderloins with a paper towel.

Mix together: pepper, garlic and onion powder, and thyme. Rub the surface of the tenderloins with the spice mixture. You may also need to even up the ends by tucking the thin part underneath, but you won't need twine, the bacon will help hold it just fine.Begin at the end and wrap the bacon around each tenderloin at a slight angle--overlapping and layering each strip to completely cover the tenderloin.

Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 150 to 160 degrees. Any higher and the tenderloin will be overcooked. You want the center to be slightly pink, but not raw. Let the tenderloins rest for a few minutes before serving. To serve, cut into 1-2" slices.If you aren't on a diet, drizzle the tenderloin slices with the rendered fat and juices. YUM.

**I used regular bacon. Usually I buy uncured, nitrite-free bacon. It is thicker cut and has better flavor. I think that bacon would be better in this recipe. But, regular bacon was delicious, too.

Chicken and Rice, Spanish Style

Spanish Chicken and Rice

1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded
2 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 cup rice
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 cups chicken broth
1 (16 oz) can stewed tomatoes, Mexican style
1 (15 oz) pinto beans, undrained
1 tsp Italian seasoning

In a large electric skillet, heat oil. Add uncooked rice and onion. Saute and stir until onion is tender and rice is golden, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken, garlic salt, tomatoes, beans and Italian seasoning. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, checking periodically to make sure the rice hasn't gone dry. If it is starting to stick to the pan, add more water, 1/2 cup at a time.

I know Liz posted a recipe similar to this a while back. This is basically the same, only we add chicken. And no olives. Because we aren't olive-eaters in our house. Except olive oil. Which we love.
I've used a can of diced tomatoes before, which is good as well. In fact, this recipe is basically foolproof. Add more or less garlic, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, pretty much any item, and it will still turn out. The only tricky part is the broth. Make sure your rice doesn't get dry as it cooks. Because not only will it not cook thoroughly, it will most likely burn. Which is yucky. So keep an eye out, lifting that lid every 5 minutes or so and you'll have a hearty meal in about half an hour.

Guest Chef: Lindsey Johnson on Chocolate Mousse

Cream Cheese Chocolate Mousse

Recipe, post and photo by Lindsey Johnson of Just Recipes.

I hesitate to share this recipe because I don't use really use a set recipe. I was playing around trying to copy a chocolate mousse one of my friends had made as a filling for cream puffs--not the traditional pastry cream. So, be aware that these measurements are a rough estimate. However, I don't think it's too difficult to mess this up. You can vary the ingredients to your own taste.

8 ounces cream cheese (don't use fat-free, but 1/3 less fat will also work)

4-6 ounces good bittersweet chocolate (I use Trader Joe's Pound Plus)

1/2 cup powdered sugar (more or less depending on how sweet you like it)

1/2-1 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar until well blended and smooth. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on 50% power in 15 to 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval. Don't over heat or the chocolate will burn.Let the chocolate cool slightly and add to the cream cheese mixture. Beat until well combined. It will get very thick. At this point add the heavy cream. Continue beating until the mousse reaches the consistency you want--somewhere between a thick icing and whipped cream. If it starts to get too thick, stop beating and use a spatula to fold in a little more cream to thin it out.It makes enough to fill a three layer cake--two layers of mousse between three layers of cake.

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Liz suggests adding this mousse to the GF crepes or any GF chocolate cake/ brownie recipe previously posted here at kill.the.gluten.

Baby Back Ribs

Pork Baby Back Ribs

1 package pork baby back ribs

1 bottle barbecue sauce (I use Baby Ray's Original)

Cut ribs into sections, about 2-3 ribs per section. Place in a large stockpot. Cover with water by a couple of inches. Add about 1 cup barbecue sauce to the pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer until tender, about 1-2 hours. Remove from pot while someone else fires up the grill. Place ribs on grill and slather with remaining barbecue sauce. Grill for about 10 minutes.

This is quite simply the easiest recipe ever. I've seen many rib recipes that require rubs or indirect grilling or other labor intensive requirements. I'm not a labor intensive kind of girl. You just boil and grill. Easy.

If, say, you don't have a grill, I'm sure you could baste them with barbecue sauce and stick them in the oven for a while to let the sauce caramelize. I've never tried it, but I'm assuming you would get similar results.

This one's for you Liz.

gravy

Gluten-Free Gravy

I found these packets of GF gravy at a health food store several months ago and forgot about them until tonight. We tried the shitake flavor and it was AWESOME. I am sad we didn't partake of its goodness earlier.

It's made by the company Road's End Organics. Looks like you can order on-line from them not only the gravy, but other GF products as well. They also list retailers that carry their products and have a store locator feature.

Sorry, my camera ate the photos I took of the actual gravy on top of mashed potatoes. Yes, it's THAT tasty even my camera can't resist.

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This will be my final personal post for a while, I get induced to have my baby tomorrow. Enjoy our guest chefs replacing me! And catch some sleep for me, will ya?!

Deviled Eggs

This is my mother's recipe. It's just not summer without deviled eggs.

Gluten-Free Deviled Eggs

6 hard boiled eggs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/8 teaspoon salt

dash pepper

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

green olives with pimento, sliced

paprika (optional)

Mix egg yolks (discard one) with next 5 ingredients. Refill egg halves. Top with olives and paprika.

Homemade Gluten Free Brownies

The Best Homemade Gluten Free Brownie Recipe

(as per my humble opinion)

2 sticks butter, melted

3/4 cup cocoa

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup gluten free flour mixture

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk cocoa into melted butter. Stir in sugar. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each. Stir in vanilla. Add flour, xanthan gum, and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Grease the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Pour in batter. Bake for 25-35 minutes.

Alright, these are seriously so good and gooey and chocolaty. I've had this recipe for years and it works perfectly gluten free because there is hardly any flour in it at all. The top comes out flaky, just like real brownies and they taste, well, you'll just have to make them to find out.

For the flour mixture I mix together Bette Hagman's blend of 2 cups rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch flour, and 1/3 cup tapioca flour. I then measure out the 1 cup that I need for the recipe. Could you use all rice flour? Maybe, but I've never tried it.

The trick to making brownies that are really good is to not over beat the batter after the flour is added, just like when you're making pancakes. Stir only as much as necessary. I don't use a mixer for that reason.

Why the difference in the baking times? Because the recipe I have calls for only 25 minutes, but I always cook them for at least 30, sometimes longer. I can tell they are done when the edges look crusty and the center is set. I then let them stand on the counter for half an hour before digging in, to let them finish setting. They will fall apart when they are still warm, so if you have a problem with that, stick the pan in the fridge. But I personally love hot brownies that fall apart. Yummy.