Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger - July

A while ago I was hit with one of those cravings that I just couldn't deny. I needed something rich, smooth, and fabulous which is exactly when I ran into Karina's website that day, she had the dish I craved featured and I just had to make it.

For Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger July, hosted on The Celiac Family I decided to adopt The Gluten Free Goddess herself, from Karina's Kitchen. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes and inspiration you provide. The community is blessed to have you.

Karina's Flourless Chocolate Cake called to me that day I saw it on her website, you see I personally don't think anything could have fit the bill for my craving quite like it did. Chocolate, coffee, good vanilla... perfect. Gathering the ingredients was interesting, you see... bourbon vanilla is nearly impossible to find here but after much driving around I managed to nab a couple of beans. I then had to learn what was required to make a bean equal tablespoon a liquid, once done however I was on a roll.

I borrowed a spring pan from my mother, which was definitely necessary to make this not turn into a disaster come eating time. I couldn't process the chocolate so ran into some melting issues which I cleverly solved (with a hair dryer), when I make this again I would certainly love to try it with a food processor, I believe it would all come together like magic! I topped it with my favorite caramel sauce as I ate it, so nothing would get soggy



Looks yummy doesn't it? It was, and I shared! I took some to my neighbors and gave some to my parents, you see this cake is very rich and while just what I was needing, much too much for me to take on alone. I will be making this again and I will enjoy it just as much the second time around as the first... I might not brew my coffee quite so strong though.

Gluten Free Everyday Cookbook Review



A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of Robert M. Landolphi's Gluten Free Everyday Cookbook. I was very excited as its my first gluten free cookbook, other than the three Bette Hagman books I have.

I opened it immediately and started reading, there was much to choose from. The introduction where you learn what drove him to create the cookbook (his wife), the gluten free basics section where gluten free ingredients and their qualities are listed and then of course the many wonderful recipes. I can truly say its a cookbook I like. It's a nice easy to handle size, with easy to read fonts and wording, there are no pictures which would have been the icing on the cake but that's ok as there is as least color on each page.

One of my favorite features of this cookbook is that at the beginning of each chapter the first couple of pages are tips and tricks for ingredients and methods involved in making the recipes in that chapter. I love that I don't have to look far for a little help if I'm not quite sure how to do something involved in a recipe such as which thickening agent to use or a pie crust tutorial.

Reading through the recipes and deciding which I wanted to make for this post I chose two of my pre-gluten free favorites. Things I hadn't had in a long time, buttermilk biscuits and clam chowder. I wrote down the needed ingredients and headed to the store.


Flaky Buttermilk Biscuit (pg. 120)

I have to tell you, these were flaky, and buttery and oh so good straight out of the oven. I'll be making these again. In reality they were pretty darn quick to put together, they don't really do much for me the next day (which is typical for this kind of biscuit) but a little jam went a long way to make up for the shortcomings of these biscuits as leftovers.


Hearty New England Clam Chowder (pg. 42)

I love clam chowder, and boy or boy it's near impossible to find a gluten free version. This was very very tasty and I'll be making it again I promise you. I made this up and didn't have to add any salt what-so-ever as the flavor profile was just right for me. I did forget the step where I needed to puree some of the soup in order to make it more chowder-y (thicken it up) this did not change the flavor, just the texture. Didn't bug me at all, I kept on eating.

I'd recommend this book as a gift for a the newly gluten free and even for those of us that have been gluten free for a while. It doesn't take up much room and there are some very tasty recipes to be had within it. The last boon this book has to offer is toward the end there is a couple of pages dedicated to gluten free resources; organizations, distributors, support groups, magazines and newsletters. This book really does have a little bit of everything. Kudos.

(As an aside, I'm going to be missing in action the 18th through the 25th of July. I will have minimum internet access via my iPhone but will not be able to check in regularly. Be well and I'll see you all when I get back.)

Corn and Black Bean Salad.


Join us over at The Gluten Free Homemaker for her blog carnival held on Wednesdays, What can I eat that's Gluten Free. Linda does a great job organizing this weekly event and you'll always find plenty of yummy gluten free morsels to try out.

4:00 pm: I just came inside, its a warm 83 degrees out there and I felt the need to mow the lawn. This entails weed-wacking and sweeping up the mess, which makes it a HOT 83 degrees outside. So I'm feeling that heat and I need something refreshing, a glass of ice water and a quick hunt through the fridge, what do I find?

This little beauty I made up the other day. Crisp and refreshing, sweet and slightly sour, a palate cleanser that cools.



Corn and Black Bean Salad

2 Cups fresh sweet corn
1 can drained and rinsed black beans
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 Healthy handful of cilantro chopped
3 tablespoons white vinegar
Pinch of salt (if you want, I didn't use any)

Gently toss and enjoy. If you can let it sit a bit it'll taste better, I however dig right in.


Quick and tasty pork chops.

Today's Friday Foodie Fix is pork. Thank you Diane over at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang for keeping this fun little challenge going every week. If you'd like to see more pork recipes head on over and check them out.

We're not big pork fans in my house. I remember too clearly the pork chop bricks of my youth, the dinners I would have to saw at with my knife and chew for what seemed like days to swallow to "crave" pork very often in my adult life (to clarify, we didn't eat pork at my house, we raised rabbits and sheep so ate a lot of lamb and rabbit, my pork experiences did not come out of my mothers kitchen). I love bbq pork, bacon and sausage but tend to avoid most other cuts. I've slowly been reintroducing it, you see pork has changed over the years and so have many of the misnomers behind cooking it. Armed with that knowledge I purchased a large pack of really fresh chops a couple of weeks back and pre-portioned out bags for easy freezer removal. I will learn to love the chop.

I just happened to look through my refrigerator the other day and found the leftovers of an onion, a granny smith apple and a tree top 100% apple juice box. I knew what to do for Friday Foodie Fix. Having pulled a couple of pork chops out of the freezer to thaw earlier in the morning I was ready to cook them up come dinner time. This recipe isn't overly sweet, just a tad so and it really is quite tasty and so quick.


Apple and Onion "glazed" Pork Chops

Ingredients:
4 "3/4 inch" bone-in pork chops
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup apple juice (or cider)
1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar (depending on how sweet you want it
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 cup sliced tart apple (I used granny smiths)
1/2 cup sliced sweet onion
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon butter


Directions:
Season your chops with a bit of salt. Preheat a large skillet to medium high heat and drizzle oil to coat. Brown chops on both sides. Add onions, apples, brown sugar, thyme, apple juice and salt to pan. Mix up well and cover.

Once chops are done, about 7-8 minutes or until juice runs clear remove them from pan and cover to keep warm.

Add butter to pan with onions and apples and cook juices down until the sauce reaches the consistency you like. If you take it to far and you can reconstitute it by adding a little water.

Plate your chops and top with the onions and apple "glaze."

Breakfast Tacos!


Head on over to The Gluten Free Homemaker for her What's for Dinner Wednesday? blog carnival. It's a ton of fun and you'll find many meal ideas. This week it's breakfast food and next week it'll be dessert. So share your gluten free meal ideas with us and link up or just visit and get inspired.

Before I cut gluten out of my diet breakfast burritos/tacos were one of my favorite ways to eat the first meal of the day. What's not to like about eggs, meat, onions, mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes (which I can no longer have, a long story but peppers and tomatoes seem to be the cause of my hives) in an easy to eat package. I've been hard pressed however in my post-gluten gobbling life to find a wrap that would actually hold up to being filled and rolled, however I've found a solution.

Recently I started making my own homemade corn tortillas. These little beauties are so wonderful, they taste out of this world and being so darn fresh (hot off the skillet) they are perfectly pliable, a more than suitable vehicle for a breakfast taco.



These are so easy to make, you can either use a store bought gluten free wrap or make your own homemade and fill 'em up!! Get creative and have them your way.

Some fillings I like in my breakfast taco:
Eggs
Onions
Mushrooms
Bacon
Sausage
Last nights steak
If you can eat it, tomatoes and peppers... Salsa!!!