Super Easy Spaghetti Sauce

I don't really like store bought spaghetti sauces.  They are usually either too runny or too sweet or Andrew doesn't like them because there might be a hint on onion ;)  And, I hate having to buy a specialty thing when I can whip something up almost as quick with stuff in the cupboard.  Tonight, I threw this together over gluten-free pasta with turkey meatballs and got a hearty thumbs up from the men folk!

Super Easy Spaghetti Sauce

1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)

1 can tomato paste (6 oz)

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)

splash of dry sherry, maybe a tablespoon or two

1 tsp. each of dried basil, dried oregano, and garlic powder

2 tsp. of Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. each of red pepper flakes and salt

Dump everything in a small saucepan.  Puree using an immersion blender and let simmer on low while you cook the pasta and the rest of your dinner.

Coconut lime muffins

Sunday's are usually Waffle Days at the Jones Cottage or at least that's what we call them.  We really should just call them Breakfast Together Days.  

Today, we had these muffins with mangoes and coffee with real whipped cream (for Andrew and I) and scrambled eggs.  Andrew approved and Dylan kept asking for more!

Coconut lime muffins

Whisk together in large bowl:

2 c. gluten-free flour blend

1/2 c. unsweetened coconut

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

In medium bowl, whisk together:

zest from one lime

juice from one lime, approx. 1/4 c. and the rest of a one cup measuring cup with milk (approx. 3/4 c.)

2 eggs

1 c. brown sugar (if you don't have unsweetened coconut and must use the regular stuff reduce the sugar to 2/3 c. but really it's better to just use the unsweetened coconut!)

1/2 c. melted coconut oil (or whatever vegetable oil you may have on hand)

1 tsp vanilla

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Fill muffin tins 3/4 of the way full (about 12 of them, and they probably need to be greased if you aren't using the silicon things like I do.)  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Bird Seed Bars

So this recipe truly is my own...no adapting of anything...although it is a bit of a copycat ;)  Last fall, my co-worker brought me this bar that she gets at a vegan place in Portland.  She left it on my desk with a note saying something about eating it and then recreating it.  Well, after a few trys, I think I have it.  It may not be exact but it's pretty darn close. Regardless, Andrew, people in my office, basically anyone that has tried them, LOVE THEM!!!  


I will tell you, it's an easy recipe except for the amaranth.  Learning to pop your amaranth is a true skill.  I don't know any better so I'm not sure if you can buy it already popped...probably.  However, it's extremely cheap to do it yourself.  I may try and come back and add some photos but seriously it just takes trial and error.  Once you figure it out, it's no biggie!

Bird Seed Bars

"Dry" Ingredients
2 c popped amaranth (approx. 6 tablespoons dry amaranth)
1 1/4 c unsweetened, shredded coconut
1/4 c pumpkin seed or sunflower seed
1/4 c + 1T flax seed
1/2 c chopped dates, neglit ones work...you don't have to use fancy ones
pinch of salt

"Wet" Ingredients
1/4 c coconut oil (measured after it is melted)
1 c brown rice syrup
1 c peanut butter or homemade nutella if you have it
2 T water


TO POP THE AMARANTH:  Find a pan and a clear lid that fits it well.  Heat the pan until very hot.  Take it off of the burner, put a tablespoon of the amaranth in the pan, cover and IMMEDIATELY start swirling around in a circular motion.  The amaranth will start popping and turn white.  Only takes a few seconds, maybe 20-30 at most.  Take the lid off and dump into a bowl.  Make sure you get all of the amaranth out of the pan.  Heat it again and repeat the process until you have 2 cups popped amaranth.


Mix dry ingredients together with your hands, breaking the date pieces up and coating them with the dry ingredients so they disperse throughout the bars.

Heat wet ingredients in small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and boil for approximately 1 minute.

Pour over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan.  Pat down and smooth with a rubber scrapper.  Refrigerate until firm.  Enjoy!

Gluten-free Cornbread

Andrew told me repeatedly that he did not like cornbread when we got married.  We've been married for a little over 8 years and I think I honored the not liking cornbread crap until about a year or two ago.  I finally told him I like cornbread and he would just have to deal.  Well, guess what....he likes this cornbread.  Go figure ;)

Gluten-free Cornbread

2 c gluten-free flour blend

1/2 c white sugar

3 T baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 c shortening

4 eggs

2 c milk

2 c cornmeal

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum in a large bowl. 

Cut the shortening in the way you would when making a pie dough. You should end up with pea-size pieces in a sandy flour.

Combine the eggs and milk in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid. Stir with a rubber spatula until everything is combined.

Stir in the cornmeal, whisking fast, until it is just combined. Do not overstir.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Slide it into the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sides of the cornbread are slightly shrinking from the pan and a toothpick comes out clean.

Double-Crusted Crisp

I'm not sure why I didn't think of this before.  A double-crusted crisp...the crust is my favorite part!  This recipe is adapted from one in Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson.  My version is gluten-free and uses fruit out of my freezer.  Hopefully I'm not violating any copyright stuff...I suppose Rose will tell me if I am!

Double-Crusted Crisp

Crust x2

1 1/3 c gluten-free flour blend of your choice

1 c oats

3/4 c packed brown sugar

1 heaping tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick butter, melted

Fruit-filling

1/2 c white sugar

2 T cornstarch

pinch of salt

1 qt sized bag full of apricots you froze last summer, defrosted

1 qt sized bag full of plums you froze last summer, defrosted

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degree.s

Make the first crust by mixing the dry ingredients together.  Then, stir in the melted butter.  Press into a 9x13 pan.

Then, make the fruit filling by mixing the sugar, cornstarch and salt together.  Toss with the fruit and vanilla.  Spread evenly into the pan.

Then, make the top crust by again mixing the dry ingredients together and stirring in the melted butter.  Crumble the crust over the top of the fruit.  

Bake for 60-70 minutes...until the crisp is golden and the fruit bubbles through the crust.  Cool for 20 minutes before serving...but remember it tastes amazing warm!

Chicken Meat Sauce

This was supposed to be meatballs but the meat didn't want to ball (and yes, I know that's just ripe for all kinds of jokes).  So, I threw lumps in there and let them cook for a bit before stirring it around ;)  Either way it tasted pretty darn good and Andrew and Dylan both liked it.

We get 40-lbs of chicken breast a couple of times a year.  We freeze most of them as individual boobs but I take about 10-lbs of them and the fat that I trim off of the others and run it through the meat grinder.  That's what I used for the meat in this sauce.  You could use any ground meat you have laying around and I'm sure it would be great.

Chicken Meat Sauce

Meat

1 lb ground chicken

1 egg

1/2 c mozarella, shredded (leave out if you have a dairy sensitivity, or if you don't have any on hand)

1 T ketchup

4 T dried parsley

Sauce

1 1/2 c chicken broth

1 6oz can tomato paste

1 T olive oil

1 tsp - 1 T garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp dried thyme and basil

dash of honey 

Add all of the meat ingredients to a bowl and mash together with your hand.

Add all of the sauce ingredients to a wide bottomed pan, bring to a simmer.  Drop the meat or meatballs (if yours will ball) in about 1-in "balls" into the sauce.  Let simmer, stirring periodically until they are cooked through.  Serve over quinoa or pasta or rice or whatever your family likes sprinkled with a little salt and fresh cracked pepper!

Peppermint "brownies" or balls

I adapted this recipe to what we had on hand and to our tastes.  Andrew liked it.  Try it and see what you think.

Peppermint "brownies" or balls

1 c raw almonds

1 c raw cashews

20 dates, pitted (Note: I don't have the nice juicy medjool dates, we get ones in bulk from Winco so if you have the medjool they are probably about half the size)

1/2 tsp peppermint extract...I used some concentrated stuff from Market Spice in WA so they were extra minty!

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 T cocoa powder (Note: No fancy stuff here, just the Hershey or whatever brand is in bulk at Winco again)
couple pinches of salt

Grind the nuts to a powder in your food processor or Vitamix in our case.  Dump most of them out into a bowl.*  Add the rest of the ingredients and grind into a paste.  Dump into the bowl with the rest of the nuts and mix together by hand.  Press into an 8x8 pan and enjoy or roll into bite sized balls!  Chill in the fridge or freezer.

* One more note: I tried to do all of this in the Vitamix at once...basically, grind the nuts and then add the other ingredients.  It bound the machine up.  I had to dump everything out and then grind in about 3 batches and dump in another bowl and mix with my hand.  So, that's why I suggest dumping most of the nuts out.  Just a thought.  Some other way might work for you or if you have a food processor you might not need to dump stuff out ;)

Cream of Broccoli Soup (GF, Can be Dairy-free)

This paired quite well with the flax seed "bran" bread and barbecued lamb chops.  If you don't have to keep it dairy-free, it also is pretty tasty with a bit of shredded cheddar on top!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

2 T butter, coconut oil, or olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 small shallot

1/2 c or so potato diced (small to medium potato)*

~ 4 c broccoli chopped up*

6 c. broth

1/2 c full-fat coconut milk

2 T lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp chipotle sauce (Tabasco brand is tasty; so are others)

Melt butter in medium pot. Add diced garlic and shallot.  Saute on low for 2-5 minutes until it starts to carmelize.  Add potatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add broccoli and broth.  Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cover with a lid.  Cook for 20 minutes or so until the potato and broccoli is soft.  Puree in batches (REMEMBER IT'S HOT) in a good blender.  Pour back into pot.  Add coconut milk, lemon juice, salt and chipotle sauce.  Stir to combine and serve.  Tastes especially yummy with shredded cheddar melted on top!

* I am fond of potato skins.  I don't peel the darn things.  It takes too much time and you lose good vitamins and such.  In addition, go ahead and eat the leaves and such on the broccoli.  You're going to puree the hell out of everything anyway!

Pumpkin Ginger Snaps

Um, yeah, anything with pumpkin (except pumpkin pie but that's a texture issue) usually tastes pretty darn good to me.  Andrew actually liked these because he couldn't taste the pumpkin...go figure!

Pumpkin Ginger Snaps

2 T butter, softened

2 T pumpkin, or pureed squash

1 egg

1/3 c brown sugar

1/4 c molasses

1/2 tsp baking soda + 2 tsp water

1 tsp each cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, salt

2 c gluten-free flour blend

1. Combine the butter, pumpkin, egg, brown sugar, and molasses in your mixer.  Mix until smooth and creamy.

2. Dissolve the baking soda in the water and then add to the butter mixture.

3. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.  

4. Roll out as thin as possible.  I divide the dough up into about thirds and roll out between gallon Ziplocs.  Transfer to greased cookie sheet.  Use a pizza cutter to cut to the desired size.  

5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Be sure to do them thin and they will crisp up quite nicely when you remove them from the oven.

Flax Seed "Bran" Bread

This is pretty much this lady's recipe.  I don't think it's like focaccia as she describes it but it's not too bad.  We'll see about in the morning.

Flax Seed "Bran" Bread

2 c freshly ground flax seed (again, you're using that dedicated coffee grinder, right?)

1 T baking powder

1 tsp salt

5 eggs, whipped

2 T molasses

1/2 c water

1/3 c melted coconut oil or butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease a 9x13 pan and a bread pan.

3. Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl.

4. Mix wet ingredients well in a separate bowl.  

5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.  Stir well and let set 2-3 minutes to thicken.

6. Divide between the bread pan and the 9x13 pan.  Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

7. Enjoy!  Food is meant to be enjoyed!

"Curry" Chicken Soup

Apparently, not everyone looks in the fridge in the fall/winter and thinks...I'm going to make a soup out of whatever is in there.  But, seriously, throwing together a soup doesn't have to be that hard!  With that in mind, the following recipe is a guideline.  Many of my recipes are guidelines.  I just don't take the time to measure things :)  

Remember, it's not worth it to take yourself or soup so seriously!

"Curry" Chicken Soup

2-4 T melted coconut oil

1 small head garlic

1/2-1 tsp cumin

1/2-1 tsp coriander seed ground to a powder in your dedicated spice grinder, i.e. coffee grinder dedicated to that type of stuff

1/2-1 tsp ginger

1/2-1 tsp chili pepper flakes

1/2-1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2-1 tsp salt, or to taste

 half of a leftover roasted chicken, diced

1 c diced cooked squash

1 c diced carrot

1/2 c white Zinfandel or other white wine you have on hand for cooking with

1 can full-fat coconut milk; and 1-2 cans of chicken broth or water, rinsing all the yummy stuff out of the coconut can

1 c cooked squash, not necessary to be diced

1/2-1 tsp turmeric

1. Melt coconut oil in medium soup pot.  Add garlic put through garlic press or well diced along with the spices and saute a bit on low heat.

2. Add the chicken, carrot and squash as you dice it up.

3. Deglaze a bit with the wine.

4. While you're doing that, puree the second set of squash with the coconut oil and water.  Add to the pot and let simmer for 20-30 minutes or longer.  Add the turmeric and stir.

5. Enjoy with your 14-month old...oh wait, that's just at the Jones Cottage.  But do find someone to enjoy your dinner with!

6. I made this a second time and used the 1 tsp of all the spices.  It was a little spicy (with the 1 tsp pepper flakes) but we thought it tasted better!

Tomorrow, I'll post the flax seed bread recipe I made to go with this.  Kind of like a bran flat bread without the wheat.

For more interesting ideas check out Monday Mania , Pennywise Platter and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays!

German Potato Salad

I hate potato salad...this is not potato salad.  I think it's ridiculous that it's called potato salad.  No mayonnaise anywhere near it.  Bacon, vinegar and potatoes, what's there not to love!  Andrew still doesn't like it but I'm not sure he tried it.  He certainly won't try it with the onions in there :)

German Potato Salad (adapted from this recipe)

6 c diced potatoes, leave the skin on, it won't hurt you!

8 slices bacon, diced a bit before you cook them, mine was still slightly frozen which makes it easy

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 c rice vinegar

1/4 c water
3 T sugar

1/2 tsp salt, to taste (can depend on how salty your bacon is)

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

2 T fresh parsley

1. Place potatoes in a pot and fill with enough water to cover.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.  Drain and set aside to cool a bit.

2. Place bacon in large, deep frying pan over med-hi heat.  Fry until browned and crisp.  Remove from pan with slotted spoon and set aside.

3.  Add the onion to the bacon grease and cook over medium heat until browned (or even carmelized but to carmelize turn the heat down a bit).  If there's too much grease drain a little bit.  Add the vinegar, water, salt and pepper to the pan.  Bring to a boil and then add the potatoes and parsley.

4.  Add about half of the bacon.  Heat through, then transfer to a serving dish.  Add remaining bacon over the top and serve warm.

Note: I made this for a potluck at work last week.  I made the dish the night before and then transferred it to my crock-pot.  The next day I just heated it up on low for a few hours before the potluck.  Seemed to work fine to me! 

Posted at Monday Mania and Grain-free Real Food!

Roasted Eggplant Soup

We get a weekly box of produce from Minto Island Growers.  Good stuff.  With the box, they include an electronic newsletter with information about the farm and some recipes to give folks ideas.  I used to make Andrew use the eggplant as eggplant Parmesan but I'm not eating the carbs or cheese like that.  So, what is a girl to do?  And, we've had lots of eggplant!

This week's newsletter had a recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.  I adapted it further.  It was tasty!  And, nutritious.  Try it, even if you don't like eggplant you'll like this!

Roasted Eggplant Soup

3 medium tomatoes, cored and halved
3 medium sized eggplants, halved
6 cloves garlic
Olive oil
1 tsp or so chopped fresh thyme
4 c. chicken broth (make your own in your crockpot...if you don't know how contact me immediately!)
1/2 c. creamy part of canned coconut milk

Preheat oven to 400°F. 

Arrange tomatoes and eggplant in a  large baking pyrex, or two smaller ones if you like. Put the garlic in a separate dish with a lid (use the lid on the garlic to keep them from burning).  Drizzle all of the vegetables with olive oil (be generous!) then roast them for 20 minutes. Check the garlic, if they look like they are getting too done take them out (mine were fine).  Keep roasting  another 25 minutes, until the  vegetables are tender and brown in spots. Remove from oven and scoop eggplant from skin into a heavy, large saucepan or soup pot. Add the rest of the vegetables, the thyme and the chicken broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes or so. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until it is as smooth as you'd like it to be. (Or, if you have an immersion blender, you can do this in the pot.) Put the soup back in the pot, add the coconut milk and season with salt and pepper.

Find more yummies at the Fat Tuesday Forager Festival! or Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Cabbage Goulash

We have a bit of cabbage...and by a bit, I really mean a LOT!  So, I needed something to use it up.  This recipe takes care of that and tastes pretty darn good.  It's like cabbage rolls with out the rolling part.

Cabbage Goulash

1 lb ground pork or pork sausage

1 lb ground beef

1 T Italian seasoning

1 tsp fennel seed, ground up a bit in mortar and pestle

1 T chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 14.5 oz cans of petite diced tomatoes

1  6 oz. can tomato paste

10-16 cups diced cabbage (I had one LARGE head that ended up being around 16 cups!, can do smaller ones too)

salt and pepper to taste

In large soup pot (and I mean large), brown the meats.  Add the spices and tomato products.  Stir around a bit.  Add the cabbage and cook on medium-low until the cabbage is cooked through.  

Be prepared to feed an army or freeze some for another meal!

Quick Sugar-Free Pan-Fried Carrots

There are a lot of recipes that I make that are made on the fly and thus I don't share them here; mostly because I don't measure anything.  This is a bit like that but I feel it's flexible enough that you (or I) can reasonably recreate it with the following "notes."  Also, this is truly sugar-free...it doesn't have a fake sugar or a white sugar substitute like honey or such.  I have a hard time when folks call something sugar-free and then use honey or splenda, etc.  I know, that's my personal beef, but still.

I cooked down some really ripe apricots we got this summer so I'm calling it apricot butter.  I've had a few store bought things that are basically just fruit without any sugar and they would work great in this recipe as well!

Quick Sugar-free Pan-fried Carrots

one bunch small carrots or about 1lb carrots cut up
coconut oil
cumin
salt
apricot butter (or possibly another mild flavored fruit butter)

Cook the carrots in a covered-dish until almost soft in the microwave.  Heat coconut oil in a pan until pretty hot.  Toss in carrots.  Sprinkle with salt and a few pinches of cumin.  Stir frequently and make sure the carrots are coated with oil and spices.  Add a few spoonfuls of the fruit butter, stir around and let caramelize.  Enjoy!

Gluten-free Spicy Carrot Cake with Cheesy Layer

Today was a very good friend's 55th birthday (love you Babbitt).  I know he likes carrot cake so I thought I'd try and be a little creative.  I think the result was pretty good. 


 It's basically a spice cake with carrots in it along with a yummy cream cheese layer and of course cream cheese frosting!  And, it has none of the yucky stuff like raisins or pineapple :)  Of course, if you can't do the cream cheese it would be great without it and a powder sugar glaze instead of the frosting...but where's the fun in that :)


 Be sure you have a large bundt pan or it will overflow! And, no one at work realized it was gluten-free.  Seems like a winner to me.


Gluten-free Spicy Carrot Cake with Cheesy Layer


Cake Part:
1 3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 c vegetable oil (I used olive)
4 eggs
1 T vanilla
2 c or to be more accurate 10 oz. gluten-free flour mix
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
3 c peeled, grated carrots


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and oil and flour a large bundt pan (I have to admit I used PAM with flour because Mom left it here after this weekend and it worked great).  


Beat sugar and oil until combined.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Add the vanilla.  Sift all of the dry ingredients together and mix well.  Add to the liquid mixture and mix well.  Stir in carrots.
Pour into the prepared pan.


Cheesy Part:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 egg
1/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt


Use the same bowl and mixer...It won't hurt anything.  Mix all of the cheesy ingredients until well combined.  Drop into the cake batter in the center.


Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes until it starts to pull away from the edges and a toothpick or something sharp like that comes out clean.


Let cool in the pan at least 10 minutes if not a little longer.  Turn out onto a plate.  A little will likely stick in the pan.  Scoop it out and pat it back into place.  You're just going to cover it with frosting anyway and no one will know but you!


Frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting or use the recipe below as a starting point...sometimes you need to add more sugar!


Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 c butter (at room temperature)
8 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
2 c powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Mix well.

Classic White Gluten-Free Cupcakes

We had Dylan's birthday party today.  While Mom made a beautiful teddy bear cake for Dylan, it had wheat in it, so I made a few gluten-free cupcakes for the rest of us.  And, they turned out pretty darn well.  I used a half batch of the Chocolate Honey Beet Cake recipe (with 2 eggs) for one set (made 10 cupcakes) and this recipe for the other.  I was going to make cream cheese frosting but there was enough chocolate butter cream frosting leftover from the teddy bear that I just used that.  It also worked pretty well to cool the cupcakes, freeze them in a Ziploc without the frosting and then defrost them the day before and frost the day of.

Classic White Gluten-Free Cupcakes


1/2 c butter, at room temperature
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c (or more accurately 7.5 oz) gluten-free flour blend
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c milk


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line your cupcake pan with paper liners.  Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in the vanilla.  Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture one third at a time, alternating with the milk.  Pour into the prepared cupcake pan (approx. 1/4 c batter per cupcake).  Bake for 18-24 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Makes 12 cupcakes.

Coconut & "Nut" Macaroon Torte...and Kubb

Last night we had Rebecca, Hans, and Destiny over for dinner. Andrew and I really enjoy spending time with them. There is no drama and while we have many things in common, we have enough not in common that it's fun learning from each other. 


Speaking of learning from each other...We also learned a new yard game from Rebecca and Hans called Kubb.  It's a Swedish game with blocks you knock down with sticks and then you knock down the "King" in the middle.  I wasn't very good but it was a lot of fun.  We're hoping they can bring it to Dylan's birthday party.


Rebecca and I aren't really eating wheat so I wanted to try a new recipe for dessert. I made the Coconut & Almond Macaroon Torte recipe from Molly Katzen's Enchanted Broccoli Forest.  Of course I can never leave well enough alone though.  I decided because my other friend, Rebecca, had given me some pecan meal when I was down in Georgia that I would use that instead of the almonds.  I also didn't have chocolate chips so I used a couple Rice Dream chocolate bars for the topping.  Turned out well enough I'm telling you about it here today :)


Coconut & "Nut" Macaroon Torte


The Cake
6 eggs, separated and at room temperature
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 c finely ground almonds (or pecans)
1 c shredded coconut ( I use unsweetened)
1/2 tsp orange rind (I used almond extract)


The Filling and Topping
1/2 c raspberry jam
2 T butter (I used coconut oil)
1/4 c semisweet chocolate chips (I used two Rice Dream chocolate bars...probably quite a bit more than 1/4 c)
1 T cocoa
1 T powdered sugar (I didn't use this at all)
1/4 tsp orange rind (didn't use either)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter the bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan.


Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff in a large bowl.


In a different large bowl, without worrying about washing the beaters, beat the egg yolks, gradually adding brown sugar and salt.  When all is added, beat 2 minutes on high.


Stir the ground nuts and coconut into the yolk mixture.  Add the orange rind/extract.  Mix well.


Fold the egg whites into the mixture - carefully and quickly.  Transfer to the prepared pan.  Bake undisturbed for 30 minutes.  Cool the cake completely in the pan.


Once the cake is completely cool, remove from the pan, and cut in half, using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion.  Spread the bottom half with the raspberry jam.  Replace the top half.


In a pan on low heat, met together the butter (coconut oil) and chocolate chips.  Stir in the cocoa and powdered sugar and orange rind (if using).  Spread this mixture, while still warm, across the top.  Put in the refrigerator to firm up.  


Tastes great served on a warm summer evening, on the deck, with decaf hazelnut coffee!

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Let's just say I have an in with a very sweet cranberry grower so having them in my freezer isn't usually a problem.  However, I find myself just using them in smoothies or making cranberry sauce.  This cake has greatly broadened my horizons.  Maybe it will broaden yours.

Cranberry Upside Down Cake (adapted from this recipe)

Topping Ingredients:

1/2 c sugar
2 c cranberries- or enough to cover cake pan bottom
1/4 tsp cloves and nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 T butter- to grease pan thoroughly

 

Cake Ingredients:

2 1/3 c gluten-free flour blend
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 2/3 c sugar
1/2 c butter
1 c milk (cows or otherwise)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 T vinegar, white

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together sugar and spices.  Using butter, generously grease the bottom and sides of an cheesecake pan (the type with the sides that pop off).   Spread the sugar and spice mixture evenly on the bottom of the pan and then arrange cranberries to cover the bottom.

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in large mixing bowl.  Cut in butter and mix until fine crumbs are formed.  Make sure there are no lumps of butter remaining. Stir in milk and vanilla.  Mix thoroughly and then stir in vinegar.  Pour batter on top of cranberries and spread evenly to coat. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cool 20 minutes on wire rack.  Run knife around edge to loosen cake sides from pan.   Invert onto plate and serve  You may have to do some reconstructive surgery to the top...don't worry know one will know and it still tastes great.

NOTE: This can be made vegan with equally yummy results by using melted coconut oil.It's a bit easier too, I just melted the coconut oil and mixed it in the Kitchen-aid instead of cutting it in.  I also used coconut oil to oil the pan and I think it didn't stick as bad so try both ways and see which you like better even if you don't care about making it vegan.

Find more at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Cranberry Date Bars

Apparently, I have a thing for dates lately.  I used to think I hated them...maybe it was the type?  I'm not sure.  But, I've been trying out the ones from the bulk bin in Winco and so far, I would say I like them...a lot...definitely more than I should!

Cranberry Date Bars

18 or so dates (use a few more if they are tiny, few less if they are huge...I know, really helpful right?)

1 c dried cranberries

1/2 c raw cashews

1/2 c raw almonds

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

In food processor, roughly chop the dates and cranberries.  Take them out and put them in large bowl.  Add nuts, cinnamon and salt to food processor and chop until fine but stop before it turns into butter.  Combine the chopped dried fruit and nuts.  Mix well by hand...it will be sticky!  Press into a 8x8 pan or a bit smaller one if you have it.  I lined mine with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for an hour, cut into squares, and try not to eat all at once.

Find more yummies at Pennywise Platter Thursday or Slightly Indulgent Tuesday!