Focaccia Beer Bread-(Not Gluten free!)

Note: A friend tried this recipe with gluten free beer and said it worked great...substitute the flour with a GF all purpose flour mixture, and a GF beer, and you will have a GF version of this wonderful beer bread!

The recipe posted below is not gluten free bread!This is probably the only non GF recipe I will post, but I wanted to post an awesome recipe I used to make quite frequently.  I made this recipe a few days ago for the rest of the people who ate dinner w/ us....It is quick, easy, super good & tastes like you've been slaving for hours making a homemade yeast bread!  Due to the yeast in beer, added yeast and time to rise is not needed.
Below is my Herbed Beer Bread recipe; you can't mess it up! (You don't even have to measure perfectly w/ ingredients-Trust me, I tested that out w/ the "no-measuring cup kitchen" I'm living in ;-) If we had whole wheat flour on hand, I would have definitely subbed the 3 cups all purpose w/ 1.5 cups whole wheat and 1.5 c all purpose to make a healthier, whole grain bread.  You can also use a light beer to decrease calories.
My next project: to create a gluten free beer bread... Possibly gluten free beer (made from sorghum instead of barley) and my GF flour mix?!...we will see!
 This time, here is what I made:

Focaccia Beer Bread

3 Cups All-purpose flour

1 T baking powder

3 T sugar (or honey)

 1 tsp salt

1 good beer (bottle or can)

(See herbed variation for additions to make the bread that is pictured)

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix all ingredients minus the beer together. Pour beer in and mix until forms dough ball.  On a greased, round pizza pan, spread dough flat and evenly with hands until evenly distributed.  Bake for ~20-25 minutes or until the top is browned and the center is no longer doughy.
Cut into squares for focaccia bread.  Enjoy!

Variations:

Herbed; Add 3 T Herbs de Provence spice mixture (or a mixture of rosemary, lavender, thyme, basil) + 1 T dehydrated garlic to flour mixture.  Add 1/4 cup shredded cheese of choice to top the last 10 minutes of baking.

Cheesy; Add 1/4 cup of your fav. cheese to flour mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top as well for last 10 mins of baking.

Hearty Whole grain: Use 1.5 cups all purpose flour and 1.5 cups whole wheat flour  in the place of 3 c all purpose. (I recommend this version to get your whole grains!)

Add 1-2 T of flaxseed or flaxseed meal.
Poppyseed: Add poppyseeds to top in the last 15 minutes of baking
Oatmeal: Add oatmeal to top in the last 15 minutes of baking. (Make sure when adding dough is still sticky enough that oats stick)

Once again, you can't mess this bread up.  Experiment with it and have fun! Avocados, bananas, added honey for a sweeter bread, sesame seeds, etc are all fun additions to try!

Baking Pans:

 Focaccia bread: spread dough on a greased round pizza pan w/ hands, (flouring hands or spraying w/ noncook spray to spread dough) make slight indents with your thumbs all over dough, and drizzle top w/ olive oil.  (Bake for approx 20-25 mins)

Loaf Bread: Grease loaf pan, pour in dough, and bake @ 375 for ~ 40-50 mins (Makes great slices of bread)

Baguettes: Form into long thin baguette-shapes on a greased baking pan. Bake ~ 25 mins.

Check out this fun blog...and these Coffee-Lover Brownies!

For all of you who love desserts, but can't touch them without devouring half  the entire pan at once, my friend, Amy, showed me a sweet new blog with fun desserts that won't matter if you slip up and eat a little more than intended;-)  This blog uses beans...yes, beans in many of her dips, pies and cakes and bakes up great looking creations!  Check out Katie's blog at http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/

I must say that recipes like black bean brownies weirded me out a bit at first when I discovered them a few years ago...Some recipes I've tried are NOT good and taste like one big pureed bean that is baked in a pan..but low and behold, I have come up with my own GF Espresso Black Bean Brownie recipe and they are edible, high in fiber, low fat, and mmm mmm good!  They satisfy a serious chocolate craving, and if you accidently eat a few too many in one sitting, you may just meet your recommended fiber intake for the day:-)

When I have a kitchen of my own (in one week!!!) I look forward to trying new variations of this recipe; Banana Blondies (with great northern beans)...spiced pumpkin black bean brownies, etc....I also would like to cut back on the sugar/use another form of sweetener. Dates, agave nectar and honey are next on my list to try. Due to this particular recipe being very low in fat, the flavor has to come from some where, unfortunately. But-the amount of sugar used is still less than half of what your standard brownie recipes call for... any other fun suggestions???? Below are my Espresso Brownies-They are super EASY...feel free to use any kind of nut, mint extract (for Girl Scout Brownies), varying dark chocolates, etc and don't forget to have a nice cup of coffee on the side! 

Gluten Free

Espresso Black Bean Brownies

 

1 (15 ounce) can black beans (drained and rinsed)

3 eggs

3 tablespoons oil

1/2 cup cocoa +3  T

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

2 teaspoons almond extract

½ tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp instant coffee granules (or finely ground espresso)

½ cup toasted walnut halves or pecans

1/2 cup unsweetened carob chips or dark chocolate chips  (I like to chunk up whole dark chocolate bars-Green & Black and Choco Love brands are my favorite:-)

 

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2 Lightly grease 8x8 square baking dish.

Spread walnuts on a plate and microwave for a minute 20 seconds to roast.  Remove and set aside.

3 Combine the black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, almond extract, and sugar in a blender. Blend until smooth.  Stir in chips, walnuts and instant coffee granules. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

4 Bake in a preheated oven until the top is dry and edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 25 minutes. (fudge-like) 30 mins (cake like)

Remove from oven and enjoy!

Makes 20 bite-sized brownies.

*These brownies are gluten free and dairy free (if carob chips are used).  Freeze in ziplock baggies for quick go-to treats that will last for months in your freezer...(if you forget about them;-)

(This chocolate is AHhh-mazing.  Want ginger brownies? Here you have it! Try all 24 flavors to make all sorts of flavored brownie creations!)

Fish Tacooooooos!

It has been a while since my last blog...I moved to Colorado Springs last weekeend and have been very "busy," if you will....very busy riding bikes and working at the WIC clinic and Rehab Hospital.  I have managed to at least make meals every other night for us and a baked item on the off days.  I say A day out of the kitchen is a day without sunshine!  I must say it can be challenging cooking in boys' kitchens; using glad tupperware for mixing bowls, one sole measuring cup, etc..but we've made it work and Shad's roommate, Ashley, has graced their kitchen with mixing bowls this time...We're getting pretty fancy around here;-)
It has been super fun getting to cook for four people... One of the meals I made this weekend was fish tacos-they are quite easy and I have revamped your standard fish taco w/ high fat dressing sauce, to a healthy, guilt-free delight :-)  I have created this recipe over the past two years, tweaking the ingredients each time I make it.  The last time I finally remembered to jot it down...so here you have it!  Hope you enjoy!

Fish Tacos

Rice:

To start, I always put my rice on the stove to start cooking.  You can either use brown rice or quinoa mixed with a little black rice.  This time, my ratio was:

3/4 cup brown rice, 1/4 cup black rice to 2.5 cups water. 

Combine the two and let it cook on med (covered) until all water is cooked off.  

Beans:

You can use any type of beans you prefer; I used 2 cans of black beans and added 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1 garlic clove, and a chopped roasted chili pepper from the market.  Cook on stove until beans are tender.

Fish Marinade:

 3-4 T extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons lime zest

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste

1 pound tilapia fillets (use any type you prefer)

Combine all ingredients in a plastic baggie, coating thoroughly.  Cook on grill until fish flakes, or temps out at 135 degrees.  (Can cook on the stovetop as well) Chop fish into chunks.

Mango Salsa:

1 mango, diced

1.5 avocados, diced

5 cherry tomatoes, chopped

¼ white onion, chopped

4 large mint leaves, chopped

I T fresh cilantro, chopped

2 T olive oil

½ lime, squeezed

Dash salt and pepper

¼ tsp chili powder

 Combine all ingredients, mixing until just combined.  Set aside.

Creamy Chipotle Dressing:

1 cup plain yogurt (I used soy or dairy free)

½ tsp chili powder

1/ 4 tsp cumin

2 drops lemon juice

Combine all ingredients, mixing until just combined.  Set aside.

 Shells:

You can either buy hard taco shells (100% corn) or make your own.  I made ours by lightly spraying a frying pan w/ olive oil then browning corn tortillas until hardened, slowing folding in half.

Assembly:

To assemble, take shell and line the bottom with fish. Next add beans, then mango salsa, and drizzle with creamy chipotle dressing.  Garnish with cilantro  and purple cabbage shreds.  Serve rice and beans on the side. Enjoy!

Quick shortcuts:  If you are in a hurry and want to whip this recipe up quick, here are a few tips.  Instead of making a mango salsa, buy a gluten free, pre made salsa at the grocery store. Chop up ½ an avocado and ½ a tomato and add to salsa. 

Next, buy premade tortilla shells.

For beans, heat up a can or two of beans-you don’t need to add any thing extra.

Rice-use instant and heat in your microwave.

This recipe is gluten-free and dairy free!

Baking Day @ PVH!

Here's my little plug for PVH and one of my flyers;
If you're ever around the area and need a great GF treat, stop by!

Yesterday was probably one of the most exciting days of my internship thus far...The entire day I was able to shadow and bake with Poudre Valley Hospital's (in Ft. Collins) gluten free baker.  This lady is AMAZING and is the most experienced and knowledgable GF baker I've ever talked to/worked with.  LaDora bakes the hospital fresh, GF items once a week in a little segment of the kitchen that is blocked off to take precautions for any cross contamination that could occur.  I picked her brain for a straight 9 hours and had the opportunity to bake a few weeks ago with her as well.  She has many secrets, if you will, to GF baking and I was able to get just a few of those from her;-)  At any rate, she has been baking GF for 35 + years due to her whole family's history with Celiac Disease....she makes the absolute best tasting and quality products I've ever had...

Over the past couple weeks I've been able to do quite a bit of marketing for all of PVH's GF products throughout the hospital w/ flyers, internet promos, etc.  Today I'm holding a GF tasting in the dining room with a few of LaDora's products to get the word out on what PVH now offers!  This lady is great and definitely will receive some long past due recognition today.  You're great LaDora!

LaDora and I on our baking day stylin'...aren't the hairnets just lovely?!



And the most important part of the promo...I've found that most people don't have a clue as to why some individuals need a gluten free diet...It's not a weight loss "diet" or whatever else people may dream up...I made this poster to help explain why we now carry gluten free items and try to cater as much as possible to this population.  I used this promo to educate the public and as an awareness day as well.

Delicious Rustic Apple Tart

At the farmer's market on Saturday we picked up a bag of Colorado gala apples from the western slope.  I decided to try this Rustic Apple Tart and it actually turned out quite well!  This recipe is a "healthier" version of your normal apple tart recipes. It is much lower in sugar and fat, and of course, it is gluten and dairy free!  The trickiest part is the dough; I added a little more lemon juice than the recipe called for so it wasn't so crumbly.  I used a normal Brown Rice Flour mix that I make ahead of time and store in the freezer. (See my next blog on flour mixtures)  I brushed the edges with an egg wash with about ten minutes of baking left to help with the deep rustic look.  I also added walnuts-pecans or almonds would be great as well.  This tart is a great fall treat that can be served with a lowfat vanilla yogurt and a nice cup of coffee:-) Enjoy!

~Rustic Apple Tart~



GF Pie Crust Recipe:

1 cup plus 2 T Brown Rice Flour Mix (or any all purpose gluten free mix)

2 T sweet rice flour

1 T granulated sugar

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 tsp salt

6 T cold unsalted butter cut into 6 pieces

1 large egg

2 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Mix Flours, sugar, xanthan, and slat in large bowl of electric mixer.  Add butter and mix w/ pastry cutter until crumbly and resembling coarse meal.

Add egg and lemon juice.  Mix on low speed until dough holds together; it should not be sticky.  If it is too dry and crumbly, add more lemon juice.  Form dough into a ball using your hands.  Place on a sheet of wax paper.  Top w/ a second sheet of wax paper and flatten dough to 1 in thickness.

Roll out dough between the 2 sheets of wax paper.  If dough seems tacky, refrigerate for 15 mins before preceeding.  It is best to work with a cool dough.

Rustic Apple Tart

5 cups firm apples cut into small slices (I used 4 medium sized apples)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 T corn starch or arrowroot powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 T lemon juice

2 T unsalted butter

1/2 cup slightly chopped walnuts; optional

1 1/2 T apple or red currant jelly; optional

1 egg, whisked well for brushing

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet w/ parchment paper.

2. Roll pie dough into a 12-inch round between two sheets of wax paper.  Remove the top sheet and use your fingers to push dough in from edges to make a round dough; Turn the round of dough over onto the parchment paper on the baking sheet and remove other piece of wax paper.

3. Peel, core, and slice apple sinto eight equal slices.  Cut each slice into three equal thinner slices.  put into a large bowl.  In a small bowl, mix sugar, corn starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts and lemon juice.  Pour over apples and mix until all apples are well coated.  Lay the apples in a spiral circular fashion over center of pie dough, leaving a 1.5 inch edge around the entire round.  Carefull pull up and fold edges of dough over apples nad push down slightly so the dough is well supported by the apples.  Patch any holes in the odugh so juices don't leak out.  Dot tops of apples w/ thin slices of butter.

4. Place in center of rack and bake for 40-50 mins until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Ten minutes prior to being done, remove tart from oven, brush outer edges of dough with egg wash and place back in oven.  

5. Optional: melt apple jelly or red currant in a small saucepan.  Brush melted jelly over top of apples w/ a pastry brush. 

*This recipe can be made non gluten free by using any regular pie crust recipe (or frozen pie crusts) and then following the apple tart recipe exaclty the same as above

~A Healthy Chicken Salad~

A few years ago while working in the Camp Kivu kitchen, my friend (Cassie Jo Murphy) made the most wonderful chicken salad.  I have always made a curry chicken salad but this Mango Curry Chicken Salad adds a subtle mangoey flair of flavor and is absolutely d-e-l-i-s-h. 
The other half of this salad's recipe comes from a cute little sandwich/salad shop in Telluride (my favorite mountain town to visit!) called Merle's Brown Bag.  If you're ever in Telluride, I highly advise visiting this tasty hole-in-the-wall lunch stop-You will be quite impressed:-) Anyways, they have a curry chicken salad that is to die for, and I've since tried to re-create it after each visit. 
So, after combining Cassie Jo's recipe and Merle's plus a few alterations with healthier ingredients, here is what I came up with.  I will admit the ingredient amounts are all estimates;  The greatest part about chicken salad is you can't really mess it up.  Add more or less of any of these ingredients to your taste and feel free to throw in additions such as raisins, yellow raisins, dried cherries, diced red bell peppers, chopped carrots, chunked mango, etc. 
I placed my chicken salad on a bed of baby greens w/ avocado slices, goat cheese, and diced tomato to top it off.  You can also put the mixture on a sandwich, pita or wrap.
Enjoy!

Mango Curry Chicken Salad

INGREDIENTS:

2 Large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (can use rotisserie or grilled)

1 spear celery, chopped in small pieces

1 small fuji apple, diced in small pieces

1/8 cup fresh green onions, chopped

½ cup Craisins

1 cup plain soy yogurt (can use any type of plain yogurt)

4 oz Mango Chutney Spread (I used Crofter's Premium Organic Mango Spread)

1 T Lemon juice

2-3 tsp curry powder

¼-1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

¼ cup cashews, walnuts or almonds, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, mix yogurt, chutney, curry, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, place chicken, celery, apple, craisins, and nuts.  Mix well. 

Slowly add yogurt mixture to the medium bowl of chicken mixture, stirring until all is coated lightly with the sauce.  Sprinkle green onions on top for garnish.

For a spicy "dressing sauce" mix 2 T plain yogurt with 1/2 tsp Srircha chili sauce.  Drizzle on top.
*This recipe is gluten free and dairy free

(Yep, that's Merle's!)

Fall is coming!

(a pic of my b-e-a-utiful Colorado run...I kind of like this place;-)

My favorite season is upon us...FALL is in the air!  Yesterday in Colorado it was a crisp 68 degrees-My favorite running and baking weather!  I was so excited when I found out I didn't have to work at the hospital today for my internship; I knew exactly the two things I would do-Go on a long run in the mountains, and make a fall soup.  One of my favorite soups to make during the cooler weather months is a butternut pumpkin stew.  This evening, I twisted my pumpkin recipe with one I found in a GF recipe book (200 gluten-free recipes by Hamlyn) and came up with a Sweet potato, squash, & coconut soup.  I would have to say this is probably one of my new favorite soups!  It smells wonderful and definitely welcomes fall with the aromatic blend of spices and winter veggies. 
Along with the soup I made GF popovers.  I found this recipe in another GF cookbook of mine-it was super easy and they're very tasty!  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato, Squash, & Coconut Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, cut into thin slices

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks

(or you can cheat and buy a bag of frozen, cubed butternut squash)

1/2 onion, cut into wedges

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 T olive oil

1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes, plus extra to garnish

3 2/3 cups gluten free veggie or chicken stock

3/4 c lite coconut milk

1 tsp garam masala

salt and black pepper

Chicken sausage links (precooked), sliced into thin coins and halved

Put the sweet potatoes, squash, onion and garlic on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle over the cumin seeds and drizzle w/ the oil.  Place in a preheated oven, 400 degrees, and roast for 25-30 minutes until tender and golden.  Place sliced chicken sausage coins on a separate pan and place in oven for ~7-10 minutes until just heated through and browned.

Tip the roasted veggies into a large saucepan with the pepper flakes and stock, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the remaining ingredients, heat through until piping hot and then puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Serve, garnished with a pinch of chili flakes if liked, and with popovers.

This recipe is: gluten free and dairy free!  (vegetarian & vegan if chicken sausage is omitted and veggie stock is used)
*Garam masala is a preblended spice mixture that you can find in either supermarkets, natural food stores, or Indian markets.
It is widely used in Indian recipes.
 It is made of cardamom, cloves, mace, cinnamon, cumin, fennel, black peppercorns, and fenugreek.

GF Popovers

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

3 T melted butter

1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk (almond, rice, regular)

1 cup GF all purpose flour mix

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

2. Whisk together the eggs, butter, and milk in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk the flour w/ the xanthan gum and salt, then gradually sift and whisk into the liquid ingredients until you have a smooth batter.  (Will be very liquidy!)

3.  Pour the batter into the greased cups, filling each about 2/3 full.

4.  Bake for 25 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the popovers are deep brown.  Removed from the oven, let firm for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and serve immediately.

Yield: 12 popovers

(This recipe can be made exactly the same with all purpose flour instead of GF flour-just omit the xanthan gum and substitue all purpose for GF flour.)
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*Popovers resemble cream puffs without the cream; If you're in need of a dessert for the next day, create a cream filling and make cream puffs with leftover popovers!

Ingredients for Coffee Flavored Cream Filling

2 tablespoons coffee liqueur

1 teaspoon instant espresso

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions:
Stir together coffee liqueur and instant espresso until blended. Beat heavy cream at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add liqueur mixture and powdered sugar, and beat until soft peaks form.
-And no, this filling is not exactly the "nutritious" part of my blog buuut....Everyone needs a little dessert here and there, right?!