TO DIE for macaroons!

I've been wanting to make these macaroons since I received Laura's Wholesome Junk Food Cookbook in the mail. I've always had excuses like, oh it's going to take too much time, and I lack the energy. Well I lacked the energy today, but my desire to try these cookies overcame the lethargy.

Several positive things to say about this recipe:
1. It only took 20 minutes, including baking time.
2. If you're weird about calories, the worst thing for you is ONE tablespoon of sugar. Make it all-natural evaporated cane juice, and really you just shouldn't be worrying at all!
3. These are super delicious

Recipe:
Breakfast Macaroons
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
pinch unprocessed sea salt
1 tbsp evap cane juice
1 1/2 tsp agave syrup
1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp melted coconut oil
3/4 - 1 c finely shredded unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 300 F and grease a cookie sheet. Take all ingredients except the coconut and mix with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Add the coconut slowly using a spoon and folding it into the mixture until the consistency gets slightly thicker. Then use a tablespoon and scoop the mixture on to the cookie sheet. It yields 12 macaroons. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Voila!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

This recipe is from "the wholesome junk food cookbook" and is my second recipe I've tried. Glad to say this recipes are so simple and straightforward.

I decided on this recipe because I haven't had a granola bar since becoming gluten-free. It's really hard to find a good energy bar that is 1. tasteful and 2. along the lines of a granola bar.

First and foremost, if you're eating gluten-free make sure your oats are certified gluten-free. I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Whole Grain Rolled Oats. There's a lot of mixed feelings about oats, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Secondly, the chocolate I use is also certified gluten-free. A lot of people say you're fine if it's 70% cocoa or higher, but I just find gluten-free chocolate like Enjoy Life Foods Gluten-Free Chocolate Chips.

Ingredients:
5 c rolled oats
1/2 c pumpkin seeds
1/2 c raw sunflower seeds
1/4 c evap cane juice crystals
2 tsp unprocessed sea salt
2/3 c honey
1/2 c expeller-pressed oil
3/4 c chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325F
Line a 14x11 shallow pan with parchment paper and grease heavily. (This is where I went wrong and didn't grease enough so the bars stuck to the paper) You can use butter or cooking spray.
Combine the oats, seeds, cane juice, and salt in one bowl.
Combine the honey and oil in another bowl and mix.
Pour the liquid mixture into the dry and mix.
Put the mixture onto the prepared pan and firmly pat down making sure it's all even.
Bake in the oven for 30 mins, turning the pan every 10.

When finished, take out of oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips. The granola bars will look like they're not hard, but don't worry. When they cool off they'll harden together. Allow to fully cool and then cut as desired.

Review:
Simple to make. Packed with energy waiting to be unleashed! I liked the fact that after I ate this I didn't feel funny, like I sometimes do after eating a store-bought bar. I feel like I'm really getting something good for me and flavorful at the same time.
I'm reiterating here that I didn't grease the paper enough so it stuck, so we're just peeling off granola here, it's still delicious. Use grease!

In the oven

Recipe Review

I'm excited to say that I am going to be writing gluten-free reviews from Laura's Wholesome Junk Food Cookbook! I received my cookbook in the mail last week, and have only managed to make one recipe so far. More will come soon! Everything looks so delicious, I want to try it all.

This cookbook is all about having your cake and eating it too. You don't have to eliminate junk food from your life, you just have alternate a few ingredients with more natural, wholesome and equally tasteful ones.

As I skimmed the book, I realized a lot of the recipes take no time at all to put together. Which is great for a fast-paced lifestyle like mine.

So here goes, my first try:
Honey Almond Protein Bars
I chose this recipe because I LOVE peanut butter! I carry it in my purse most of the time so I always have a quick snack on hand.

You'll need:
1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1c any nut butter, I used peanut butter ( suggest crunchy, for the texture)
1/3 c honey

It was so simple! Take the peanut butter and honey, mix together in a bowl. In a separate bowl put the coconut, allowing enough room to roll the peanut butter/honey mixture. Put some oil on your fingers, just enough so that the peanut butter won't stick to your fingers and roll out little balls. Take each ball and roll it in the coconut. Put on parchment paper and store in the fridge for an hour so they harden. You can keep them in the fridge or put them in a container in a cool dry area.

Note: I added dried cherries/blueberries/cranberries to the nut mixture and it tasted divine!

Cookie Review

I'm doing something a little different today. A cookie review.

I find it awfully hard to find cookies that combine great texture, taste, and shelf-life. It seems that without gluten things just aren't as good.

Here are three cookies, no baking involved, that I just adore.

1.















I believe I purchase this for $4.99, give or take. Depends on the grocery. I'm a whole foods junkie!
It's just like eating an oreo, only greater, because it's gluten free!

2.













This is a two-for-one deal. WOW baking is amazing! These cookies are moist and delicious. I haven't tried the other flavors yet, but I can guarantee Oregon Oatmeal and Snickerdoodle are well worth the price. They're $7.99 at Whole Foods, which seems exspensive, but I'm just amazed at the texture and shelf-life on these!

3.














Lastly, I recently purchased this cookie and I'm still baffled as to how great it tastes and the nutrition behind it. It cures my chocolate cravings in just one bite. There's also a hint of fruit in each bite-lette. This cookie was around the $5.99 price range at whole foods.

Ice Cream Sandwiches!

This is a real simple recipe!

Get yourself a box of the Betty Crocker GF Chocolate Chip Cookies

































1 Egg
Stick of Softened Butter
Tsp Vanilla Extract

Make the cookies as directed.

Now to make your Ice Cream Sandwiches.
You can do this part after you have made sure the cookies have completely cooled or the following day.

Take out some ice cream and let it soften. Ten minutes is about the amount of time you need to let it sit out. The ice cream should be soft enough that you don't have to use pressure to get a scoop. Take two cookies about the same size and put them face side down. Fill with ice cream and close together. Wrap in wax paper and put in the freezer for at least half an hour. Giving it enough time to harden.

Voila!

Scones.

I've been craving biscuits lately, and so I searched and searched for a recipe that wasn't such a hassle. I didn't want to have to make the dough, wait an hour, let it do it's thing for another hour. etc you know what I'm talking about.

Alas I found a Scone recipe fitting my criteria and I thought what the heck. Let me tell you something, these things tasted like BISCUITS! So good that I made them about a half hour ago and I have to write this blog immediately and divulge all the delicious details.

I strayed from the recipe a bit due to not having enough of the ingredients, so bear with me on this one.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 c. Rice Flour (I fell short and only had 1 3/4 c., so I hesitantly added Bob's Red Mill Baking mix to compensate for the rice flour shortage.)
1/2 c Tapioca Flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp xanthan gum
4 tbsp super fine sugar
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter (I softened this with my hands, not the microwave. I think that works better, so you have not an ounce of melted butter in there)
3/4 c raisins (I used dried raspberries, a bit expensive, but oh so delicious.)
2 eggs
1/2 - 3/4 c plain yogurt (I used FF plain yogurt we had in the fridge and had a little less than 3/4 c. I also added a spoonful of sour cream to up the fat content and add moisture when mixing the dough together.)
Egg wash

Preheat the oven to 475F

Get a pan ready with a piece of Parchment Paper on top of it, so your scones won't stick to the pan while baking. Take out a board to roll the dough out on and dust it with Rice Flour.

Take all dry ingredients and sift them together in a large bowl. Then take your softened butter and gently incorporate it into the dry ingredients. You won't have enough moisture yet to get a ball together so don't fret. Add your raspberries at this point also.

In a small bowl whisk together your yogurt and eggs. Create a well in the dry mixture and pour the egg and yogurt into the center. Mix all the ingredients and form a ball. At this point I added the sour cream and it helped create the ball.

Take the dough and bring it over to your dusted board and roll out to about an inch in thickness and just cut away. Place the scones on the baking pan and put a little egg wash on top. Bake for 10 minutes. And you've got scones!

These are your scones prior to being baked, so you can get an idea of how the start off.



And here's the finished product:

Cooking with Eggplant

I LOVE EGGPLANT!

This past Sunday I cooked dinner for my family and brought back an old favorite of mine Eggplant Parmesan. Best part is no breadcrumbs, no frying. Let me tell you how I cook one of my favorite meals!

Depending on how many people I cook for, I buy between two or three pretty big eggplants. I was cooking for four, so for this recipe I bought 3. I enjoy leftovers. The recipe yielded 8 servings.

You will need:
3 eggplants
EVOO
Salt and Pepper
Jar of Tomato Sauce, I used a Tomato Basil
- While looking for sauces I noticed the Il Classico labels whether it's sauces are gluten free, so I prefer to buy theirs.
Pint of Ricotta Cheese
- Buyer beware, some ricotta cheeses aren't gluten free, I had trouble figuring out what brands are gluten free and what are not. I used Frigo Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese and was fine, so I recommend it.
1 egg
1/2 c Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Sargento gives a list on it's website of cheeses that are gluten free. For this recipe I used Sargento shredded Mozzarella and Provolone.

I take the eggplants and wash the outside. Then cut them into 1/4 to 1/2 slices, width wise. So they are thick circles. After I cut them, I soak them in cold water for about a half hour, up to an hours length of time. I then take the eggplant and pat each slice dry and place them onto baking sheets. Be sure to preheat the oven to the broil setting at this point. NOTE: Never put gluten free food on the same cooking sheet you use to bake non-gluten free items such as cookies. I always cover my baking sheets with Reynolds Wrap, so I know I will not have any chance of cross-contamination. And this way I don't need to buy separate baking pan, because that can get expensive. I pour EVOO onto the baking sheet and use a pastry brush (gluten free one) and spread it along the surface, this is to maker sure that the eggplant does not stick. I place the eggplant on the baking sheet and put some more EVOO on top of the eggplant and then sprinkle salt and pepper. I place the sheets in the oven under the broiler and let it cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Depending on the sheets location in the oven it may take longer for the eggplant to cook. You want the eggplant to shrink in size and be almost black on top. When you go to touch the eggplant it should feel mushy, if it's still hard, it's not done.

Let the eggplant sit out and cool. While it's cooling, or while the eggplant is cooking in the oven you can get your ricotta mixture ready. Take about 1/2 c to 1 c of ricotta and put it in a small bowl. Crack and egg and mix together. Add about 2 Tbsp of Oregano and mix. Put to the side until you're ready to use.

Your eggplant is cooled, and now you are ready to rock and roll! Preheat the oven to 350. Get a baking dish and use EVOO to coat the bottom ( this is so nothing sticks, use as much as you'd like, I try to not use a lot.) Lay down your first layer of eggplant, it's okay if there are spaces between them, in the end no one will notice. Take a spoonful of sauce and put it on top of each eggplant slice. Then put your ricotta mixture on top of that. I use the pastry brush to combine the two and spread it evenly across the surface. Now take less then a handful of cheese and spread it. Note: If you use a higher fat content ricotta and shredded cheese, you won't need a whole lot. The flavor is enough with just a little bit of each. Repeat the layering steps: Eggplant, Sauce, Ricotta, and Cheese. Put aluminum foil on the top of the dish and put it in the oven for 15-25 minutes.

Take it out of the oven and serve.

Bon Appetit!