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Roasted Vegetables on Broiled Polenta
2007-03-06 11:47:12
I'm still shaking off the February blahs, so bear with me, Intrepid Campers, and accept this super easy non-recipe as a tiny gift. Make this celiac-friendly dish on a busy weeknight when you're cranky and tired or feeling lazy or simply and utterly couldn't be bothered to crack open a cookbook [never mind, actually shop!] because all you really want to do is kick off your Skechers, and sink down into your favorite viewing chair with popcorn and a glass of wine to watch A Scanner Darkly again, this time with the filmmaker's commentary [not to mention, the insight of Keanu and Jonathan Lethem]. Dude. What more could a geek girl ask for?Roasted Vegetable s on Broiled Polen taBroiling slices of polenta brushed with olive oil gives this uber-easy dish a lovely texture boost, as the edges get sizzly and slightly crisp. Gluten free goodness.You'll need:a bunch of whatever fresh veggies you have on handfresh garlicextra virgin olive oilherbssea salt and ground pepperbalsamic vinegara rol...
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Garlicky Shrimp and Spinach Bake
2007-03-06 11:47:12
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Behind the scenes here at [Gluten Free] Goddess is a wan, hungry [make that famished!] blogger who has been as busy as an archetypal bee, buzzing and tinkering with a spanking new project that is keeping her up at nights, Dear Reader. Yes, your intrepid goddess at large is flushed and cranky and restless, mumbling inaudibly as she feverishly works past lunch time, and supper time, until she stumbles, stiff-kneed, into the candle-lit casita [how sweet is that Man?] from her twilight-dark studio, faint, rumpled, gnawing on a stale rice cake as she rummages through the brightly lit empty refrigerator silently begging for some tasty batch of leftovers to magically appear. It is not, as you might imagine, a very pretty sight.There has not been much cooking going on. More like reheating. This is when a bag of frozen shrimp can save your life. This is when you yelp with gusto at finding a pound of chopped spinach in the freezer beneath the seven...
More About: Garlic , Shrimp , Spin , Spinach , Arli

Got Leftovers? Nachos!
2007-03-03 11:46:07
Nachos FabulousoI make my nachos with organic blue corn chips and lots of sliced pickled jalapenos. It's an unbeatable combination. And don't forget the extra virgin olive oil - a trick I learned watching Rocco DiSpirito.1 bag organic blue corn tortilla chipsextra virgin olive oil [don't say EVOO]4 oz. Cheddar or Jack cheese, shredded1-2 cups cooked turkey or chicken pieces a big handful of organic sweet grape tomatoes, halved2-3 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos, to taste; or chopped mild green chile, if you preferchopped fresh cilantro, if desiredPreheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large roasting pan with tin foil.Layer the blue corn tortilla chips in the bottom of the pan; drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil [to be truly decadent, pour the chips into a bowl first, drizzle with olive oil, and toss well to coat].Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese. Layer the turkey or chicken pieces, tomatoes, jalapenos and the remaining shredded cheese. Believe it or not, d...
More About: Nachos , Left , Over , Nacho , Leftovers

Gluten-Free Beer Bliss
2007-03-03 11:46:07
After five years of living strictly gluten-free, I can honestly tell you, Dear Fabulous Reader, there are very few things I still miss from my pre-celiac diagnosis. From melty chocolate brownies to sour cream blueberry muffins, I've managed to recreate and reinvent many old favorites. But there is an archetypal pairing I do, indeed, miss. It's a simple want. Nothing fancy. And it's not some uber-precious chef food (tiny cuisine perched on a plate with a few stingy drips of [insert latest food fad] sauce trying to pass as art). Nope. It's pizza and beer. A slice with a cold one. That's what I want. That's what I miss.Well, guess what? One half of my burning desire has been quenched, and this humble gluten-free goddess couldn't be happier. I am pleased as proverbial punch to report on the new sorghum beer now available form Anheuser-Busch, called Redbridge. Babycakes, it is beer-tastic! I had my doubts, I'll admit [being part Irish, who can blame me?], but when I read about [g...
More About: Beer , Free , Gluten Free , Lute

New Mexican Hot Fudge Sundae
2007-02-27 17:44:04
New Mexican Hot Fudge Sundae Who can resist the combination of coffee and chocolate? This is a simple hot fudge sauce to drizzle over ice cream, flourless cake, or gluten-free brownies - you name it. It's lip-smacking good.1/2 cup cream [light or heavy]2 tablespoons honey5 ounces dark chocolate, in pieces1/4 cup Kahlua [coffee liqueur]1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon vanilla extractIn a saucepan, heat the cream until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat and add the honey, and pieces of dark chocolate; stir until melted. Stir in the Kahlua, cinnamon and vanilla. Taste test!Serve the sundae in festive Mexican margarita glasses. Drizzle the warm sauce over a scoop of coffee, espresso chip, or vanilla ice cream and a thin wedge of Dark Goddess Cake, or my favorite Dark Chocolate Brownies. Store sauce covered, in the refrigerator. This sauce may be made ahead and reheated gently before serving.This recipe makes about a cup of sauce. Adjust the ingredients to make it thinner/thi...

Coconut Carrot Cake
2007-02-27 17:44:04
I'm tempted to title this Cake in the Desert at Twilight. With the days getting shorter and shorter there is less and less daylight filtering into the casita. I am racing with the light. I grab lime-styled margarita fueled guacamole from the grinning grip of beloved guests, and tipping bowls of steaming chili are snatched from my husband as I scurry outside to the breezy portal. I pose freshly baked desserts that I frost too soon [and the icing melts on the still warm cake]. All to catch the final, magical glow of natural sunlight. [Audible sigh.] Soon I will have to photograph food inside, and use the dreaded [for me, anyway] artificial light. But don't let my seasonally induced visual worries concern you, Dear Reader. Peruse the beauty of this confection instead. Start grating carrots.Coco nut Carr ot CakeOnce in a blue moon I get a hankering for this old school classic. Lucky for me it translates well to gluten free. This recipe is based on one of my own [pre-gluten free] standby...
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Squares
2007-02-27 17:44:04
Neighbor Joey invited us over for Sunday morning coffee. Strictly casual. Come as you are [for me that meant Snoopy tee shirt and yoga pants]. Well, we had to bring a treat [you don't go empty handed to such a generous, hunky guy's casa, now do you?]. We had an hour. What to bake? Steve and I stood in the kitchen for half a second. In unison: Chocolate chip cookie squares! And what we didn't know? We were about to meet a new neighbor - Lee - who stopped by Joey's and filled us all in on the progress of his new pueblo-contemporary-style hacienda; he'll be moving in across the arroyo by the end of October. And Dear Reader, he is fabulous [well, he'd have to be, knowing Joey]. We liked him immediately. And we even got an impromptu tour of the new digs [still under construction] and it was beaucoup fun to get a sneek peek inside after watching the building progress these past few months.As we drove [the two minutes] home, Steve and I felt so lucky to have found our way here, to ou...
More About: Cola , Cook , Late , Chip

Sweet Banana-Corn Cake
2007-02-27 17:44:04
Sweet Banana -Corn Cake I've been jonesing for a polenta cake, and had a few ripe bananas on hand yesterday, so I thought, Why not make a polenta [cornmeal] banana cake? How bad could it be? Turns out, not bad at all! I used my Banana Snacking Cake recipe as a starting point. The cake was tender and sweet with a big banana flavor.Notes::We've really enjoyed this as a side bite to chili, sliced and grilled in butter.This yummy cake [terrific for kids] can be GF/CF with a dairy-free self-rising GF flour mix, and coconut milk.1 1/4 cups Pamela's Ultimate Baking Mix [*or your own self-rising gluten free flour mix]1 cup cornmeal [*see notes below]1/2 tsp GF baking powder1/4 tsp sea salt3 large free-range organic eggs, room temperature1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil [I used organic safflower oil]1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar3 very ripe bananas, mashed into puree1/3 cup milk, coconut milk, or non-dairy milk2 tsp vanilla extractPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 10 x 13" baking...
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Rustic Chicken Soup for the Soul
2007-02-27 17:44:04
It's a weekend for comfort food here by the mesa. Not only am I bristling with winter induced cabin fever, Steve and I are both feeling a tad under the weather, fighting off an upper respiratory nasty that managed to sneak past our best defense. What's a gluten-free goddess to do? Roll up her sleeves, slide out the Crock Pot, and make some Jewish penicillin, of course!Rust ic Chick en Soup When I'm not in top GFG form, conserving energy = Crock Pot. This is an easy healing soup with the goodness of cabbage [so soothing to a celiac's tummy] and lots of garlic [a natural immune booster and cold fighter]. I made it like a stew, starting with a layer of split chicken breasts on the bottom of the crock [drizzled with olive oil]. Then I added eight cloves of fresh chopped garlic, lots of cut-up veggies, herbs, a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, green chiles, and just enough organic chicken broth to cover the veggies.extra virgin olive oil, as needed3-4 split chicken breasts [free-rang...
More About: Soul , Chicken

Sweet Potato Cornbread [& A Movie Review]
2007-02-27 17:44:04
Yesterday Steve and I decided to go to the movies with Joey and Will [those two totally fab rockin' guacamole styling hunks]. We chose The Departed, Scorsese's new flick [it's been garnering rave reviews], met at the theater, and settled in for the two and a half hour ride. Well, Babycakes, I won?t speak for my three men, but I could barely sit through it. I felt as if I was being beat up, bitch slapped, and run over by a bloody Mack truck. Come on. How much misogyny and homophobia and execution-style murders can a cooking goddess take? Not this much it turns out. I was so turned off by the one note propulsion of violent testosterone, I felt nauseous. I sat through it only because I took animal comfort in the warm companionship of my three tried-and-true compadres. That, and I covered my face every five minutes in disgust.There was nothing new revealed here. And scarcely an ounce of wit or humor or soul [although I will confess I was impressed with Leonardo DiCaprio for the first...
More About: Movie , Movie Review , Review , Corn , Sweet

Shrimp Fried Rice
2007-02-27 17:44:04
First, let us stop and take a humble moment to thank our lucky celiac stars that brown rice is gluten-free. Yes, it's true, we all mourn the loss of some fabulous decadent thing we can no longer sink our teeth into - the tender flaky chocolate croissant, the finger licking stickiness of a honey glazed Dunkin Donut, or the crusty, chewy simplicity of a freshly baked baguette, hand torn and shared with love and a gleaming plate of extra virgin olive oil. Heavy sigh. But [and you just knew a but was coming, didn't you?], after the craving passes and you find yourself back on planet earth, hungry, tired, staring into the open cupboard with a familiar pang that cries out for real food, a bag of organic brown rice can make your night. There's nothing else quite like the satisfying earthy goodness of it. So let us appreciate this humble, nutty grain [actually, grass] and stir up something quick and rice-tastic.Shrimp Fried Rice This is an easy toss-together dish, especially if you have ...
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Gluten-Free Bloggers
2007-02-19 23:42:05
Do you blog gluten-free? Let's create a resource together. Leave your blog address, title, and a two-sentence description of your blog in the Readers Comments below. This post will be linked in my side bar for gluten-free readers old and new. And if you like, Babycakes, snag an I Blog Gluten-Free button for your blog [copy this image and link below].gluten free blogs celiac gluten-free bloggers
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Gluten Free in the City of Angels
2007-02-19 11:41:01
birds in bloomI've been back in New Mexico for a week - a week that has skidded by at an alarming rate [it's true what they tell you about time accelerating as you advance in years, Dear Reader]. Monday morphed into Friday with nary a blink. I've been playing correspondence catch-up, shoveling snow, doing heaps of laundry, and sifting through e-mails. I slid through Valentine's Day with a yawn and a shiver and a rain check [in spite of good intentions and an armful of deep red roses]. Steve and I are both nursing colds [the first we've caught in three years]. Memories of those balmy afternoons sipping vanilla lattes in Santa Monica are fading fast.Albuquerque was dark [and below freezing!] when we boarded the plane to LAX. Two and a half hours later we were strolling the Santa Monica farmer's market in the warm morning sun, inhaling the ocean air, our winter jackets abandoned, tossed in the back seat of the rental car. After scoping out the nearby Wild Oats, Whole Foods, and T...
More About: Angels , Angel , Free , Gluten Free , City

Love & Kisses - My [Sexy!] Food List
2007-02-14 11:36:01
I'm back from Los Angeles - and just in time! Phew. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. And for those of you looking for some romantic and sensuous recipe ideas, I've decided to reprise a post about love foods - because it's all about love, Babycakes. Here's a little info every cook should keep handy [gluten-free or not!].Cooking is not only about nutrition and comfort, it's a sensual experience [if done with open senses and attention] and every cook understands the seductive power of a meal stirred with love. It?s no accident that our Bubbe, or grandmother, instructed us with the axiom, ?The way to a man?s heart is through his stomach.? Recent olfactory studies reveal that men prefer culinary over floral fragrances. The two sexiest scents? Pumpkin pie and vanilla. Who knew?With the art of seduction in mind, I thought I'd share a [short] list of Love Food s to inspire all of us for Valentine's Day. And, Darling, if you happen to be sans a honey this particular season, consider treat...
More About: Kiss , Sexy , List

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cake
2007-02-05 17:29:02
We'll be leaving for Los Angeles on Friday the second [I'll be off-line for ten days] so I thought I might leave you with something sweet as I prepare for my mucho anticipated sojourn into Hollyweird. This is a simple recipe. No fuss. No frosting. Cake for those of us who aren't gifted with ganache. The kind of cake you can grab on the go [how very un-Zen!] or nibble politely over coffee and a hot flash inducing debate about why naturally beautiful, smart and talented women inject military grade toxins into their foreheads and goddess-knows-what into their lips until all you can do, Babycakes, is stare in horror, wondering, What the hell have you done? Please, women. I beg you. Stop. You're artists [well, aren't you?]. Be strong. Be authentic. Think: What would Frances McDormand do?Coco nut Chocolate Chip CakeCraving a coconut confection with a tender crumb and morsels of melty chocolate? This cake's for you. Drizzle warm chocolate sauce on plated slices if you must.3 large fr...
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The FDA Is Paying Attention?
2007-01-28 23:27:02
My blogging amiga Kalyn [from the way-fabulous Kalyn's Kitchen] sent me this: FDA Proposes New Standards for Gluten-Free Food. Thanks, Kalyn!Read more, and send feedback to the FDA here.gluten free FDA food labeling celiac disease
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Santa Fe Pumpkin Chowder
2007-01-28 23:27:02
Waking to sub-freezing temperatures always makes me crave a robust, spicy soup for lunch. [So] Steve and I whipped up this quick and easy chowder to soothe our winter weary bones and California-dreamin' souls - an improv, straight from the pantry. Feel free to alter ingredients to keep your taste buds happy:I give dairy-free options for the milk.This soup is a vegan soup if you use vegan "sausage" or black beans. See my cook's notes below.Sant a Fe Pumpkin Chow derextra virgin olive oil4 cloves garlic, minced1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powderhot pepper flakes, to taste1 15-oz can pumpkin [or squash]1 15-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice1 8-oz. can green chiles, not drained1 heaping cup roasted corn kernels [we used frozen]1 cup salsa - we used spicy salsa with lime and jalapenos1 cup broth or water1 to 2 cups milk, or Half & Half, coconut milk, or non-dairy milk, as neededsea salt and fresh ground pepperchopped cilantro, to taste - dried or fresh1 tablespoon brown ...
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Dear Readers: GF in Santa Monica?
2007-01-28 05:25:02
Your winter-bound and restless gluten-free goddess is heading west [for a week!]. Yes. We're visiting son, Colin, in Los Angeles, and meeting with Steve's manager/producers [he sold a script!] in Santa Monica . Babycakes, I am uber-excited. I haven't been to LA in - well, let's just say - too long a time. So, here's my question. Are there any So Cal readers out there who can recommend places to eat gluten-free? We're staying in Santa Monica, but will also be around town, and over in the Valley, in Studio City. Any tips?I can't wait to walk on the beach. Dude.
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Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins
2007-01-27 17:24:02
As promised, here's my latest muffin recipe. Oy vey, these are good. And so easy. I didn't even get out the mixer; I stirred the batter by hand with my favorite wooden spoon. If you're in the mood for a different berry, by all means, substitute. Whatever makes you happy, Babycakes. Go for it.Sour Cream Blue berry Muffin s - Gluten Free and Wheat FreeI used my trusty Pamela's Ultimate Baking Mix for the basic flour mix in this recipe. But you can use any flour mix you prefer. Just make sure it's got some leavening in it, and a touch of xanthan or guar gum. The leavening in Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix is equal to approximately 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup.Here we go. Beat together in a large mixing bowl:2 large free-range organic eggs1/2 cup extra light olive oilAdd in and beat:1 1/4 cup [packed] light brown sugar1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract1 cup sour cream [or plain yogurt would work]Slowly add and beat in:2 cups Pamela's Ultimate Baking Mix...
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Chicken Tropicale with Pomegranate Glazed Green Beans & Portobellos
2007-01-25 23:21:01
In the thick of January, comfort food takes on new meaning. The days may be longer [stretching achingly slow, by minutes] but for this casita-bound goddess [I'm not one to strap on skis or skates or hurtle downhill on a taboggan, Darling] each successive chilly day invades my bookworm bones a little deeper. I get restless. I get itchy. And I need comfort food. The kind of comfort food cooked slowly, all day. The kind of comfort food that warms the house with fragrance and flavors from a warmer clime. Coconut and spice. The kind of comfort food that falls apart with a fork - tender, melty, sweet and fiery all at once. So I knew what I had to do. I improvised and tossed together some of my favorite ingredients in the Crock Pot, and we got the hell out of the casita and drove into town. After a day in Santa Fe doing errands and getting a total pick-me-up shake-me-loose fabulous hair cut and highlight from uber-brilliant Michael [who also happens to be a digital artist and designer, an...
More About: Beans , Tropical , Pomegranate , Green , Chick

The Gluten Free Poet
2007-01-25 11:20:02
Fellow blogger buddy Lynn over at Free to Eat made me giggle this morning with her poem: Gluten Free or Bust [featuring a photograph of the fiesty poet herself wearing one of my gluten-free themed tee shirts]. Take a look. And while you're there check out her fun and humorous blog about living not only gluten-free, but dairy, corn, soy, yeast and egg free. Now, Babycakes, that is impressive!gluten free gluten free blogs Cafe Press celiac t-shirt
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Make Mine a Gluten-Free Cheese Sandwich...
2007-01-23 23:18:01
When food bloggers were challenged by a recent article to write with more verve and snap than a boring cheese sandwich, I knew I had to head to the kitchen. Not to immediately begin melting my favorite snowy goat cheese [creamy, not too goaty, with only a slight tang and a finish that barely flutters with August grass blowing in a southerly Aix-en-Provence wind] but to bake. Because, Dear Reader, in order to make a cheese sandwich, you first need bread. And bread is a rare event in my gluten-free kitchen. I bake bread perhaps twice a year [even though it's the Holy Grail of the ever widening gluten free world, and the primary gluten-free item most newly diagnosed celiacs yearn to replace].The reason for my culinary indifference? I've yet to sink my teeth into any gluten-free slice worthy of my attention, not to mention, my desire [which, Dear Reader, is not passed around like cheap Valentine hearts]. I have, instead, focused on other pursuits, other pleasures brimming in diversity...
More About: Free , Gluten Free , Cheese , Sand , Mine

Big Easy Soup
2007-01-23 23:18:01
You may have already figured this out, Dear Reader. I'm a soup and chili girl. I love slow cooked stews and ragouts and all that bursting-with-wintery-flavors spicy slurpy fun. As soon as we finish a pot of soup I'm ready to make another. I'm just warning you. There will be lots of soup and chili and ragout recipes during these shorter days [and longer nights]. I can't help myself. And did I mention, I just bought a brand new [cobalt blue!] Crock Pot. So I have to use it. Have to!Big Easy Soup This is a doubly good soup. First, it's uber easy. Second, it's spiked with spicy andouille sausage, hence the nod in the title to its Cajun roots. Glancing through the recipe, many of you might think I forgot the onions. And celery. And bell pepper [the typical beginnings of a Cajun recipe]. I thought about it. For a second. But went ahead without. I have to be careful with onions [they don't like me] so I rarely [well, never] cook with them. If you love 'em, Cher, be my guest. Add 'e...

Purple Cabbage & Sweet Potato Soup
2007-01-23 23:18:01
Antioxidents! Gotta love 'em. They do the body good. But unfortunately, I've been so busy getting the house ready to sell [the sign went up today!] that I haven't been participating in Sweet nicks' ARF/5 A Day Tuesdays, even though it's a project close to my heart. But as luck [or meaningful chance?] would have it, I made an antioxident-rich soup last night [can't wait for tonight's leftovers!] and today is Tuesday. Yeah. Synchronicity at work.An easy approach to getting more antioxidents into your daily menu is: THINK COLOR! Choose a variety of colors in your daily vegetables and fruits. The brighter the better. Each hue gives you a unique nutritional boost. Choose orange sweet potatoes over white potatoes, and purple cabbage over white/pale green; throw in some red grape tomatoes...well, you get the idea.And ever since I read the news that peanut butter and peanuts contain antioxidents, I've come out of my peanut-butter-loving closet. This winter I've been making lots of s...
More About: Purple , Soup , Potato , Cabbage

Two Artists Chili
2007-01-23 23:18:01
It?s fourteen degrees outside. The snow glare slices into the house and illuminates every cobweb. Obviously I have been neglecting house work again. [I could never pass the Donna Reed white glove test.] This is when marriage to another artist pays off. If I offer, Look at all the dust beneath the sofa, he will say, Go blog. I?ll vacuum. Or, Go paint, I?ll get the broom.And what if both of us are in the mood [to paint, that is]? We lug the Crock Pot out of the cupboard and make a chili. We paint to Coldplay and the scent of cumin. Two Artis t s Chili We improvise our chilis and no two are ever the same, but this is an aproximation of yesterday's recipe. Sometimes I'll add a small can of baked beans to add a little sweetness. Then I up the heat with chipotle or hot red pepper flakes. Sweet and hot = good. 1 1/2 cups broth1 28-oz.can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes1 medium onion, peeled, diced4 cloves garlic, minced2 jalapenos, seeded, stemmed, diced1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded,...
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A Quiet Day Designing And a Milestone
2007-01-23 23:18:01
We had a low-key, quiet day here in the high desert. No traveling. No guests. No family. One son is back east, in his last year as a Senior RA at college [he is on duty for the holiday weekend] and the other son is working and living in Los Angeles. Both cooked yesterday. Alex cooked himself up some pasta with organic chicken sausage and balsamic peppers. Colin made roasted garlic mashed potatoes to bring to a friend?s [boiling the spuds in his wok because he didn't have a pot]. I instant-messaged with both of them yesterday morning; I missed them, but I also know they are where they are supposed to be. And so I designed instead of cooked. We had a leftover improv last night I can only call Mexican sausage-rice-roasted pepper-enchilada bake. And it hit the spot. We watched our favorite Thanksgiving film, Home for the Holidays, with a fire in the kiva fireplace. Yesterday was also a quiet milestone here at [Gluten Free] Goddess. I?ve been blogging for a year, Dear Reader. There are ...
More About: Design , Designing , Miles , Desi , Stone

Two Apple Cake Recipes
2007-01-23 23:18:01
a slice of my apple pear cake Here are two of my traditional apple cake recipes - the first features a gluten-free flour mix, the second cake is flourless, made with almond meal.Apple Pear Cake It took me awhile to get the hang of gluten-free baking. This delicious and forgiving cake has been a favorite in all its improvisations and incarnations. But then, it's difficult to go wrong when you start with autumn ripe pears and apples tossed in sugar and cinnamon. This recipe features yogurt but if you are dairy-sensitive, applesauce will also work.2 Golden Delicious apples - cored, peeled, chopped2 ripe pears - Bartlett or Winter Nellis - cored, peeled, chopped1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts - optional1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon2 tablespoons cane sugar2 large organic eggs1 cup light brown sugar, packed1/2 cup cane sugar1/3 cup canola oil1/3 cup organic plain yogurt [or applesauce]1-1/4 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour mix [I like a brown rice/sweet rice/tapioca or corn starch blen...
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Pepperidge Farm, Remember?
2007-01-23 23:18:01
I confess. My all-time favorite cookies in those innocent pre-gluten-free days were not some gourmet bakery confection, but those big, chunky Pepper idge Farm chocolate chip cookies you could get in any grocery store. Yup. I remember one was named Nantucket. One had pecans, another macadamia nuts, and, if I remember right, my favorite featured coconut and dark chocolate.Well, Dear Reader, in our quest to tweak one of our favorite recipes this week, Steve and I came up with a chocolate chip coconut cookie [bar] that tastes an awful lot like those beloved crunchy-chewy Pepperidge Farm gems. So, in between designing for my Cafe Press shop [Mucho Gusto!] today...I decided to take a minute or two to share this latest tweakage with you - just in time for the holidays. And for those of you who loved dunking those Pepperidge Farm Nantucket Cookies into a glass of ice cold milk, Babycakes, these are dunk worthy. Almost Nantucket Cookie Bars If you have more patience than I do, Dear Reader, ...
More About: Ridge , Peri

Best Gluten Free Brownie Mix - Taste Test Update
2007-01-23 23:18:01
And the winner is... Steve and I decided to do a taste test. Our goal? Finding the best tasting gluten-free brownie from a mix. Our criteria? A brownie so abundant in chocolatey goodness it would fool a gluten eater. Steve is the brownie baker in the family, so he was in on this project from the start. I had him at hello.For the sake of simplicity we chose to compare the three gluten-free mixes readily available at our local markets: Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Brown ie Mix, Pamela's Irresistible Chocolate Brownie Mix, and The Gluten Free Pantry Chocolate Truffle Brownie Mix.We were most familiar with The Gluten Free Pantry Chocolate Truffle Brownie Mix, as it was one of the first gluten free mixes we tried when we went GF five years ago. It gave us hope. The will to live. Gooey, chocolatey goodness!I suppose I should mention here, in the spirit of full disclosure, we always add extra semi-sweet chocolate chips into our bar and cookie recipes; even if the recipe or mix might no...
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Dark Chocolate Brownies
2007-01-23 23:18:01
Some of you may remember our Best Gluten Free Brown ie Mix Taste Test. While mixes are fine in a pinch, there's no question a brownie made from scratch is a deeper, more deliciously decadent experience. Especially if you use melted Belgian dark chocolate. With the help of a reader named Clare, from Massachusetts, who kindly e-mailed me her brownie recipe, I've come up with the best brownie [by far!] we've tasted. And it's gluten-free. And for those of you who don't have to be gluten-free, subbing the scant amount of rice flour with all-purpose flour will work just fine. rich with Belgian dark chocolate & fit for a goddessDark Chocolate Brownies Lovely Clare sent me her recipe for gluten-free brownies made with unsweetened cocoa, using a combination of almond and rice flours. I knew the minute I read the recipe it was going to work. I've kicked it up with melted Belgian dark chocolate, brown sugar, chopped nuts and semi-sweet chocolate chips, to make a rich, tender brownie that r...