Garlic-Dijon Roasted Potatoes

There are somethings that will never click in my brain no matter how hard I try. My wife has given up trying to explain to me the difference between the living room and the family room. I simply call it the TV room or the non TV room. My brain is equally unable to process portion sizes when dealing with potatoes. Why is it that a total of 3 baked potatoes is the perfect amount for my family of three, yet when making mashed potatoes, I find myself peeling a mountain of spuds? The same holds true for calculating how many potatoes equal 2 pounds for this recipe. I just scrubbed and chopped until 8 little red potatoes stared back at me.

Garlic-Dijon Roasted Potatoes:
2 pounds of red potatoes (I used 8 potatoes)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves of garlic (pressed)
1-1/2 tsp Herbes De Provence
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes, turning once.

Chop the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add all the ingredients and mix well.

Place potatoes on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, turning once. Enjoy!!!

Gluten Free Pizza

I thought I would turn the reigns over to my wife for a guest post about a subject close to her heart, Gluten Free Pizza. Here she is:
I hope I don’t disappoint any loyal fans of my husband, but I have decided to do a post!! Yes, the resident Celiac, who usually just gets to enjoy all of the wonderful cooking and baking done by my hubby, decided to “guest blog.” This post has been long overdue. Back in June, I stopped by a local pizza restaurant down the street from our home. I had heard that Bellagios Pizza now served gluten free pizza with many wonderful options. I had the opportunity to speak with the manager of our local Bellagios who gave me a great “look” into how they do pizza gluten free. The manager was also kind enough to let me take home a sample pizza to enjoy with my family for dinner that night. It did not disappoint!

For $13.00, you can enjoy a 10-inch pizza with a number of mouth-watering options. Some of these options include: Very Veggie, Margherita, BBQ Chicken, Mother Earth, Garlic Chicken, Pepperoni Plus, and Pesto Chicken. For a complete list of all of their customer favorites and a list of ingredients, check out Bellagios website and click on the Gluten Free link. Another option is to buy their Cheese gluten free pizza for $10.00 and then add your own choice of toppings for extra. I always like to try the combinations they create and I found Bellagios has plenty to choose from!

For dinner that night, I decided to try half a Bellagio Combo (mozzarella cheese, salami, pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives, and green peppers) and half Garlic Chicken (mozzarella, chicken breast, garlic, feta, red onion, mushrooms, tomatoes, on a creamy garlic base sauce)….. yum!! They were both delicious. While my husband and I found the 10 inch pizza to be a little small to feed our family of three, we decided with a salad and/or another small side dish (or even a second pizza!), it would have been the perfect amount of food.

Bellagios was also kind enough to send me home with a sample of their frozen, gluten free, pizza crusts and pizza sauce. You can purchase this “Dough to Go” for $3.50 for one crust or $6.00 for two crusts. The crusts come with a single serving of their pizza sauce that (almost) covers the pizza crust (we added a little bit of our own sauce since we like a little extra).

(our homemade pizza on a Bellagio crust)

Bellagios has really done a great job of catering to the gluten free world with their pizza. It tastes (as much as I can remember) as close to “real” pizza as any I have tried and it also has that gourmet look and taste to it that I love. The gluten free pizzas are made in a dedicated gluten free area of their kitchen with the ingredients and utensils kept separate from their glutenous counterparts. I was very impressed with the knowledge the manager of this branch showed about the gluten free world of eating. I would highly recommend a stop by one of the 14 Bellagio Pizza branches in the Portland, Oregon area (with one in Vancouver, WA). If you do not have the good fortune of having a Bellagios near you, put in a good word on their website and maybe one will pop up in your neighborhood soon!

Thanks for letting me post! And now, back to the REAL blogger…

For my two cents, I'll say that Bellagios not only has great gluten free pizza, they also have great customer service with a friendly atmosphere. The staff also appears well versed in avoiding cross contamination. It's nice to have a great place nearby to enjoy pizza again.

Delicious Disaster

Before I get started, let's get one thing straightened out. I can make others things besides dessert. Really, I can. But dessert is so fun! Butter and sugar dance in my head as I drift off to sleep at night. Unfortunately, butter and sugar also want to jiggle around my midsection during the day. It's a love/hate thing; I know you understand. Anyway, Cathy, over at Noble Pig has been tempting me with one snickerdoodle based concoction after another. I think it started with snickerdoodle muffins, then snickerdoodle ice cream, and finally, banana snickerdoodle cookies. Enough!!!! I surrender!!!! I set off to find a relatively easy recipe to convert to gluten free. The one I used had a great flavor, but tasted a bit more like a sugar cookie with cinnamon than a true snickerdoodle. Oh well, I'll just have to try another snickerdoodle recipe. In the meantime, these cookies are nothing to complain about. I did have a bit of an issue getting the cookies off the cookie sheet since I ran out of parchment paper.
Snickerdoodles (kind of):
4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 stick-softened)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup gluten free flour mix
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Cinnamon Sugar Mix:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
Bake at 350 degrees F for 7-9 minutes
Makes about 12 cookies
Start by creaming together butter, sugars, and salt. Mix in the egg. In a separate bowl, sift together gf flour, cornstarch, and baking soda. Add 1/3 of the flour mix at a time until thoroughly mixed in.
In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Scoop about a tablespoon of dough into your hand, roll in to a ball and roll through the cinnamon-sugar mix. The dough is very soft.

Lightly press on to a greased or parchment lined cookie sheet and bake.

Here's my disaster! I ran out of parchment paper so I liberally greased my non stick cookie sheet. Despite this, every single cookie stuck to the pan and had to be scraped off.

When life hands you crumbled, gluten free snickerdoodles, make a snickerdoodle blizzard. We just mixed broken cookie pieces into vanilla ice cream. Crisis averted. Enjoy!!!

Let The Party Begin!

The "What can I eat that's gluten free" theme this week is cool treats. Even with all the hot Oregon weather lately, I haven't made any cool treats. Instead, I'll refer you to one of my first posts about "Frozen Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate." (pictured above) This is the coolest of the cool treats. Thanks again to Cathy at Noble Pig for sharing this recipe.

Now, on to the Party. Yesterday was my wife's birthday. She was able to relax a bit during the day before the two of us went to a nearby outdoor concert featuring a local pianist and his band. A few days ago, I asked my wife what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday. She said "chocolate with vanilla frosting." I let that sink in for a minute and then I dragged her over to the computer. "What about this?" I said excitedly. "Or this?" "Or even this?" I was wide eyed and practically drooling at all the choices flashing before me on the Internet. I looked back at my wife. "What do you think?" She just shrugged her shoulders and said; "Can't you just buy one of Laurel's cake mixes at the store and top it with Pillsbury vanilla frosting?" Ok, if that's what you really want. So, I made a trip to the store and they were all out of Laurel's cake mix. Oh well. Instead, I had to make a cake from scratch. Before I give out this recipe, you may want to send small children or the elderly in frail health out of the room. Is the coast clear? It's just us now, right? Pssstt, this cake is not healthy for you. There is a ton of sugar, butter, chocolate, and calories. But hey, it's a birthday cake. A birthday comes around but once a year and by eating this cake, you'll prove to everyone that you have the strength to live another year. Besides, if cake were supposed to be good for you, it would be called broccoli, right? Here's the recipe:

Triple Layer Chocolate Cake with Ganache Filling:
Cake:
3 cups brown sugar (just close your eyes and throw it in the bowl)
1 cup butter (2 sticks-softened)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-2/3 cup GF flour mix
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/3 cup sour cream
1-1/3 cup boiling water
Ganache:
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-1/4 cup heavy cream
2-1/2 tablespoons butter
2-1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Frosting:
Pillsbury Vanilla -per request

Begin by creaming together brown sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly before adding vanilla. After the vanilla is added, mix on medium high speed for about 2-3 minutes to a light airy consistency.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: GF flour mix, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

Alternate adding sour cream and dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Finally, add the boiling water and mix slowly, just until combined. Divide batter between 3 prepared 9 inch cake pans. Prepare cake pans by buttering and dusting with gf flour mix. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-35 minutes. Mine baked for about 28 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 20-30 minutes before inverting onto a parchment lined baking sheet or cutting board. Place layers of the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.

Prepare the ganache by bringing the heavy cream, butter, and sugar to a boil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Place chocolate chips in a metal bowl, pour hot cream mixture over the chips and let sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, stir up the ganache. Cool to at least room temperature if not a little cooler. The ganache will firm up as it cools.

Remove the cake layers from the freezer. Spread an even layer of ganache between each layer of cake. Spread a very thin, "crumb layer" of vanilla frosting on. The crumb layer is meant to hold together all the dark chocolate crumbs so they don't show through in the final frosting. Stick the whole thing back in the freezer for another 15 minutes.

The impatient, wild lioness stalks her prey waiting for the right moment to attack when no one is looking. On to the frosting. Remove the cake from the freezer and apply the final coating of frosting.

Pipe on some left over ganche. I am not a professional decorator by any stretch, my hands shake terribly. "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday where's a knife, a fork, and my plate?"

Here's to another year. Happy Birthday Honey!!!
Enjoy!!!

Gluten Free Vanilla Extract

I have decided to embark on a little project to make homemade vanilla extract. I know this is not a ground breaking venture, however, it's something I've never attempted before. I first saw this over at Joy the Baker and decided it looked easy enough for a firefighter to handle. Not to mention this is an opportunity to use up some vodka that has been collecting dust in the cupboard.
I ordered some vanilla beans online from the Boston Vanilla Bean Company. According to their website, 24 grams of beans are needed to make 8 ounces of extract. So I ordered 24 grams of extract quality beans. As I looked for more extract recipes online, most called for 3 beans to make 8 ounces of extract. When my vanilla beans arrived there were about 9 beans in the package equalling 24 grams. I decided to use 4 beans. 80 proof alcohol is needed for the extract. Rum and vodka are usually the alcohols used in making extract. Theoretically vodka is neutral and does not alter the vanilla flavor. We had some 100% potato vodka in the cupboard, so that is what I used. To make the extract; slice the vanilla beans down the center leaving about a 1/2 inch at the top and bottom intact. Place the beans in a sealable jar and add 8 ounces of alcohol.

Store in a dark place for about 2 months. Shake the bottle periodically to mix up the extract. I'll report back on the progress of my extract. You should buy some beans and join me! Take care.

Gluten Free Pasta Salad

Well, we made it back from our trip to Wallowa Lake in Eastern Oregon.

My daughter and her cousin enjoyed feeding all the chipmunks and squirrels from atop Mt. Howard overlooking the lake. There is a gondola that takes you to the top.

We tried our luck at fishing for the first time. We didn't catch anything, which probably wasn't too bad. I'm not sure what would have happened if my animal loving daughter saw a fish attached to the line she just reeled up.

I'm feeling kind of guilty lately. I haven't been posting as often as I would like. I'll blame it on summer. Here in Portland we are in the midst of a brutal heat wave. It was 103 yesterday and 106 today. Tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter. For the average, mild, rain soaked North Westerner, the heat is almost paralyzing. My family and I headed for the beach yesterday to avoid the hot hot weather. It was a rare moment on the Oregon coast where the ocean water actually felt refreshing and not just ice cold. So there it is, I've been a slacker lately. A hot kitchen is not the best place to hang out in the summer.

Summer or not, I still have to eat, so I present you with a gluten free pasta salad. I don't really follow a recipe for this, but I'll approximate amounts.
Pasta Salad
1 box of Ancient Harvest Quinoa Rotelle Pasta (prepare according to box-drain)
1/4 pound Italian dry salami (cubed)
1 medium cucumber (cubed)
3 Tbs sun dried tomatoes (diced)
4 ounces Feta cheese crumbles
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
Mix all ingredients thoroughly and refrigerate for about an hour prior to serving. Feel free to add any of your favorite ingredients. Olives and red onion would be a great addition.
Enjoy!!!

S'more Than Meets the Eye

My family and I are getting ready to travel to Wallowa Lake in Eastern Oregon for a few days of much needed rest and relaxation. Our daughter will get to spend time with her cousin and grandparents. This of course actually brings a little hope of truly being able to relax while grandma and grandpa chase after a three year old. Since Celiac doesn't lend itself to convenience while traveling, I've been busy preparing various gluten free foods for the trip. Lets face it, what would a summer trip to the lake be without s'mores? It's time to make some gluten free graham crackers.
Gluten Free Graham Crackers:
3/4 cup butter (1-1/2 sticks softened)
1/4 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups brown rice flour
1-1/2 cups gluten free flour mix
2 Tablespoons soy flour (I used 1 TBS Garfava Flour)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2-3/4 cup water
Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes

Start by creaming together: butter, brown sugar, honey, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine: brown rice flour, gf flour mix, soy flour, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder.

Alternate adding flour mix and water to creamed butter/sugar mix. Add just enough water to hold the batter in a soft ball. I used about 1/2 cup of water in mine. Divide the dough in half, press into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Next, lay out a piece of parchment paper on the counter and dust it with brown rice flour. Roll the dough very thin, about 1/8th of an inch thick (it will rise slightly in the oven.) After rolling out the dough, move the entire sheet of parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to trim off the edges of the dough to make a fairly even rectangle shape. Then use the pizza cutter or knife to cut the rectangle of dough into smaller square crackers. Don't try to separate the dough into squares, just make the cuts for the size of cracker you want.) Finally, take a fork and pierce the squares several times.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. The crackers will be soft until they cool down. Once they are cool you can break them along the lines you cut. I have the luxury of being able to eat non GF food, so I can compare how a gluten free item stacks up against the real thing. I can honestly say these are better than the store bought glutinous version. You can't get a fresh from the oven graham cracker out of a box. There's nothing left to do at this point except toast a marshmallow and throw in a piece of chocolate bar for the best gluten free s'more ever. Enjoy!!!

P.S. If you happen to have leftovers, you can freeze them for eternity and use them for graham crackers crusts. I hope I have enough left for a cheesecake.