GF Chocolate Quakes

I love these cookies!  They are easy to make, and will completely satisfy even the most ferocious chocolate craving.  These cookies are called quakes for the way the powdered surface cracks when cooking, making them look like ground that has been shaken up by an earthquake. This recipe calls for ground pecans, but you can use any nut you want.  If you want them to taste even better, slightly roast your nuts before grinding.

This recipe comes from my good friend Peggy's book "Got Milk: The Cookie Book."  I have a lot of great cookie recipe books, but in my opinion, this is one of the best out there!  Plus I like endorsing my friends, I'm not going to lie:).

The Following gluten-free flour recipe was adapted from the book The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast And Healthy by Bette Hagman.

Gluten Free Flour Mix

• 3 cups white rice flour
  
• 1 cup potato flour
  
• ½ cup tapioca flour
  
• 2 tsp xanthan gum
  

GF Chocolate Quakes Ingredients

• 3 tblsp unsalted, melted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten (or egg substitute)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tblsp unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 cup GF flour (Pamela's or Bobs are good, but you can also use my mix above)
• 1/2 tsp  Baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup finely ground pecans (or nuts of choice)
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Confectioners' sugar

Cooking Instructions

1. Using an electric mixer (or your speedy hand-whisking skills), beat the melted butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla on low-speed until pale in color and thickened, about a minute or so  
2. Using another bowl, sift together the cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt
3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until completely combined
4. Fold in the nuts and the chocolate chips
5. Chill the mixture for about an hour, or until it's firm enough to handle
6. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
7. Put some confectioners' sugar in a bowl (for coating)
8. Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop (or spoon), form chilled dough into 1-inch balls and toss into the bowl of confectioners' sugar. Roll the balls around until completely coated and then place about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet 
9. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies have puffed and cracked apart
10. Let cool for 5 or so minutes and then transfer to cooling rack
11. Try not to eat too many of these. Good luck with that!

GF Gratin Dauphinois

I just made this dish for an Easter get-together with some friends.  It's a recipe from a book I bought when I lived in Newcastle, Australia entitled the "Great Potato Cookbook."  It isn't listed in the United States, but if you ever find it be sure to pick it up.  Besides the slicing of the potatoes, this dish is pretty simple. I decided to alter the original recipe by adding layers of pre-sliced button mushrooms, and diced onions.  But either way you make it, this is delicious!

GF Gratin Dauphinois Ingredients

• butter for greasing
• 4-4 1/2 pounds potatoes
• 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese (or any cheese you please)
• 3-4 garlic gloves, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/4 cups cream (half & half is fine)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter a large baking/casserole dish
3. Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly
4. Mix together two-thirds of the cheese, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper (to taste) well. Layer the potatoes in the prepared dish, sprinkling the cheese mixture over each layer except the top one.
5. Whisk the milk, cream and eggs together and then pour evenly over the layered potatoes, making sure that the liquid goes all the way to the base of the dish.
6. Layer the remaining cheese over the top of the layers and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Test the potatoes with a sharp knife or fork; they should be tender when done.
7. Eat and be merry!

With the recipe I just shared, I was able to make two containers full of food. You can feed a lot of people with this recipe, or have a ton of leftovers for yourself!  Enjoy!

Lemon Parmesan Tilapia

This dish is ultra-easy to prepare and make.  In fact, from start to finish, it took me less than 20 minutes.  I had some frozen tilapia fillets that I thawed overnight.  I love cheese, so when I came across this recipe I had to try it out.  After the first bite, I knew this needed to be shared!  I chose to stir fry some french green beans with garlic oil to round out the meal. You're going to love this dish!

Lemon Parmesan Tilapia Ingredients

• 2-2 1/2 pounds Tilapia fillets
• 2-3 tsp. softened butter
• 3 tsp. fresh lemon juice or concentrate (about 2 tsp for concentrate)

Lemon Parmesan Sauce

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise 
• 2 tblsp. fresh lemon juice (or less for concentrate)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Garnish (optional)

• fresh lemon slices
• parsley

Cooking Directions

• Rinse the tilapia filets in cold water and pat dry with paper towels
• Place on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil lightly coated with cooking spray (you don't have to use aluminum foil, but it makes clean-up real easy)
• Turn on oven to broil 
• Mix butter and lemon juice together in a small bowl
• Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese together in a slightly larger bowl
• Coat the tilapia with the butter/lemon juice mixture and place under broiler. Set timer for 5 minutes
• When the timer goes off, take out the fillets and coat with the mayo/lemon juice/parmesan cheese mixture
• Place back under broiler for 3 more minutes (until the surface has a toasted cheese appearance)
• Take out of broiler and devour!

I've been eating the meal in the picture the whole time I've been writing this blog entry, and ooooweeeeeee is it good! Enjoy!

Southern Style Sweet Potato Bake

I made this sweet-tooth dish for a pot luck dinner at my friend Katie's house.  It was real easy to make, and there was a LOT of it!  I am aware of how many recipes for sweets I have on my blog, but I just can't help it! I love sweet things!

For those of you with egg allergies, feel free to omit or add egg-replacer instead.  The eggs help it expand a bit, but has no real impact on the taste of this desert.  You can also replace the pecans with any other kind of nut you prefer, or even leave out nuts completely.  Although this desert will appease those with the sweetest of sweet teeth, it comes packed with Vitamin A, Beta Carotene, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B6.  It also has a good dose of Potassium and Manganese, so you can feel a little less guilty about the sugars and carbs you'll be taking in:)

You can use any gluten free flour you can find, or you can use the flour mixture below.

The Following gluten-free flour recipe was adapted from the book The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast And Healthy by Bette Hagman.

Gluten Free Flour Mix

• 3 cups white rice flour
  
• 1 cup potato flour
  
• ½ cup tapioca flour
  
• 2 tsp xanthan gum
  

Southern Style Sweet Potato Bake Ingredients:

- 4 medium sweet potatoes (yams)

- 4 tblsp. butter

- 2 tblsp. heavy cream 

- 1/4 cup brown sugar

- 2  large eggs

- 1/2 cup milk

- 1 tblsp. pure vanilla extract

- 1 tsp. cinnamon

Topping

- 1 cup brown sugar

- 1/3 cup gluten free flour

- 1/3 stick softened butter

- 1 cup chopped pecans (or nuts of choice)

Directions

• Peel the sweet potatoes and place in a medium/large pot of water. Bring water to boil, then reduce heat to medium.  Cook for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain and put aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the potatoes in a large bowl and mash them up with the butter and cream.  Whip in the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and milk.  Smash it all together until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a 13" x 19" pan (or whatever you got) and even out.
• Combine the topping together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potatoes. Bake until brown, about 35 minutes.

That's it. Simple as sweet potato pie! Enjoy!

Five Guys Burgers and Fries Gluten Free Statement

My friend Marla forwarded the following email from "Five Guys" to me.  If you have children with gluten sensitivity problems, Five Guys is a good place to take them.  The place is made for messy eaters, and those who love food fights. They provide free peanuts and the shells can be tossed on the ground, something I think every person who eats there does. The last time I went to a "Five Guys" restaurant, was in Athens, Georgia, and the ground was completely covered with shells.

I don't know how many of you have looked for hotdogs that do not contain gluten, but it's not easy.  It's a good thing to know that this place has gluten free hotdogs, for all of us who get a craving for them from time to time.  Well, I'll stop rambling and share with you what was shared with me. Thanks Marla!

"Thank you for writing in to Five Guys. The only thing on our menu that contains gluten and dairy is our bread.

Our beef is just 80% lean ground beef with nothing added.

Our hotdogs are hebrew national brand.

Our fries are just potatoes, soaked in water, and then cooked in 100% peanut oil. Nothing else is fried in this oil.

We also offer Heinz ketchup which does not contain gluten.

Our bread does contain eggs, soy, dairy and gluten.

Our bread is toasted, but usually on a separate grill. However, there is always a chance for cross contamination, so please be cautious. We do, however, have many people with Celiac Disease tell us that they can eat at Five Guys.  If you are interested in nutritional information, please visit our website and click on the menu section.

I hope this information was helpful.

Thank you for your interest in Five Guys."

Here's the link to their webpage: Five Guys