Nutella Chocolate Cookies ~ Gluten Free

This is a recipe that was inspired by the simplicity of the no flour peanut butter cookie recipe. It worked out really well. I am eating one as I type this!




Ingredients:

1/2 cup chocolate spread (Like Nutella)
1 small egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tablespooons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

Method:  Mix chocolate spread, egg and sugar together really well. (I used a hand mixer). Stir in the sifted cocoa powder, cornstarch and baking soda.

Spray with Pam or line baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop cookie dough by tablespoons (for large cookies) or teaspoon full for medium sized cookies. These do spread out.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 5 - 10 minutes. They should start to look dryer when done. They puff up and then when cooling flatten out. Remove from cookie sheet while warm for easy removal.

Makes 12 large. Enjoy!

Turkey Tetrazzini ~ Easy

With school volleyball season just starting up and two kids involved on separate teams there is a lot of driving involved around the supper hour.  It's casserole and slowcooker cooking for the next few months!  Just after lunch I threw together this casserole and made it gluten free.  (Recipe will have both instructions).  It's a good way to use up pasta that is lying around.  I put in a mixture of spagettii and macaroni as I only had small amounts of both.  The recipe calls for canned cream of mushroom soup.  If you need a gluten free brand the SuperStore in western Canada carries it as their yellow noname brand - make sure  you always read the ingredients.  If you cannot locate gluten free cream of mushroom soup, either make homemade or make a cream sauce and add some sauted diced mushrooms to it.

Turkey Tetrazzini
Ingredients:
2 cups spaghetti, broken into 2" pieces (use rice noodles if you need gluten free)
2 chicken bouillon cubes (for gluten free I omit this and instead of boiling water I use chicken stock from a carton - as usual read the label)
3/4 cup boiling water
1/4 teaspoon celery salt (if you don't have substitute diced celery, or dried celery leaves)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups diced cooked turkey (or chicken)
1 cup frozen or canned peas, or peas and carrot mixture - optional
1 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided.
Method:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain.
Melt bouillon in boing water, in large bowl. (omit if using chicken stock)
Wisk in soup, celery salt and pepper.
Stir in drained spaghetti, turkey, onion and 1/2 cup shredded cheese and peas (if using)
Put in greased 8 x 8" baking dish
Top with remaining shredded cheddar cheese

Bake at 350 F for 40 - 60 minutes.

Comments:  We ate this for supper tonight and the kids said it was a keeper.

Mushroom Egg Foo Yung Casserole - Easy, Gluten Free

 Ingredients  (Serves 8)
8 eggs beaten
1 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 (16oz) can bean sprouts or 2 cups fresh
1/2 cup dry milk powder
2 tablespoons chopped parlsey (fresh or dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Mushroom Sauce:
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons diced green onions

Stir together all of the Casserole ingredients and pour into a greased 9 x 13 casserole or a 10 x 10 baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 30 - 35 minutes until knife inserted comes out clean.

To make the sauce, combine cornstarch with 1/2 cup of chicken broth and set aside. In a saucepan heat the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth to boiling and whisk in the cornstarch and broth mixture. Add soy sauce. Cook, stirring until thickened and smooth. Stir in mushrooms and green onions, simmer a couple of minutes.
To serve cut casserole into squares and spoon some sauce over each piece.
*This was really good. I served it with some simple fried rice. For the rice I had about 2 cups leftover rice in the fridge that I stir-fryed in peanut oil (or any other oil will do) add a little onion, a tablespoon or two shredded carrot, a little green pepper and a little diced celery. Once all fried up add a little soy sauce. It tasted very good. Next time I think I'll try adding the mushrooms to the casserole mixture and just make the sauce.

Sweet n' Sour Meatballs

This is a complete meal with all the veggies and meatballs in it.  Delicious!
Meatballs:
1 1/2lb ground beef
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg
Method:
To make meatballs put ground beef, salt, pepper, onion powder, cornstarch and egg in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Form into 1" round meatballs. Brown in some butter or oil in saucepan.
Tips:  If I have gluten free onion soup mix I would just add about 1/2 pkg. to the ground beef with the egg and cornstarch.

Sauce:
14 oz. pineapple tidbits
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 beef cubes ( or 1 tablespoon beef gravy mix - use a gluten free brand of mix or cubes if you require gf)
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup ketcup
3/4 cup sweet pickles, with a bit of pickle juice - 1-2 tablespoons
2 green peppers (or yellow, red, green mixture) sliced/diced
2 carrots - cut into sticks about 1" long.
Method:

Drain pineapple, reserve juice.  In saucepan add the water and beef cubes (if using gravy mix, stir it into a little cold water first and pour into pan.).  (I use a gluten free beef gravy mix). Bring to a boil to dissolve the beef cubes, stirring constantly.   Add the vinegar, ketchup and brown sugar. Stir. Mix the 2 tbsp. cornstarch into the pineapple juice.  Stir into the sauce and cook until thickened. Add meatballs. Simmer 5-10 minutes. Add the carrots and peppers.  Simmer 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender.  Stir in the pineapple.  Serve over rice.

I cut up the vegetable fairly coarse.  Use a mixture of peppers if you wish to have more colour.

Zucchini Casserole~gluten free

zucchini casserole before baking

I've waited 27 years to plant zucchini in our garden! I've always been intrigued by the plant. I think my husband was afraid of what I'd do with all the zucchini this prolific plant produces! I'm known to experiment
Anyhow, this tasted good.
Zucchini Casserole
5 cups zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick in rounds or strips.
1lb lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
2 cans (5.5 ounce) tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup dried or fresh Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped spinach, cooked
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 teaspoons rice flour (white or brown)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Method
Put sliced zucchini in a large microwave bowl. Add about 1" of water and cook on high until soft. (Test after 5 minutes and every minute or two after that). Drain.
Fry meat, onions and mushrooms until beef is browned.
Add: tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, spices, and water.
Stir and simmer for 10 minutes, until thick
In a small bowl, add: egg, parmesan spinach, rice flour and 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Mix with fork.
Lightly grease a 9 x 13" casserole dish. Spread half of the meat mixture over bottom. Top with half of the zucchini and all of the cheese/egg/spinach mixture. Top with the rest of the meat. Arrange remaining zucchini over the meat mixture. Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F. for 35 minutes.
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 6-8

Chocolate Zucchini Cake~Gluten Free

I made this today along with the Tomato Vegetable Soup for tomorrow's Sunday Lunch. 
Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup coconut flour (no substitutes)
3/4 cup sorghum flour (can also use amaranth or other gf flour)
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon guar gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup sour milk
Topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease the bottom of a 9"x13" baking pan.  In mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
In another large mixing bowl, beat the oil and sugar together for 1 minute.  Beat the eggs in one at a time.  Mix in the zucchini.  Add all the flour and the sour milk (if you don't have sour milk add 1 tablespoon vinegar to the milk, stir and let sit a bit).  Mix with mixer until well combined.  Pour into baking pan. Let this sit for a couple of minutes as it will thicken a bit. Using the same bowl mix the topping ingredients together and sprinkle evenly over the cake batter.
Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Gluten Free Brownies~microwavable GFDF

Microwave Recipe - This is our favourite and easiest gluten free, dairy free recipe!  Very quick and easy to make.
Gluten Free Brownies:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar (Mix the sugar really well with the eggs to dissolve the sugar crystals - about 1 minute)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted butter (we always use cooking oil such as canola)
3/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
Icing:
2 Tbsp. butter (or margarine); 1 cup icing sugar; 1Tbsp. cream; 1/8 tsp. peppermint extract
Chocolate: 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 1 tbsp. butter.
Method:
Make sure all your ingredients are gluten free. Beat together eggs, sugar, melted butter,
vanilla and salt with mixer for 1 minute.
By hand with a wooden spoon (not the mixer) stir in rice flour, cocoa powder and nuts. Spread in greased 8"x8"x2.5"
glass baking pan. .
For 1000 watt microwave bake for 5-6 minutes at 90% power.
Test with toothpick, should come out clean.  Center will look slightly  moist - that's okay.  Do not microwave until it is all dry as it will make the brownies hard, especially on the edges.
Mix icing ingredients together. Spread on cooled brownie. Chill.
Chill. Microwave chocolate chips
and butter until butter is melted, for 10 or 20 seconds, stir. Drizzle over icing. Chill before slicing.