Tiny Quinoa Nutbutter Cookies

 These are probably my favorite GF cookie of all time.  The original source was the Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes box.  In the last few years, those quinoa flakes have been harder to find and have gotten very expensive.  But, for these cookies, it's well worth the price. 

The last box I bought didn't seem to have the recipe on the box, so here is my variation on it. My modifications: mixed nut butters instead of peanut butter, different sweeteners, real butter, add xanthan gum, weights instead of measures, cookie size, and some changes to directions

Alas, no photo.  Just use your imagination.  They look like.... cookies. 

Ingredients

170 g total of maple syrup, honey, and/or agave (1/2 cup)

68 g organic cane sugar or raw sugar (1/3 cup) Optional: Substitute about 8-10 grams molasses

112 g organic butter (1 stick)

128 g total mix of cashew, almond, and sunflower butters (1/2 cup) 

1 tsp vanilla

140 g brown rice flour (1 cup)  Can substitute part sorghum or other grainy flour

83 g quinoa flakes (3/4 cup)

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt (more if butter is unsalted)

¼ to ½ tsp xanthan gum (optional)

55 g chopped nuts (1/2 cup) (Optional. See notes.)

 

Directions

 Oven: 350 (f)

Yield: About 90 tiny cookies

1.       Beat first 5 ingredients together until creamy.

2.       Combine remaining ingredients except nuts.

3.       Mix creamed and dry ingredients, then fold in nuts.

4.       Chill for about ½ hour or more to make dough easier to work with. 

5.       Line cookie sheets with parchment.

6.       Roll dough into 8 g balls, flatten slightly, and place on cookie sheet about 1” to 1.5” apart.

7.       Bake 350 for 7-10 minutes, until cookies are lightly brown on bottom.

8.       Let cookies sit on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then move them to racks to cool.

 

Notes & Tips:

·         Pecans are the best nut to use, especially if you use more maple syrup and less honey/agave.

·         Use 1/3 cup each nuts and mini dairy-free chocolate chips.

·         Use 1/4 cup chopped coconut shreds, ¼ cup chopped pecans, and 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips.

·         If you must measure instead of weigh, oil the measuring cup before you put nut butter or honey/agave/maple in it.

·         Weighing the cookie dough makes the cookies a more even size, which helps them bake more evenly.

·         Consider dipping the bottom of the cookie balls in almond meal before putting them on the cookie sheet. Then use a sugared fork to flatten them, as you would peanut butter cookies.

Salsa Round 1

Spouse 1.0 and I moved 500 miles away from our usual Mexican food spots, and 500 miles from the store that sold our favorite store-bought salsa.  Love the new digs, but not digging the lack of good Mexican food.  

True story: We asked the taco truck guy at the fair where to get good Mexican food locally, and he said, "There isn't any."  Then he backpedaled and said his food was pretty good.  (It was, but the salsa was still not quite what I need.)

My mom made awesome salsa, but she took her recipe to her grave over 40 years ago.  All I remembered was that she used Serrano chilis and a blender.

I asked Baby Sister how she made salsa.  She replied by sending a picture of ingredients. (She then described what she did with the ingredients.  No measuring, of course.  That's just now how Mom did things.  But, since Baby Sister doesn't do chilis at all, I figured I needed to keep looking. 

My Ingredients

So, I googled a bunch of restaurant salsa recipes.  Putting them together with my vague recollections of mom's salsa and my sister's photo, below is what I came up with.  It's a bit runny, but pretty good.  Spouse said it tasted too much of tomatoes.  I think that's because I'm using fresh, ripe tomatoes instead of the underripe, mass-produced tomatoes that high-volume salsa chefs have to use. But, it's the best we've had since moving here, so worthy of noting.  

8 medium tomatoes on the vine,  quartered

1 very large serrano chili, about 1 ounce before stemming and chopping

About 2.5 ounces yellow onion (next time, try white)

About 4 good sized cloves of garlic

Cilantro to taste

1 1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp lime juice

3/4 tsp cumin

Pulse blend until everything is coarsely blended

Pour into stainless steel pan and cook briefly (maybe longer next time to thicken it more?)

Pour into clean glass jars with corrosion-resistant lids. Makes a little less than 2 pints. It's fresh food, so use it before it ferments.

Salsa!

Strawberry upside down cake, take 1

If anything can be a pancake, and any pancake can be adapted into a muffin, then why not adapt the pecan maple muffins into an almond and honey coffee cake? And, why not use up those strawberries that are starting to go iffy?

I think this recipe still needs some wor, but here is is for now....

180 grams total almond flour and almond meal (about 1/3 meal, 2/3 flour)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp xanthan gum, and maybe a pinch more
3/4 tsp baking soda
About 1 Tbsp tapioca starch (or arrowroot starch, or....)

84 grams honey
42 grams melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanillaf
2 large eggs

4 ounces water

About 1/2 lb strawberries, washed and chopped
About 1/4 cup organic sugar
About 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Spray 8" square pan liberally with coconut spray.
2. Sprinkle nuts on bottom of pan.
3. Sprinkle strawberries over nuts, then sprinkle sugar over all. Set aside and preheat oven or toaster oven to 325 (f).
4. Mix dry ingredients in small mixing bowl.
5. Mix wet ingredients in medium mixing bowl.
6. Mix dry into wet.
7. Spread batter over strawberries in the 8" pan.
8. Let sit about 5 minutes for batter to hydrate.
9. Bake until toothpick tests done, about 30 minutes.
10. Let sit about 10 minutes. Loosen edges, then invert on a plate to serve.

It's not as beautiful as you'd want a strawberry cake to be, but it is moist and tasty.

Gluten-free Cranberry Bliss-ish Bars

Often, instead of developing my own recipe, I'll redevelop someone else's. There are already several GF versions of cranberry bliss bars out there, so it's not like the world needs another one. Or, maybe the world does. You can never have too much bliss, right?

I started with Cookin' Diva's glutenacious recipe on Food.com. I took her suggestion to reduce the sugar, and instead of regular white and brown, I used a combo of organic sugar and molasses. I used my new favorite GF blend, Premium Gold. I added a pinch more xanthan gum than was already in the flour, plus a pinch more baking powder than the recipe called for.  Then, to further lower the sugar count as well as the effort, I skipped the melted white chocolate on top and the grated orange rind.

For the bars:

2 sticks very soft butter

188 grams organic sugar

12 grams molasses

3 large eggs

2 tsp orange extract

224 grams Premium Gold flour blend or GF flour blend of choice 

a pinch of xanthan gum (more if your GF blend does not already include it)

1 3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground ginger

scant 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup dried cranberries, lightly chopped if not already sliced/chopped

3/4 cup dairy free or regular white chocolate chips

Frosting:

2 ounces vegan or regular cream cheese

18 grams butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp orange extract

200-230 grams organic powdered sugar

optional: 2 tsp - 1 tbsp non-dairy creamer or milk

Topping:

Extra dried cranberries, sliced or chopped

Make the bars:

1. Preheat the oven to 350, line a 10X15 jelly roll pan with parchment, then spray the parchment with coconut oil. 
2. Mix butter, sugar, and molasses in stand mixer or with hand mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time to incorporate,
4. Add extract.
5. Mix flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, ginger, and salt in a small bowl.
6. Add dry ingredients to butter/sugar mixture to incorporate.
7. Fold in cranberries and white chocolate. 
8. Spread evenly in prepared pan and bake for 18-22 minutes, just until edges are lightly browned and toothpick comes out clean. Don't overbake.

Frosting and Topping:

1. Using a hand mixer, mix cream cheese and butter in medium bowl until fluffy. 
2. Add extracts and incorporate.
3. Gradually add sugar, mixing until smooth, light, and fluffy. Add creamer if needed to get a spreadable consistency.
4. Spread frosting over cooled bars, then sprinkle cranberries on top. 
5. Cut into bars or triangles. 

To freeze: Put one layer of bars in the container, then freeze a few minutes to harden the frosting. Put a layer of wax paper on top, then another layer of bars. Repeat until the container is full.  

To serve: Remove frozen bars to a plate, then let thaw for a few minutes. Do not thaw bars while they are stacked in the freezer container. 

 

Chicken Vegetable Soup for One

I love soup. I just don't love all the work that goes into making a big pot of soup. And, I don't love the fact that some bowls of soup get more chicken other bowls get more pasta.  So, I make soup for one.

First, take a 2 quart pan and dump in about 6 to 8 ounces of random fresh or frozen vegetables. Today I used:

• 1 ounce frozen organic peas
• 2 ounces frozen bell peppers
• 2 ounces frozen okra
• 2.5 ounces frozen organic green beans

Next, add about 3 or 4 ounces organic canned tomatoes and 3 ounces cooked chicken.

Then, spices and herbs. Today I used:

• Penzey's  Cajun seasoning
• Basil
• Cilantro
• Rosemary
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Pepper

Add chicken broth, water, and maybe a squirt of tomato paste, then cook until it is as done as you like.

Arroz con Frijoles Muffins

Think of these as a bean and cheese burrito turned into a muffin.  Never mind that I cheat a little by using Asian sauces as a topping. 

Arroz con Frijoles Muffins

Dry Ingredients

24 g. white rice flour

66 g. brown rice flour (or, omit white rice flour and use 90 g. brown rice flour)

30 g. almond meal

3/4 tsp garlic

1/4 tsp cumin

3/4 tsp dry basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp chipotle powder

2 tsp dried minced onion

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

Wet ingredients

2 oz. tomato paste

4 oz. water

2 eggs

54 g. olive oil

12 g. agave syrup

1 Tbsp lime juice

Add-ins

1/4 cup frozen bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup frozen petite peas

1/4 cup frozen corn

70 g. cooked brown rice

130 g. refried black beans

Topping

goat cheese

sriracha sauce

green dragon sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. 
3. Whisk together wet ingredients.
4. Gently mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients using a silicone spatula.
5. Gently stir in the add-ins.
6. Let batter sit to hydrate while you line 36 mini muffin cups. Spray muffin liners with coconut or other spray oil.
7. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 to 7/8 full. Top with a small amount of cheese and a few drops or a small drizzle of sriracha, green dragon, or both.
8. Bake about 10-12 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Let sit in the pans about 2 minutes, then gently remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

Oh, Crap Muffins

Friday. My day to bake a little something in the morning then volunteer in my friend's kindergarten class  A nice day.  I like Fridays.

7:30 AM: Maybe a variation on my fried rice muffins. Spanish rice style. Top with cilantro pesto. Yumm. But, first, coffee and a little more book time...

8:25 AM: Oh, crap. How am I going to get that fly out from between the patio door and the screen door out without him getting in the house? Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Dagnabbit, stop clinging to the screen and go away! Yeah, I can prevail over flies. Wash hands. Apron...

8:36 AM: Oh, crap! Spouse 1.0 needs to leave in 20 minutes, and I haven't even started assembling ingredients. OK, quick breakfast burrito for him, then make the muffins. Now, where did I put my iPad?

8:53 AM: Oh, crap! DAVID!!! You gotta get outta here!!!!  Here. Eat this. Muffins when you get back.

9:08: 1 cup of cooked rice. Oh, crap! That doesn't look like even a third. Cook some quinoa? No, black beans! Yes, black beans!

9:10: Oh, crap! no black beans. (rummage, rummage rummage...) OK. Red beans. Mix dry ingredients. Now, get the muffin tins ready.

9:22: Dang, I hate it when the coconut oil spray drops on the floor, I really do need to organi... OH, CRAP!!! The sprayer doohickey's bent! IT WON'T STOP SPRAYING!

9:25: Well, if the can explodes, at least it'll do it outside in the trash bin.

9:27: Oh, crap! Oil on the kitchen floor. And, spray oil, no less!

9:53: OK. good enough for now. Clean more while the muffins are baking. Now where did I put the olive oil spray? Oh, crap, I can't be out!  I never run out! Oh, here it is. 

9:54: Muffins in the oven, floor still hazardous. I know! Put the non-slip undermat from a throw rug over the worst of it. Oh, crap, that's dirty. Need to get new undermats.  Well, it'll keep us from breaking our necks for now. Hopefully.

9:56: Oh, crap, it's getting late.  Still need to pack my lunch. And put notes on the floor so Spouse 1.0 doesn't slip and kill himself when he gets home. Yikes, what a mess! OK. Breathe. No problem. Still plenty of time.

10:17: Wow, a bit crumbly, but actually pretty tasty.  Oh, crap! I should be in the shower already.

10:43: OK, showered, dressed, no makeup. Ready or not, here I com...  Oh, crap! Still need to put muffins away. And set out some for Spouse 1.0. And pack some for Melanie.

10:48: Oh, crap, I'm late.

Not sure what I'll call these, but for now, I guess it's "Oh, Crap Muffins."