Spicy, Creamy, Cheesy Chicken Casserole

Well the name speaks for itself. We had returned from vacation to find we had suffered a loss of a beloved aunt and a friend's mother, so we drove to Dallas to pay our respects and returned with a terrible virus that wiped us out for a week. No fun.

When sick I always make a big batch of chicken broth in the pressure cooker with loads of fresh turmeric and ginger, but after living off that for days, we were craving comfort food. The best thing EVER is Instacart delivery from Whole Foods! I typically love shopping groceries, but since I was also working, simply had no energy to go shopping and then cook. Delivery saved the day!! This recipe freezes really well and while I served it with gluten free rotini ( a guilty treat after days of nothing but green tea and broth), the hubby liked it poured over a flaky biscuit.

INGREDIENTS
3 split skinless chicken breasts, bone in.
1 tbs Lemon Pepper blend (We love Trader Joe's)
1 onion
1 celery stalk
1 large carrot roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
several sprigs fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried thyme
1 jalapeno
1 carton condensed cream of chicken soup (Pacific organic brand)
1 tbs onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs paprika
3 cups spring water
a "glug" of white wine
1 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup jalapeno jack cheese

In a heavy dutch oven, brown chicken in a little oil (we use avocado these days) after you've generously sprinkled the chicken with lemon pepper blend. Once the skin has a little golden color to it, set aside on a plate and add chopped onion, celery, carrot, a whole jalapeno split in half lengthwise (I'm trying to open up my sinuses people), and saute over medium heat until softened. About 5 minutes. Add the slightly smashed garlic cloves and cook until fragrant- about a minute. Do not over cook the garlic or it will burn and taste bitter. Add that glug of white wine (about 1/4 cup) and reduce another 30 seconds to cook off the alcohol.

Re-introduce the chicken, add two bay leaves, a few sprigs of thyme, the cream of chicken, spices and spring water. It will look like this:

Before you add the cream of chicken and water...

Cover and place in a 215 degree oven for four hours or until the chicken is tender. Remove chicken and discard the bone. Remove thyme stems and bay leaf. Add cream cheese and with an immersion blender or in a blender, whip it all up until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Add the shredde jalapeno jack cheese and melt into the sauce. Pour over the chicken and pasta or biscuit or some roasted veggies such as zucchini, turnips and squash or even sauteed greens. We topped with crispy bacon, chives and parsley.

Spicy, creamy and comforting. Perfect after days of stress and sickness or just any time you want a little comfort, really.

Asian Pork Belly on the Big Green Egg.

This dish is simply unctuous, in a good way! Tender, creamy pork belly braised for over 4 hours on the Big Green Egg was the perfect thing to make on a scorching 106 degree day. The heat of the Texas summers never ceases to amaze me and makes me yearn for the Rockies. I feel very grateful to have a pool to plunge in while dinner cooks on the Green Egg, as it is too hot to cook indoors with this God forsaken heat. They had some lovely pork belly at our local HEB grocers, so I bought a pound and it turned out even better than I imagined!

My favorite rub is Pineapple Dizzy Dust!! Get ya some ASAP!!!!!

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound pork belly- cut into 4 squares (I froze two for later use).
Pineapple Head Dizzy Dust
1 bottle gluten free sweet soy sauce or teriyaki sauce
2 cups rich chicken stock
2 tbs sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic- lightly crushed
1 small nob of ginger (about a tablespoons)- roughly sliced.
1 red onion sliced
Several pineapple chunks

I generously rubbed the pork with Dizzy dust and let it relax in the fridge over night.

The next day I slathered a half a bottle of SPF on myself, donned a big sun hat, opened up the umbrellas and lit up the Big Green Egg with hickory wood to 225 degrees. We like BG Brand charcoal.

With the the plate setter on indirect cook, we gently placed the bellies fat side up on the grate and smoked it for an hour and a half.

Then in an aluminum pan we added all the remaining ingredients and placed the bellies in the braising liquid, fat side up and raised the temp to 275 degrees and smoked them for 4.5 hours until tender and the fat was rendered on top and crispy. We basted it every 30 minutes with the pan sauce.

 2 hours in above.

3 hours in above

Once the skin is crisp, remove from pan and let it rest 20 minutes before slicing. Holy Mother this was sinfully delicious and would be great in tacos, with fried rice or on a salad, as I served it. I had some fresh local peaches and spinach and drizzled it with orange vinaigrette for a simple, yet sinfully delicious experience. This freezes well and is easily reheated in a non stick skillet until warm.

Poached Egg & Kale Salad

Greetings!! Each week I make a batch of quinoa that I use to sprinkle on my salads as a garnish.  I cook it in chicken stock with a garlic clove, freshly grated turmeric and ginger and make sure it's super al dente with a little crunch to it- about 13 minutes total cook time.

I've surprised myself by making another successful 365 days of rotation around the sun and now that I am officially middle aged, it's time to really get serious about being super diligent with my health and diet. It's an uphill battle! But this salad is a terrific way to start the day, enjoy for lunch or dinner with some fresh soup. Since I haven't logged on in ages, thought I'd add this to my recipe bank for future reference.

INGREDIENTS
2 poached eggs
1.5 cups kale, rinsed, dried and "massaged" to soften it
3 tbs cooked quinoa
1 strip of crispy nitrate free bacon- torn
Your favorite vinaigrette
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
Balsamic glaze for drizzling
(options- sliced almonds, tangerine segments, avocado- skies the limit)

Lately on Sundays, along with making quinoa, I have been making homemade chicken stock in the pressure cooker and a batch of either pork or turkey bacon in the oven to keep on hand for quick breakfast or garnishes. I used to hate breakfast as I don't have an appetite in the morning- but I'm forcing myself to have a little bite of protein or something. I find a cup of hot stock or a nibble of breakfast salad has done wonders for my energy levels. That and Whole Foods Vitamin B shot- waaaay better for me than coffee! I feel really fortunate to be alive and well and enjoying life- both the ups and the downs (those make us more aware and teach us lessons on how we can be better people in this world- I have a lot more learning to do) Here's to health and happiness!!

Pressure Cooker Beef Short Ribs

Wow it's been a while! Life has been very busy and I've made a couple of terrific things to nosh on lately with family and friends and this latest was a hit and pretty easy to make as well. Whole Foods had glorious looking short ribs and while normally I would slowly braise them for about 4 hours in a Dutch oven, I decided to cut the time by cooking them in the pressure cooker for about 75 minutes. They were meltingly tender, rich and satisfying served with ultra creamy risotto or mashed potatoes. The photo lighting isn't great, but I snapped it with my iphone and I guarantee the photo does not do this dish justice!

INGREDIENTS
4 Beef Short Ribs
1/2 bottle red wine such as Sangiovese
1 cup beef broth (preferably homemade)
1 carrot cut in half
1sweet onion
4 cloves whole garlic
6 peppercorns
sea salt to taste (about a teaspoon)
2 bay leaf

Marinade the ribs in all the ingredients overnight or for 12 hours. Patted the ribs dry then generously salted and peppered them and seared them until browned on anll sides. Add the ribs to a pressure cooker and other ingredients and cook on high pressure about 75 minutes. These were really big short ribs, so one hour may suffice for smaller ones.

Marinated and ready for the pressure cooker

Release pressure, set ribs aside lightly wrapped in foil, strain some as much of the fat from the sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce about 1o minutes until slightly thickened. Serve with mashed potatoes or creamy risotto.

RISOTTO
1.5 cups Arborio Rice
2.5 cups homemade chicken stock- warmed
1/2 cup wine
1 shallot minced
3 tbs butter
1/2 cup parmesan
Parsley chiffonade to garnish

In a pan over medium heat, melt one tablespoon of butter and coat the rice. Add the wine and cook off alcohol - about 2 minutes. Stir constantly. Then ladle about a 1/4 cup of the warm stock, stir and bring to a simmer. continue ladling 1/4 cups of stock each time it is fully absorbed into the rice, stirring and simmering for about 20 minutes until the risotto is cooked through. Once the rice is cooked , add 2 tablespoons butter and the cheese and stir like crazy.  Serve in warmed bowls and top with short ribs and sauce.

Bee Cave "Original Recipe" Chicken & Pork Poppers

It's a rainy Memorial Day and while normally we'd be sitting poolside throwing something on the grill, we are forced indoors due to much needed rain and grey skies. It gives one pause to think of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedoms. Granted, everyone likes a day off to sleep in and let loose, but the significance of the day weighs heavy on the mind. I was named after my great uncle who was killed by vicious Germans in the Ardennes Forest during WWI. He was only 27 years old but apparently a brave and kind young man who's life was cut short fighting for what was right and good. I'm proud to carry his name.

Since we are indoors and may have a few friends over later, we decided to make some small bites. As a girl I loved Kentucky Fried Chicken like no one's business (except for my grandmother's recipe which was like no other). The original KFC recipe was so tasty and back then they weren't using these freakish lab chickens (so cruel) and harmful GMO stuff. Apparently they did use MSG, and since I'm allergic to it, I'm better off having not enjoyed KFC since the late 80s. These little meatball poppers have a taste surprisingly similar to the KFC original recipe and are delicious little morsels that also freeze quite well.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 pounds ground chicken thighs
1.5 pounds ground pork (the pork adds a nice richness)
1 small yellow onion
1 small bunch of parsley
2 organic eggs
4 spring onions- light green parts only
2 tbs onion powder
2 tbs garlic powder
2 tbs paprika
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Sea salt to taste
1.5 tbs chicken soup base
1 tsp celery salt
a few pinches of dried sage

In a food processor finely chop onions, parsley and eggs. Add mixture to meat with the seasonings and blend well. Form into meatballs and deep fry in grapeseed or peanut oil preheated to 350 degrees for about 4 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve on skewers or toothpicks for easy finer food. Goes great with Ranch, honey mustard or tzaziki sauce for dipping.

 

Gluten Free Wild Berry Clafoutis

A friend from work recently delivered a precious baby boy so we made them dinner and as I stopped by our local French restaurant Artisan to pick up a baguette, Chef had just pulled out a stunning looking clafoutis for that night's dinner service. It smelled heavenly and was dotted with fresh strawberries and I've been thinking of it ever since.

So last night I spotted some frozen wild berries in my freezer and thought how about I try my hand at making a gluten free, low glycemic version of that decadent clafoutis from the bistro? It turned out to be pretty fabulous! So I thought I'd add it to my list of things to cook in the future. I've added some tweaks to make it paleo or dairy free as well.

INGREDIENTS
4 large organic eggs
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup gluten free flour or 1/4 cup coconut flour and 1/4 cup almond flour
1 cup milk (or cococnut milk or almond milk)
2 tablespoons melted butter (or coconut oil)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup berries
2 tbs cream cheese (For added richness)
Dash of sea salt

In a large bowl mix everything but the berries.

Pour in a cast iron skillet or baking dish, sprinkle with berries and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven about 40-50 minutes until just set.

It resembles a souffle on top and flan in the middle and is comforting, tasty and super easy!

Cauliflower Coconut Soup

I had some leftover cauliflower and baby carrots from a crudite platter and a can of coconut milk in the pantry and thought, why not a Thai inspired soup for lunch on a gorgeous, sunny day? This was super easy and tasted like a bowl of sunshine.

INGREDIENTS
Cauliflower
Carrots
Sliced onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tbs coconut oil
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
salt to taste
1 can coconut milk
juice of 1 lime
3 dashes Thai fish sauce

Preheat oven to 385 and roast veggies and spices in coconut oil about 40 minutes until tender and slightly carmelized. then in a blender mix veggies with a can of coconut milk, lime juice and fish sauce. Puree until smooth, reheat in a pot and serve in warm bowls garnished with cilantro or scallions.

Carbonnade- Belgian Beef & Beer Stew

This weekend we had our first cold snap and while we were floating in the pool and grilling kabobs on Friday evening, we were snuggled inside while a chilly rain settled on us by Saturday morning. The weather was reminiscent of my childhood days visiting my mother's family in Belgium and it was a perfect day to prepare a slowly braised stew.

While the French classic beef stew, or beef bourguignon, is made with red wine, the Belgian version known as Carbonnade au Flamandes is made with delicious Belgian beer. The result is a slightly sweet and sour stew that freezes well for quick reheating on a cold evening. Belgium has two distinct cultures- the Flemmish (Dutch relation) and the Waloons. The latter speak french and reside in the southeastern part of the country and this is where my family originated; primarily from the Liege and the Ardennes before settling in Bruxelles. One interesting note I read in a cookbook, The Food and Cooking of Belgium, by Suzanne Vandyck was that since Belgium was at the head of the spice trade in the 16th century, its cooking was far advanced than those found in neighboring France or Germany! Take that snooty Frenchies!! Poor Belgium also does not get credit for inventing the "French Fry". One of my fondest and first culinary memories is of Les Friteries, or french fry carts that dotted the city of Bruxelles. Hot, fresh frites are served with a dollop of mayonnaise and wrapped tightly in a paper cone. Perhaps I should open a few around Austin as I'm certain they would be a huge hit?

My husband is an avid beer lover, so naturally he prefers the carbonnade to the French bourguignon version. Served with rustic toast smeared in mustard and dunked in the stew alongside a Belgian ale, it is hearty and satisfying. Since I must strictly avoid gluten and wheat, I have had to adapt the recipe to use gluten free beer such as Bards, but I STRONGLY suggest using a Belgian beer such as Chimay bleu or Trappistes Rocheford. However my gluten free version is still outstanding if not quite as rich as if I'd used a traditional Belgian beer. One final note- this can be made in an hour if cooked in a pressure cooker, but I prefer low and slow for 5-7 hours in the oven at 220. It tastes better reheated the next day.

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds chuck roast cut into uniform sized 1 inch cubes, thoroughly dried with a paper towel
4 tbs butter
3 tbs flour (Or gluten free flour such as Cup 4 Cup)
1 slice thick bacon, cut into 1 inch strips
1 tbs grapeseed oil
6 cups Belgian Beer
2 cups rich beef stock
1 beef bouillon cube
1 tbs worsterchire
1 tsp red wine or sherry vinegar
1 tbs brown sugar
1 large onion cut into strips
1 large carrot cut into 1 inch chunks
1 stalk of celery
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and gently smashed with the side of a knife
2 dried bay leaf
Bouquet Garni- Several sprigs of fresh thyme, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, several sprigs fresh parsley tied with kitchen string.
Fresh pepper to taste

1.) In a large enamel Dutch Oven, melt the butter and add the onions, celery and carrot with the sugar, flour, dash of Worcestershire and a few dashes of beer. Cover and cook onions on medium low for 30 minutes to caramelize.

2.) Meanwhile in a large frying pan, melt bacon until fat renders, add grapeseed oil and when the pan is screaming hot, brown the meat, one pound at a time so as to not crowd the pan which would steam the meat instead of sear it. Sear the cubes about 3 minutes until a brown crust forms on the outside. Reserve the meat on a plate.

3.) You may want to scrape up the brown bits in between browning batches with a little beer and pour that into the onions. Just add more fresh oil to the pan before searing the next batch. This step makes a rich and flavorful base for the stew.

4.) Once meat is browned and onions have softened and started to turn golden, add meat to onions in the large pot, the rest of the beer and herb bundle plus bay leaves and bouillon cube. Cover and let it work its magic in the oven at 220 for 5-7 hours. Serve in warm bowls and sprinkle with fresh parsley and steamed potatoes or Belgian Frites (Fries).

Though the dunked mustard smeared bread is a winning combination, a fresh green salad can lighten up the meal but it should definitely be served with a glass of Belgian beer.  As my mother would say before tucking into a great feast, "Attaquons!!"  ATTACK!!

Makes about 6 servings

Drunken BBQ Baked Beans

We have friends coming in town this weekend, so that means BBQ! I came up with this recipe based on the BBQ beans at Houston's restaurant and they are rich and meaty and absolutely delicious.

 

What makes these so good? BOURBON & BEER!!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups navy beans, soaked in water overnight. OR a can of white beans or pintos.

2 thick slices of bacon

1/4 pound ground pork

1 medium red onion, finely diced

3 tbs Bourbon

1 can lager beer

1/2 cup sweet BBQ sauce (We like Rufus Teagues, Honey Sweet) 

Serves 4

In a pot, cook bacon and ground pork until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon and pork and drain on a paper towel then add onions and bourbon and caramelize them on medium low heat about 40 minutes until sweet and soft.

Then add a bottle of lager beer and raise heat to medium high and simmer about 15 minutes to cook of alcohol. Add beans, pork, bacon and BBQ sauce and cook over low heat for an hour. These taste even better when cooked the day before and reheated in a low oven.

White Bean & Roasted Tomato Dip

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Pot Roast with Malbec Sauce- on the Big Green Egg

Comfort food is like a warm hug. I think pot roast is like a bear hug. Add a little malbec and a reduction sauce and now you have a sophisticated version of the classic. This recipe is super easy, serves 4-5 hearty portions and freezes well for reheating after a long day.

INGREDIENTS
4 pound chuck roast
1 bottle of malbec
2.5 cups beef stock
4 bay dried leaves
6 garlic cloves, peeled & slightly smashed to release flavor
1 large carrot, sliced into large chunks
1 medium onion
1 tbs olive oil
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 tbs fresh cracked pepper

In a large ziploc bag or storage container, pour 3/4 bottle of malbec wine & 1/2 cup beef stock over roast. Add garlic cloves, bay leaves and thyme. Seal and marinate overnight in the fridge.

Ready for the Big Green Egg

We decided to cook the roast on our Big Green Egg, low and slow at 250 for 4.5 hours, but you could do the same in a dutch oven or heavy pot in your oven. Or a crockpot!

In my pot I heated up the olive oil over medium high heat and placed an onion cut in half with the cut side down to cook until golden brown and caramelized. About 12 minutes. Adjust the heat to not burn it, but make certain there is a nice browning as this adds depth of flavor to your roast. Add the carots about 8 minutes in.


Then add the roast, marinade and herbs. Cover and place in oven or on the Big Green Egg and cook about 4.5 hours until fork tender and easily shredded.

 Three hours in.... almost ready.

While there is about 45 minutes remaining before the roast is ready, I whip up mashed potatoes and make a delicious reduction sauce to drizzle over the roast.

TO MAKE THE SAUCE
over a double boiler (a pot placed over another pot filled with water), I add the remaining malbec wine and 2 cups of chicken stock and stirring often I reduce the sauce until it is reduced to a cup or is syrupy in consistency. A whisk works well and if you need to speed things up, just turn up the heat and whisk away until it's reduced, but I do it low and slow and easy for 45 minutes.

Serve the roast on a bed of mashers, with something green and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Calamari Braised in Tomatoes & Wine

My family used to go weekly to a wonderful family run restaurant on Royal Lane and Preston in Dallas called Rodolpho's. My mother would charm the owner with her Italian fluency and we always managed to get a decadent, complimentary piece of cappuccino pie on each visit. It has long since closed but I remember on one of my first visits my dad had me try Calamari Fritti. I loved it!! Then he told me it was squid and I recoiled in horror that something so "gross' could taste so fabulous. Mind you, calamari in Dallas in the late 80s was pretty exotic.

Since I've stopped eating wheat and no longer have the metabolism to process fried foods anyway, I've been searching for healthier versions of my childhood favorites. I attended a lively cooking class a few years ago with Chef Gina Stipo and she prepared the most savory and succulent calamari dish for us that is much, much healthier yet leaves the calamari swollen with flavor and tenderness. It is very easy to prepare and is incredibly cost effective. A serving for four people is around $9 TOTAL.

INGREDIENTS
6 Calamari tubes, rinsed and sliced into rings
2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 small sweet onion, finely diced
1 small carrot, finely diced
1 cup white wine such as pinot grigio
1 can organic Whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes
1 small, whole sprig of rosemary
1 tsp (or more) crushed red pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
Fresh chopped Italian Parsley and Fresh Basil for garnish
Sea Salt to taste (I used about 1 teaspoon and some fresh sprinkles after serving).

Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy dutch oven or skillet (not cast iron due to the acids of tomatoes and wine).

Add onions and carrot and cook, stirring often until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add bay leaves, dried herbs, whole rosemary sprig, sea salt, garlic and cook about 1 minute before adding the wine. Simmer wine about 4 minutes.

Add can of tomatoes and crush with a spoon.

Add Calamari, cover and braise on low heat about one hour until calamari is tender and cooked through. I also added bay scallops the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Pour into warm bowls, squeeze with lemon, drizzle a little olive oil and garnish with fresh basil and parsley with a fresh salad and grilled rustic bread.

You could add a touch of creme before serving to add a little decadence.

Classic Cheese Soufflé- Gluten Free

Where has the time gone? I've been so busy with work and play lately that I have been relying on cooking my standards until last week when I was staring at an almost bare fridge that luckily had some left over cheeses nearing the end of their prime, plus some farm fresh eggs from the Lone Star Farmer's Market.

Ah oui, soufflé au fromage!! My mother was a champ at soufflé and her chocolate version made from Cote D'or Belgian chocolate was ethereal. Soufflé is wonderful because it has a wow factor and is the perfect way to use up cheeses and eggs and pairs perfectly with a fresh green salad.

I don't have any of my mother's soufflé recipes written down, so adapted the Julia Child recipe and it turned out perfectly. I didn't intend to even blog it, so the picture isn't so great as I snapped it quickly just before it fell. It was a marvelous mountain of pillowy fluffiness when I pulled it from the oven. I just had to snap a shot and keep it here to remind myself to add this to the rotation.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup whole milk- heated until hot but not boiling.
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or Gluten Free flour (I use Cup4Cup)
1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 tsp onion powder (optional, but I think it adds a savory kick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
4 large room temperature egg yolks
5 large room temperature egg whites (cold eggs won't stiffen as well)
1 cup of cheese- I  used leftover Gruyere cheese, gouda and fontina (about 4 ounces total, but just using gruyere is more classic. However, any hard cheese works great and prevents waste.) 

NOTE: Want to really make your soufflé swanky? Add some chopped lobster or crab meat or sweet corn kernels and jalapeno for a Texas twist.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Butter a souffle mold (I ordered FOUR of these for our wedding registry??). Then roll the grated Parmesan cheese around to cover the interior of the mold. 

I then made a "collar" by wrapping parchment paper around the mold and securing with string. Let the paper rise about 2 inches above the mold and this will really make it rise to new heights.

Meanwhile over low heat, melt butter and don't let it brown. Stir in flour with a wooden spoon until thickened and add warm milk and spices and stir until thickened. Pour into a clean large bowl and allow it to cool until lukewarm- about 15 minutes. Then whisk in egg yolks one by one. 

Then I added the egg whites to my electric mixer with the whisk attachment, a pinch of cream of tartar (to stiffen the egg whites) and I beat them until they formed stiff peaks.

Now here's the key: You must FOLD in the egg whites, not stir them as stirring will make the egg whites deflate. And if they do? So what. Practice makes perfect and the souffle will still taste great regardless.  So, fold in half the whites to lighten the egg mixture and then gently sprinkle the cheeses and fold in the remaining egg whites. The whole process should take no longer than a minute.

Then pour the mixture into the mold and place in the middle rack of the oven and immediately lower them temperature to 375.

Do NOT open the oven for about 20 minutes! The souffle should take about 25 minutes total with slight movement in the center when you gently shake the mold.

Sprinkle some more Parmesan cheese or chopped chives on top, remove the mold and serve immediately.

Classic. Elegant. Just like my mother...

Happy Mother's Day!

Gluten Free Mac & Cheese Bites

Ahhhhh mac & cheese, the classic comfort food. These are a rare treat, but are so easy to make and fun to eat, not to mention they're cute!

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups Gluten Free Pasta Shells

1 cup warm whole milk

2 tbs GF flour

1.5 cup shredded Organic Italian Four Cheese Blend  (I used Horizon Organics)

about 1.5 cup Ians GF panko bread crumbs

parmesean cheese for sprinkling

2 tbs melted butter, plus butter to grease the cupcake pans

Cook the noodles until al dente, about 6 minutes. 

Then in a heavy saucepan, melt 1 tbs butter and add 2 tablespoons GF flour and stir over low heat to make a pasty roux. Slowly stir in warmed milk and cheeses until melted.

Mix the noodles with the cheese sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Chopped jalapenos add a fun little kick (or bacon, because well... you know...).

In a buttered 12 cup cupcake pan, coat the bottom of each cup with panko crumbs that have been tossed in melted butter. This will make a tasty, crunchy crust once baked.

Fill the cups with the noodles and sprinkle with more buttery panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of paprika.

Pop in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes until the cups are "crispy". Serve warm with some basil or Italian parsley chiffonade.

Gluten Free Apple Tarte Tatin

Mon Dieu this thing is sinfully delicious!!!!! While this treat is gluten free it's most certainly not glutton free. I honestly don't have too much of a sweet tooth, but have found that since going gluten free I've been missing the occasional French pastry. None of our local bakeries make GF pastries, so if it's meant to be, it's up to me. I am definitely NOT a baker. I prefer savory cooking because I'm not a fan of exact measuring and tedious labor, but this was surprisingly much easier than I thought it would be. And it is decadent. And every single bite was worth the time I'm going to be spending at the gym today.

Part of what inspired me to bake this is my new bag of Thomas Keller's Cup4Cup flour I recently bought. Would it stand up to the flavor of wheat flour? The answer is an astounding YES!! The flour works like wheat flour and TASTES like wheat flour. And yes, it costs me $20 for a big bag of it, but it's worth every penny in my opinion.

INGREDIENTS

For the Pastry
1.5 cups Gluten Free flour blend
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 pinch sea salt
5 ounces cubed butter- very cold- I put it in the freezer 20 minutes. Use a high fat content butter such as Pflugra- you want 83% or more.
1 large egg
1/4 cup heavy cream or buttermilk (blend it with the egg)

For the apple mixture
3 Honey Crisp apples (Or Fuji, Braeburn or Granny Smith)
Juice of one orange
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch of allspice
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the caramel
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbs butter
4 tbs water

I used a food processor to make the dough and it was super easy. But you could do it by hand by pinching the flour blend until the butter forms pea sized lumps and the dough gets kind of shaggy. I even froze the blade on the food processor because I was taught that the colder the butter, the better.
The dough ball looked like this...

So I blended the dry ingredients until the butter was pea sized, then I poured in the cream and beaten egg mixture in and blended until the dough was smooth. I formed it into a ball and put it back in the freezer while I peeled and sliced the apples and mixed them with the juice and spices- about 10 minutes.

I then took out the dough, placed it between two pieces of parchment paper and rolled it flat with a pin. I peeled off the top layer of paper, I placed my skillet over the dough and with a pizza cutter, trimmed the dough around the skillet. Put the dough on parchment back in the freezer and started the caramel apple mixture.

In a 9 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, I melted 4 tbs butter. Added the 1/2 cup sugar and 4 tbs water and stirred until smooth.

I then layered the apples in a flat circular pattern around the pan and let it cook over medium low about 12 minutes until the apples began to soften.

Once the apples were ready, I placed the dough over them and tucked in the edges around the apples. Popped it in an oven pre-heated to 400 degrees and cooked it about 35 minutes until the dough was golden brown. Be sure to check it after 20 minutes and every 5 minutes after as each oven varies.

 I let it cool in the skillet about 15 minutes so that the caramel sauce didn't drip when I flipped the tarte over. To do this, place a plate over the skillet and carefully, yet quickly, flip the skillet upside down so the tarte lands on the plate. If you have a husband or strong person lying around, he/she could be a nice person to recruit to do this as the skillet is pretty heavy and you may be a little nervous you'd drop it ;-)

Serve the tarte warm with a dollop of whipping cream or marscapone. Then go run a few miles. Or eat another slice...

The crust... oh the buttery, warm, crispy crust... sinful bliss.