Is it? Is It? It is.

Published on August 24, 2010 in birthdays, family, food, gluten-free and recipes. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Ok, wheat’s not bad, it’s an amazing grain for sure, but lately, has not been agreeing with me.  After being pretty sick in May, I stopped eating wheat gluten.  I stopped for a few days, then had a slice of pizza and was sick for days.  That’s it.  Truth be told, I feel so much better.  My allergies are 100 times better, I’m not bloated and my blood sugar isn’t dropping out the bottom.  Crazy right?  Maybe not.

So, my dear, sweet family has been eating less wheat too.  They are awesome.  We’ve found some excellent rice noodles, and they still taste great with pesto and spaghetti sauce.  I’ve got a small stash of flours for baking and I’ve been experimenting (insert mad scientist laugh here) on friends and family.  So far so good, ok well there was that one pie crust that was DISGUSTING, and I made brownies from the Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Brownie Mix (I thought they were horrible, but I know a few who have tried and LOVE them), but some things have really turned out well.

Then, the big challenge. Rob’s birthday.  And Rob feeling a little put out by the no-wheat food in the house.  You know, it’s just not the same (that’s right honey, it’s BETTER!).  So I researched for a while, I read a LOT of recipes.  Rob wanted something with chocolate and coconut.

I found Lauren’s recipe for Devil’s Food Cake.  I have to tell you this cake is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.  Not only does it taste great, the texture alone will have everyone convinced this is a cake made with regular wheat flour.  Guess what, there’s not a drop of wheat in it.

What started out as this:

Birthday Cake

Ended with this:

Birthday Cake

Rob had asked me, “Is it?”  again, “Is it?”.  He saw me eating it and I smiled. “It is.”

Enjoy.  Get the full experience on CeliacTeen.com with the original recipe here. I made a coconut cream cheese frosting (oh my).  Recipe follows below.

Lauren’s (CeliacTeen.com) Gluten-Free Devil’s Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup millet flour
1/3 cup tapioca starch/flour
1/3 cup sweet rice flour
5 tsp brown rice flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature *separated see my note
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup very warm water

Directions

*About 30 minutes before you start, get the eggs out of the fridge and separate them.  Cover them either with a lid or clear plastic wrap so they don’t get filmy.  They are easier to separate when they are cold.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease the bottom and 1/2 the sides of each pan.  Put a parchment circle in the bottom, grease the parchment.  (This is worth the time for success.  The parchment ensures no cake will be left behind, ugh hate that, and greasing up only 1/2 the pan, let’s the cake rise to it’s fullest.  Some will suggest only greasing the bottom, but I’ve had success with greasing 1/2 way.)

Combine all flours, xantham gum, cocoa, baking soda, baking power, salt and sugar.  Sift together in a large bowl. (I did it 2x, sifting adds air to the mix, helping to keep the cake light and helps in preventing the dreaded cake falling in the middle.)

Combine egg yolks, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and very warm water in another bowl.  Once thoroughly mixed, mix into the dry mix bowl, until combined, do not over mix, you want to keep as much air in the mix as possible.

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.  (also helps to keep cake light and airy and prevent the dreaded fall) Gently fold these into the mixture.  Again, don’t over mix, the air in the mix is crucial, and over mixing eliminates the air in the mix.

Pour 1/2 the batter in each pan, bake for 30-35 minutes (mine was done at 30,), until the toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let the cake cool completely on a rack (if you have one).  While cooling you can prepare the frosting.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coconut flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (for sprinkling on the cake)

Directions
Beat the cream cheese and butter in a mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Stop and scrape the sides and bottom to make sure it is mixed thoroughly. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with heavy cream. Continue scraping the bowl to make sure everything is thoroughly mixed. Beat in the salt, coconut flavoring, and vanilla extract. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and spreadable. Add additional confectioners’ sugar if necessary to thicken the frosting, or more cream to thin. Stir in the coconut. Sprinkle coconut over the cake.

Assembling the Cake
After your cake is completely, totally and wholly cool you may remove it from the pan.  Run a knife along the edge, remove cake from pan and place on cake plate.  Spread the frosting over the first layer, sprinkle a bit of coconut on top.  Place second layer on top of first layer.  Spread frosting over top and sides.  Sprinkle with coconut.  Put in fridge to set if you have time, don’t leave out in the heat, butter and cream cheese will run if too warm.

Enjoy.  This has to be one of the best cakes I’ve made so far. And the best part, it doesn’t taste like one of those gluten-free bricks.

Crispy On The Outside, Soft On The Inside

Published on May 7, 2010 in Cooking With Kids, food and recipes. 2 Comments Tags: , , .

Zucchini Fries

I had a few zucchinis in the fridge and have been wanting to try to make some crispy zucchini fries.  These were so fun to eat.  Super crispy on the outside (probably thanks to the panko) and super smushy soft on the inside.  AND, Izzy, the 5yo who-used-to-eat-everything-and-now-doesn’t child, LOVED them.

“EW”, she said when they came out of the oven, “I am NOT eating that.  What is it?”

The rule at our house is you have to taste it.  If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it, after all we should enjoy what we eat, mother nature worked hard to grow it and we take special care to make it, it should be yum to eat, right?

Well after the first one, there was the second one, third, fourth, fifth….she ate these before the raviolis.  We’ll be making these again, and the best part?  These are so easy a 5 year old could totally make them too.  It’s fun, all the dredging and rolling and sprinkling, it’s total tea party time.

Enjoy!

Crispy Yummy Zucchini Sticks

  • 4 Medium Size Zucchinis
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon flour
  • a couple sprinkles of your fave seasoning, I used cajun spices, but Italian or anything you fancy would be nice.
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 cup of plain breadcrumbs
  • Olive Oil (spray if you have it)

Preheat oven to 475F -500F depending on your crisp factor (I did 500F)

Prepare a cookie sheet, brush or spray with olive oil, set aside.

Cut the zucchinis lengthwise in quarters, then into 3rds or quarters again.

Mix the flour, seasoning and salt together in a bowl.

Whip the egg whites until they are really frothy, almost until they form soft peaks, almost, in another bowl.

Put the breadcrumbs in another bowl.

Dredge the zucchini sticks in the flour mixture, dip in the egg whites, dredge in the breadcrumbs.

Place on prepped cookie sheet. Repeat until finished. Spray or drizzle sticks with olive oil.

Put in oven for about 20 minutes, turning half way through.

My Notes:

I used cajun seasoning and they were good, I think cumin would be AWESOME, and of course, the old stand by – Italian seasoning.

I used panko, the Japanese breadcrumbs. LOVED them, super crispy.

We really liked the super crispy outside and super soft inside, we cooked them for probably 25 minutes until the breadcrumbs started to turn super dark brown.

I think you could totally make a batch and freeze them after they’ve been coated with the breadcrumbs.  I’m going to add this to my “What to do with all the zucchini” part of the year and freeze a bunch for later.

Izzy-ism

Published on May 3, 2010 in Izzy-ism. 0 Comments Tags: .

“Mom, do you know how I know that? I ate Smarties. And even though I pooped them out, I’m still smart.”

They Keep Calling My Name…

Published on May 2, 2010 in food and recipes. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

Or this post could also be titled “Pop Tarts:  So Easy To Make A 5 Year Old Could Do It”.

We were watching a cartoon on some channel, not one that we normally watch, and there were commercials, and one came on for Pop Tarts.  I remember eating Pop Tarts.  We’d occasionally have them in the house growing up, but it wasn’t a normal breakfast for us.  It was a treat.   I know in some cultures or houses, cake or pastry for breakfast is the norm, but not at our house.  That being said, there is nothing more wonderful than the occasional delicious treat.

However, I never thought Pop Tarts were delicious.  I thought they tasted like sugar coated card board.  And, have you read the label?  Totally too many ingredients that I can’t pronounce, or have to look up to figure out what it is.  So here I have to follow some of Michael Pollan’s Food Rules like:

#39 Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.

Amen to that.  Have you made your own junk food?  WAY better than the commercial stuff. And I think you burn all the calories while making it and cleaning up afterwords.

#11 Avoid foods you see advertised on television.

This I learned from my mother, ANYTHING advertised on TV is off limits.  (except the stuff I do for my job, it’s on TV, and well, I’d buy it).

So, literally, I’ve been thinking about it this week.  Totally, sort of obsessing over it, thinking about these big convenience food makers and their role in our lives.  (Ok, that’s for another post, later).  Anyway, catching up on my food blogs, I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, and well the rest is history.  We made them right away.

We rolled the dough into rectangles.  Don’t you love my perfect rectangle?  Isn’t it AWESOME.  Tip #1, I used my large rectangle cutting board as a template.  I felt so clever.

Pop Tarts

We made smaller treats (portion control is important, you don’t need big ones to enjoy them and they are treats), and cut the rectangles down to 12 pieces.  I think next time I would cut them into 16 pieces, even the 12 pieces were too big at around 3×4″.

Pop Tarts

We brushed our squares with egg, then poured our cinnamon filling on top.  There are more ideas at Smitten Kitchen, but I really liked the nutella suggestion.  For Izzy, since she’s not so into sweets, I need to come up with some savory ideas.

Pop Tarts

We cut up the 2nd rectangle and put them ontop of the first rectangle and pressed down the edges to make little pillows.

Pop Tarts

Pop Tarts

Using forks, we sealed the edges.

Pop Tarts

Izzy added her designs to each one.

Pop Tarts

I cooked 4 of them, and put the rest in the freezer.

Pop Tarts

Sorry, when they came out of the oven, they were gone right away, no photo of the finished product.  Next time.

This was so easy peasy.  Seriously an awesome project.  SO EASY A 5 YO COULD MAKE THEM!!  We now have a bunch in the freezer for treats and I think if I can find a savory filling, these would be an even bigger success at our house.

Recipe at Smitten Kitchen, Enjoy!

Lemon Pillows

Published on May 2, 2010 in food and recipes. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

We made our own ricotta lemon gnocchi the other day.

Gnocchi

It was so stinkin’ easy.

Gnocchi

Fluffy pillows of lemony goodness…

Boiled….

Gnocchi

Then pan fried….

Gnocchi

Gone in 60 seconds.

Recipe is from EveryDay Food (and of course, I’ve been carrying this issue around with me I LOVE IT and can’t find the magazine to share the recipe, I’ll post it when I can find the link or the magazine.

mmmaters

Published on May 1, 2010 in garden. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

I have fond memories of forgetting my house key, therefore locked out after school, and sitting in the garden eating the tomatoes.  They were the most delicious ever.  I dream of tomatoes in my garden.  And while we wait for Rob to return from his trip abroad and finish our raised beds. We can at least start seeds.

San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano Tomato

One of my many goals for the garden this year is to be an heirloom garden and be able to save the seeds for next year and for sharing.  For our tomatoes we picked the San Marzano, and I was thrilled to see this tomato featured in my Saveur Magazine as one of the most flavorful plum tomatoes.  I like cherry tomatoes too, and might have better luck with them in the Seattle climate, but we’ll go ahead and give these a try.

Egg Shell Starters

I saved the egg shells for about a week, kept them in their container.  Popped a hole in the bottom for drainage, filled with dirt and planted the seeds.  They are now on top of the fridge in the dark.

They take 6-10 days to germinate, think warm germination thoughts for me.

Swing

Published on March 27, 2010 in Iz and around here. 1 Comment Tags: , .

Swing

MMMarshmallows

Published on March 26, 2010 in food and recipes. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Homemade Marshmallows

In our never ending quest to make as much of our food from scratch, we made marshmallows today.  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to buy them again.  Fast and easy.  Enjoy.   Martha Stewart Marshmallow Recipe. Turn them into Bunnies.

This Year, I Want To Practice…

Published on January 1, 2010 in about me. 5 Comments

This post started with the title This Year, I Want To Learn…, but after thinking about the things I want to focus on, I think it’s more about practicing.  Maybe I already know how to do them, but I need to start doing them.

1.  Meditation.  I want to slow down for a few minutes a day and clear out instead of running in a million directions. I’ve been inspired by Karen Maezen Miller. (thanks to Erin for the link)

2.  Speaking Chinese.  Now that I have a job that takes me there, I really want to be able to say things like, this food is delicious, and what a beautiful garden, thank you for your hospitality and where is the bathroom?  Last time I was there, it would have helped if I could have said “I need more toilet paper”, as housekeeping couldn’t figure it out while I was calling them from the bathroom floor at 3am during a bout of food poisoning.  This may be the first phrase on my list.  (note the best cure for a yucky tummy, red sugar and chopped fresh ginger in hot water, instant recovery!)

3.  The science of food.  Big area, maybe I’ll start with cheese.  I think fresh mozzarella would be the BOMB.

4.  Listening.  I’ve noticed so much hate and narrow mindedness this year, I think people have stopped listening? I truly believe listening inspires things like respect and confidence and understanding.

5.  Sunday Suppers.  Local food cooked and enjoyed with family and friends.  We need to spend more time together, and when we are together, we should be eating good food.

6.  Peace.  I’d like to think it’s contagious.  And with my brother and other family members on duty in hazard zones, I can’t help but wonder what their lives would be like if the world were a more peaceful place and everytime they sent a photo, there wouldn’t be an automatic weapon and full body armor in the photo (with a tank in the background), it would be a photo of them with their wife and kids. (Not that their service hasn’t been rewarding, I know my brother is an amazing ambassador and has made friends all over the world, no doubt it is an incredible and fantastic experience.)

What are you going to practice this year?

Boo!

Published on October 31, 2009 in Halloween. 0 Comments Tags: .

Trick or Treat

What a day.  Wow.  SUGAR OVERLOAD.  Out we went in to the craziness of Trick or Treating in a business district.  We had to empty the pumpkin almost 2 times, it was getting so heavy! SHEESH.

Trick or Treat

It was an unbelievable haul.

Then we had to get ready for part 2.

Trick or Treat

Iz was a butterfly, I was a flower and Superman was Superman.

Trick or Treat

So many doors, so little time.

Dear Halloween Monster

Iz went through her stash and got her goods prepped for the Halloween Monster.  See, the Halloween Monster takes your extra candy so you can Trick or Treat next Halloween.  If you don’t leave her any candy, she won’t let Halloween happen next year.  But don’t worry, Iz has quite the stash.