Saturday, December 18, 2010

Chex Giveaway!

I know, I know. It's been two weeks and I'm sure you're all dying to know who gets the awesome 2 boxes of Chex and a $25 Kroger gift card, provided by Chex and Kroger via MyBlogSpark.

We (finally) have a winner!

Congratulations, Mami2jcn! Hope you enjoy making the Chex party mix.


Monday, December 6, 2010

Chex Holiday Recipes & giveaway!



I love Chex cereals. I ate chex when I was a kid, and more recently since both chex and I have become gluten free. I used to love the corn chex when I was younger. I could eat bowls of it.

I'm currently on a cinnamon chex kick. Seriously, that stuff is my motivation to get out of bed for work at 4am. I'll crawl out of my cocoon for good cereal.

I snack on dry honey nut chex when I'm out and about. I've used the chocolate chex as a replacement for rice krispies when I make rice krispy treats.

When I make Chex Mix (using only corn and rice chex, and Glutino pretzels), it hardly ever lasts more than a few days. It's so delicious and not at all hard to make.

Same goes for the classic Muddy Buddies. I have never met anybody who doesn't like puppy chow, and it makes a great little gift wrapped up in a pretty bag or tin.

They even make a pretty sweet gingerbread house roof.



I eat a lot of Chex!

Which is why I was super excited to receive the Chex Holiday Recipes gift pack from Chex and Kroger via My Blog Spark.

I'm also excited to offer a giveaway! It includes 2 samples of Chex cereal and a $25 gift card to Kroger. In addition, Kroger is putting Chex cereal on sale from December 2-25th so I can stock up on my cinnamon chex. Er, I mean, so we can entertain and create tasty, gluten free snacks and/or gifts for not a lot of money!

So what did I do with my samples?
I made some muddy buddies for the holiday snacking-age.


My dad really loves this stuff, and he's not much into sweets.

This time I also tried something different- I wanted to make a crispy coating on chicken nuggets. My camera is malfunctioning, so I'll borrow the picture from the web site. They were very yummy and easy.



There's a whole page of chex recipes on the web site, some gluten free and some that can be easily converted to gluten free.

So much chex! So little time!

To enter for the giveaway (provided by the awesomeness of Chex and Kroger via My Blog Spark), leave a comment sharing your favorite Chex recipe, or which one you'd like to try with your samples!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

fail

What a long, tiring, problematic day.

I had wanted to post a beef stew crock pot recipe. I set it up last night and left for work this morning with the crock pot set to low. Only I forgot to plug it in.

I came home ten hours later to very microbiologically questionable un-cooked stew. UGH. Into the trash went fresh vegetables and meat and wasted food.

No beef stew for dinner tonight :o(

Wine and cereal it is.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Chicken and Corn chili

I tried this dish a few weeks ago at my friend's house. It was SO good that I just had to make it myself. Turns out it is ridiculously easy. I love love crock pot recipes.

Here's the link to the recipe on Allrecipes.com. The recipe says to cook 8 hours, but I didn't come home until after 10 hours and it was just fine. Not dry or anything. Of course I didn't drain the corn or the beans, for extra moisture. I also used black beans instead of pinto beans. NOM.

Please, be sure every ingredient that you use is gluten free. :o)



I originally wanted some avocado to go with it, but it had sat too long on my counter and was funky. Too bad, it would have really made this dish rock. Horray for leftovers! Lunch is going to be good tomorrow.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Robot Birthday Cake

First Birthday Cake!

Fondant robot parts, Betty Crocker GF Vanilla Cake mix.

Inspired by a picture that my friend sent me and wanted something similar; don't know the source.

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Circles were made using piping tips- the small ones were made using a number 12 round tip, and the larger circles were just the larger end of the tip. I glued the fondant pieces together using a small paint brush and water.

If I were to do this again, I'd make sure the color of icing that I chose for the cake wasn't the same as some of the parts- they kinda blend in.

Overall, I thought it was cute. :o)

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Pumpkin Carving Party... gluten free

Whew, I'm pooped!

But the Second Annual Pumpkin Carving party was a success.

The menu:

Vegetarian vegetable soup (recipe to follow)
Chex mix (Glutino pretzels really made the mix.)
Apple cider
Toasted pumpkin seeds

And guests brought some snacks to share:
Betty Crocker GF Chocolate cupcakes with halloween sprinkles!
Boo cups made with Kinni-toos
Mummy dogs (to make them gluten free, substitute your favorite biscuit recipe for the crescent roll dough)

The vegetable soup was delicious. Even the babies gobbled it up.

ADORABLE- especially when they're happily eating my food. :o)

I made the soup with my friend in mind. She is a vegetarian and always makes sure there is something gluten free for me at her parties, so I wanted to make sure there was an option for her in my carnivorous world that wasn't just snacks. Besides, it's a great fall recipe that feeds a crowd.

It is beyond simple to make. Here's how I made it.

Vegetable Soup

Chop into small cubes

1 large potato
2 carrots
3 stalks of celery
1 red onion

Preheat your big soup pan to medium heat, and add a glug of olive oil. Saute the veggies for a while until they're tender. Season with pepper and salt. 
While they're cooking, chop finely and add in

3 cloves of garlic
a handful of fresh parsely
a handful of fresh rosemary (fresh herbs really make the dish)

Once the veggies are mostly soft, stir in 2 cups each of tomato juice and vegetable broth. Let it simmer until you're ready to serve.

I forgot to take a picture of the soup when it was finished. I did realize that I got my taste-test bowl in a picture though.


The apple cider was easy peasy too.


You can buy bottled apple cider in the juice aisle of the store. I poured some into my crock pot with a couple of orange slices and a cinnamon stick. I don't even like apple juice-type of things and I really enjoyed it.

Pumpkin seeds... Oh, such a treat.

 

Just separate them from the goop and rinse them in a colander. Spread them out on a cookie sheet, top with some salt, and cook for 45 minutes at 350, stirring them every 15 minutes.

Summary:

Carved pumpkins... check


Happy belly and a nap in the afternoon sun... check and check.


Thursday, October 28, 2010

Pot Roast

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There's not much better than coming home after a long day of work to a hot meal.
Remember this post? Well, I learned how to make pot roast. And it's friggin' delicious.

I've made it a couple of ways. I like this basic recipe, and then I can change it up as I feel like it.

Needed:
  • Chuck roast (Use roughly 1/2 pound per person)
  • 2 peeled Garlic cloves
  • Bit of red wine (Whatever I've got open) (Or GF beef broth) (Appx 1 c.)
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Onion
  • If my plant is still alive, a sprig or two of rosemary
My favorite, no fuss, least-amount-of-dirty-dishes way to cook it:

The night before, place everything in the crock pot. Eyeball the amount of liquid. You want enough to keep things moist, but you don't want the meat swimming in it. Keep in mind the meat will also release liquids as it cooks.

I feel like I have to mention that I keep it in the fridge overnight. In the morning when I leave for work I set it up on low heat, and come home to amazingly tender, falling apart, flavorful pot roast.

If you don't mind the extra dishes (I know, I have a complex), browning the meat & onion before placing it into the crock pot helps punch up the flavor. After it's browned, take a little wine and pour it into the hot pan and get all the drippings loose. Add that to the crock pot too.

I also have found that I prefer my pot roast to be cooked vegetable-less. I like to cook the meat by itself, and add veggies as sides.

Regardless, there are a billion ways to cook pot roast, and this works for me!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Glutino Honey Nut cereal


I saw this in the store and thought, "Hm, I bet this would be like honey nut cheerios!" and I was really excited to try them.

I got home, opened the box, and out of habit took a sniff. Oh, wow. What a strange smell. It just kinda hits your nose like POW. What a strange, strong, pronounced odor. What is that smell? Is that honey? Is that the smell of hardcore real honey, and it's just really odd-smelling because I'm used to an artificial honey-flavor smell?

I don't know what the deal is, but it's a definite and odd, unappetizing smell. I can't bring myself to eat a bowl of this cereal. I had some ready to put in my mouth, but the smell is so off-putting that I just can't enjoy it. It's just such a weird smell! Not a bad smell like bad food or rotten eggs or wet dog or anything, just really strange.

Has anyone else had the same experience or share the same opinion? Did I just get a bad box?

Friday, October 15, 2010

Bisquick and My Blog Spark Giveaway





Oops, I completely forgot about the giveaway! It has been a very busy couple of weeks. I'm all tuckered out.

I finally remembered today and put the names in a coffee cup. The winner...


Yay!

I hope she enjoys her " fresh homemade gluten free bacon and egg biscuit!"

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Cube Steak in the Crockpot


Last week I ended up with some cube steak in my fridge. I've never cooked cube steak and have no idea what to do with it. Thankfully, a quick google search helped me out.

I found out that cube steak is a piece of meat beat the hell up to make it tender. It's budget-friendly and it's usually used in chicken fried steak. However, I was not feeling chicken fried steak. I wanted something a little lighter. I also wanted to use the crock pot. Coming home after a long day to a hot, cooked dinner is totally underrated.

As I searched the internet for recipes involving cube steak and a crock pot, it was hard to find one that didn't call for several cans of condensed soup. Gross.
Besides, most are not gluten free.

I decided to make it up as I went along. And it turned out pretty tasty!

Crockpot Cube Steak

1 cube steak
1 c. chopped spinach
1 chopped stalk of celery
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 minced clove of garlic
1/4 c. red wine
1 T. Worcestershire sauce (Lee & Perrins is GF)
1 1/2 c. beef broth (check to make sure it's GF)
Green bell pepper strips (I wanted to add some but didn't have any. I think it would taste great with them)

Flour coating:
1/4 c. tapioca starch
1 T. oregano
1/2 t. pepper

Preheat a pan on medium high heat. While it's preheating, chop the veggies, parsley and garlic, and add them to the crock pot. Cut the cube steak into strips and dredge them in the tapioca starch/ oregano/ pepper mixture. Spray some cooking spray onto the pan to prevent sticking, and brown the meat on both sides. Throw it in the crock pot. Pour the wine into the pan to dislodge any leftovers from browning the meat, and add that liquid to the crock pot. Take a sip or two of wine for good health. Stir in the Worcestershire and beef broth. Cover and set at low heat for 4 hours. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or quinoa.

Makes 2 servings. If you make this small amount, it will probably be done sooner but leaving it in there longer doesn't hurt it. It just makes the meat more tender.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise


I'm a big fan of cereal, and this is my new favorite cereal. It's really, really good.

Most gluten free cereals are fairly plain- simple flakes, puffs, or whatnot. This feels like a punched-up version of normal cereal. It has texture variation and a more complex flavor. But not too complex. It's just... good.

I know, I'm talking about cereal having a complex flavor, but you notice things like that when you eat the same simple cereals all the time! Even the name sounds good. Crunchy vanilla sunrise. Don't you just want to eat that? Well, I do. And it's amazing as far as breakfast cereals go.

If you're a cereal buff, or even if you're not, I definitely recommend that you try this. If you don't like it, you can give the rest of the box to me. :o)

Friday, October 1, 2010

My Blog Spark, Bisquick Baking Mix... and Giveaway!


I've been getting text messages, phone calls, and hearing the buzz around the blogs about it, and Bisquick (through My Blog Spark) was kind enough to send me... a box of the new Gluten Free Bisquick baking mix!! Yay! My Blog Spark is pretty awesome, take a second to join! (No, I don't have to say that; I really mean it!)

I had so many ideas for this box of awesomeness, but decided to take inspiration from... the box. I followed the 4-ingredient biscuit recipe on the back:

2 cups Bisquick Gluten Free mix
1/3 c. shortening
2/3 c. milk
3 eggs

Heat oven to 400F. Cut shortening into mix, using fork, until particles are the size of small peas. Stir in remaining ingredients until soft dough forms. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 13-16 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 10 biscuits.

Super quick, super easy. Super yummy.




First I made 6 large biscuits, then I went down memory lane- when I was a kid I'd make these Bisquick cookie-type things with jam in the middle. Mmmm.


Next I'm going to try pancakes with the Pancake Pen. How fun does that look?? I'm also thinking it'd work fabulously for muffins- I always seem to make a mess when I fill the pan.

If anyone reads this poor deserted blog anymore, because My Blog Spark and Bisquick are so nice, one of you will receive a Gluten Free Bisquick prize pack!


Just leave a comment and share what you'd make first with the Bisquick baking mix. Biscuits? Pancakes? This amazing-looking apple pie? Mmm, chicken and dumplings ...or something totally unique? I'll pick a random winner a week from today.

Even if you don't win the prize pack, here's a link to a coupon  to save $1 when you buy a box of Bisquick GF baking mix.

Happy gluten-free-ing!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Pepperoni's gluten free pizza (!!)


!!! Oh, oh, OH. I cannot contain my excitement. Gluten free pizza- DELIVERED! No heating up my oven, no dishes, no going out or driving to a restaurant, just me in my scrubs and this effortless, amazing pizza after a really long, busy day.

Let's start at the beginning. I heard a rumor a while back that a nearby pizza place, Pepperoni's, started serving gluten free pizza. Today I thought of it, and checked the website. I completely missed the gluten free ad on the homepage, and called to ask about it. Normally when I hear rumors and call to ask about the gluten free-ness of a place, I'm met with, "Huh?" so that's what I was expecting.

The guy who answered was like, "Yeah we make gluten free pizza" and my heart leapt for joy!
I asked what they do to prevent cross contamination and he said, "We wear gloves to handle your pizza and we clean EEEVVVEEERRRRYYYYTTTTHHHIIIINNNNGGGGG" that your pizza touches. The way he said "everything" was hilarious, like it was such a huge pain in the ass to clean for gluten free pizzas. But, I thought that was good enough, and ordered myself some deliciousness. I opted to pick it up this first time, just to see where the place was. In the future, it's delivery baby.

Of course on the 1.5 mile drive home the pizza is smelling AMAZING and I get behind slow drivers and a school bus and I was thisclose to eating a piece in the car. But, I made it to the house before I devoured 2 pieces, trying really hard to savor them but they were just so amazing and I was just so hungry.

Really though, this pizza was delicious. I'm going to be buying from them from now on. Oh, I'm SO SO happy! SO Happy!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Breakfast Cookies, again



I decided to revise this breakfast cookie recipe to make it tastier, improve the texture, and give it a little more staying power. The previous version just didn't have enough calories to keep me going in the morning.

Breakfast Cookies

2 T. oil (I use light olive oil)
2 T. maple syrup
1 egg, beaten
pinch of xanthan gum
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. salt
1 c. GF oats
1/4 c. flaxseed meal
2 T. soy flour
1/4 c. chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, and shape into densely packed cookies on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes at 350. (Alternatively, press into an 8x8 pan and make them as bars.) They will not spread, so flatten them to your liking before baking.

Let them cool on the pan or they might fall apart. Once they cool they'll be set.

Drizzle with icing:

1/8 t. vanilla
1/4 c. powdered sugar
dash of salt
1/2 t. water

Makes about 6 chewy cookies/ bars. Very similar to Quaker's Oatmeal To Go (Which are NOT Gluten Free).

Happy portable breakfasting!

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Gluten Free Houston



As I type this I'm having a delicious grilled cheese & chicken sandwich on goooood gluten free bread. That's because my mom and I went to Gluten Free Houston's bake sale this morning and had a few delicious free samples of muffins, bread, and cake.

It was hard to decide on what to buy because it was all SO GOOD, but I came home with a loaf of bread, some carrot cake muffins that are AMAZING, a frozen pizza, and a loaf of bread that's frozen and unbaked- just thaw it and pop it in the oven for fresh bread. LOVE it.



I've also tried the chocolate chip cookies (purchased at the St. Luke's hospital cafeteria, of all random places!) and they are really good.

If you get a chance, try this place. I will definitely be going back!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Sorghum Noodles


Found in some random asian food store and presented to me in a gluten free noodle extravaganza gift by my friend Jen.

These noodles are great. Wonderful texture, and one little bundle is perfect for a meal.

I think the company that makes them is Havista. I love these random little finds.

By the way, at 25, I still can't eat spaghetti without making a huge mess out of myself.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Sprinkles cupcakes


Yesterday I tried the Red Velvet Gluten Free cupcake from Sprinkles.

I didn't even know they existed-- our program director super awesomely picked them up specially for me so I could have dessert at our luncheon. It was such a surprise and I was stoked to try them.

And of course, they were delicious. By the time I got them home they were kind of mangled from being banged around all day and left in a hot car to sort-of-melt, so there's no real-life picture. But they were awesome with a cream cheese icing that I could eat with a spoon.

Note: Don't try to eat the red G. It doesn't taste very good.

In other news,

I graduate from college today with a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science!!!!

Finally. :o)

For any fellow science geeks, check out Not So Humble Pie's science cookie roundups. They're brilliant!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Crock Pot Chicken Stew


Apologies for the picture. My camera lens is jacked up and now everything's slightly blurry.

Today I made chicken stew. It's so easy, especially in a crock pot.

Chop and add to the crock pot:

1/2 onion
1/4 green bell pepper
1 carrot
1 potato (I used a leftover baked potato)
1 tsp potato starch
2 chicken breasts

Add a sprinkling of thyme, and add chicken broth to just cover the ingredients.

Mine was done on low in 2 hours.
Season with salt and pepper, and I like to serve it over rice.

Monday, August 2, 2010

New GF products

My awesome friends are always texting me new gluten free items they happen to see.

I may have been under a rock and this may be old news, but has anyone heard about the gluten free bisquick? My friend texted me a picture this morning and I was so surprised. How neat is that?? Another awesome point for Betty Crocker.

I also just heard that the Jason's Deli in our area can make sandwiches on gluten free bread upon request. On Udi's bread- the best I've ever tasted. Don't know what other measures are being taken to avoid cross contamination, but I love that place and I'm happy about the potential! Check out this article for some extra info.

Any other new things in the gluten free world that I'm just now finding out about??

Thursday, July 29, 2010

cooking woes

I figured I'd have better luck if I post this on a blog that's actually public...



I can't figure out why I suck at cooking.

Nine times out of ten, if I try to throw something together it turns out funky-tasting. Even if I follow a recipe, it's never really good. I recently tried a fettuccine alfredo recipe that I found on one of those well-known recipe websites, and it sucked! It had a strange bitter aftertaste, and I followed the recipe exactly.

I can bake like it's nobody's business, but I can not figure out WHY I suck at cooking. I need to find a very simple, beginner's cookbook to cook my way through and gain some confidence.

I mean, I'm not completely clueless. I can boil an egg or make mashed potatoes, and spaghetti is a good standby, but I don't have the slightest idea how to check out the ingredients in my fridge and say, "Hey, these flavors would be awesome together."

One problem I have with the 10 cookbooks that I do own and the eleventy billion recipes on the internet is that they're full of crazy recipes that I wouldn't normally make. Really? Apple Fennel soup? Deviled Crab?? Sounds delicious, but that's a far cry from chicken noodle soup from a can and spaghetti.

And I really want to get away from using pre-made, pre-packaged stuff because we all know it's full of crap. If I'm going to learn how to cook, I'm going to do it the right way.

I need a cookbook full of down-home, standard recipes. Like pot roast. Everybody likes pot roast.

Anyone have any suggestions? Maybe the library has some good cookbooks...

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Ingredient-based recipe search engines

There are so many times that I've thought to myself, "Man, I have [insert ingredients here] that I need to use up, but I have no idea what to make.

Fortunately, I've found a few recipe search engines that let you search based on ingredient.

Supercook is one that I like. You just enter which ingredients you want to use, and recipes pop up. They also have a neat "exclude gluten" button.

Recipe Key is the same way. I don't like the format as much, but you can refine your search by cook time, cuisine type, difficulty level, etc.

Recipe Matcher is another one, but the popup ads are super annoying and most of the recipes I've found don't have pictures. I like pictures.

If you've found another great site like this, please share!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Cream Cheese and Cinnamon Coffee Cake

How's that for alliteration?



I'm going to be honest with you, this cake freaking ROCKS. It's amazing. It started off as a basic coffee cake. Cream cheese and pecans really make this cake rockin'.

Cream Cheese and Pecan Coffee Cake

1/3 c. applesauce
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. flour mix or 1/3 c. each of brown rice flour, sorghum flour, and corn starch
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon


Topping:

1/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. GF flour
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 c. nuts
1/2 block of cream cheese

Preheat your oven to 375.

Mix the applesauce, egg and milk in a bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together, and stir them into the wet ingredients. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 pan.

For the topping, mix together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut small cubes of cream cheese and place them evenly on top of the batter. Sprinkle the nuts on top next, and finish with the brown sugar mixture.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. (If you don't hit a cream cheese pocket)

Let it cool for a while until you try and cut into it, because the cream cheese needs to set. It sinks to the middle of the cake as it bakes, creating this great middle layer of cream cheese wonderfulness.



NOM.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Cowboy Soup Mix

picture links to product info

Today was one of those days where you go back and forth from the fridge to the pantry because there's "nothing to eat." After a few trips, I spotted this forgotten soup mix in the back of the pantry.

I had all the ingredients (ground beef and tomatoes), so I dragged out my pot and started on soup.

The first thing I realized was that this mix makes a giant pot of soup. I had to switch to a larger pot two times. I guess I'm just used to making small amounts. But seriously, this could feed a small crowd. Anyway, it was super easy to make. I just browned the beef, added the mix, tomatoes, and water, and let it cook.

It smells delicious. The chili powder and cumin aromas are mouthwatering. It had a good flavor, not too spicy but not bland. I added some beans just because it smelled and tasted like it should have beans. I also served it with some GF garlic croutons on top. Overall, a tasty and filling soup. I think it'd make a great meal if you paired it with a grilled cheese sandwich made with Udi's bread.



I hope it freezes well because I have a lot of it!

P.S. It's not that green; I took the picture before turning the heat up and it's all the dried parsley and stuff floating on top.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

little bitty chicken

This little bitty chicken kinda looks like a whore -rofl-

I was browsing through the grocery store the other day when I came across these little bitty chickens. For like 2 bucks. They were actually called cornish game hens, but I prefer little bitty chicken because who has ever heard of cornish game hens? Maybe more people than I think, but anyway I bought them because they were cheap and cute.

So, I thawed one out along with some chicken broth, and busted out my crock pot. I stuck a chopped up clove of garlic into the cavity of the bird, then added it to the crockpot with the chicken broth, some chopped onion, rosemary, thyme, and pepper.

I set the temperature to high, ran some errands, and came home a few hours later to NOM-ness.
I checked the bird to make sure I don't poison myself with salmonella.

Speaking of, I had a nicely growing culture plate of salmonella dropped directly onto my shoe the other day. Just like toast never lands jelly- or butter- side up, that plate landed with such precision right face-down onto my shoe. It got a massive dose of disinfectant.

Anyway, microbe tangents aside, I checked it with a meat thermometer. Those things are awesome for my germ-conscious self.

I have decided that I like these little bitty chickens better than full-sized chickens because
  1. They are still cheap
  2. They make the perfect amount of chicken for about 2 or 3 me-sized meals. This means I don't have days and days of chicken leftovers followed by a freezer full of chicken. Talk about chicken burnout.
  3. They fit perfectly into my little crock pot.
Woo chicken happiness!

Friday, June 11, 2010

King Soba Black Rice Noodles



I was doing some grocery shopping in HEB, kinda browsing around, when I came across these noodles. I thought, "Black noodles? Hey wow, neat!" and threw them in the basket. They're made from black rice. I had no idea there was such a thing as black rice.

I checked out their website and they have all kinds of neat, unconventional blends of gluten free noodles.

When I cooked them, they turned kinda purple, just like the package said they would. Unlike regular noodles, they blend in with the pot and sort of disappear when you put them in the water and you're like, "Where'd they go?" Kind of a novel thing, making black noodles.

Cooking quirks aside, they also have a good flavor. Kinda nutty, but mild. Not as pronounced as, say, the flavor of quinoa. It doesn't compete with whatever you're mixing it with; it's more of a complimentary flavor.

Not only were they tasty, but there's something kinda cool about having purple-ish black noodles on your plate. I'd like to serve them at a dinner party some day and be all, "Oh those? They're just black noodles," and feel completely unique. Because black noodles are definitely unique.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Baked Rice Pudding


I know, the picture looks a little funky, but give it a chance.

This is "rice pudding" that my mom has made since we were kids. You bake it up into something that can be cut into bars. She usually added raisins, but I hate raisins. I used to pick them out when I was a kid, haha.

Baked Rice Pudding

1 c. milk
3 cups cooked brown rice
dash of salt
1/2 c. brown sugar, not packed
1 T. vanilla
3 eggs, beaten
cinnamon

Mix it all up, place it into an 8x8 pan, and bake it at 350 for about 45 minutes. It is ready when a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean and the pudding is set.

Eat cold or hot.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Udi's Bread

I picked up a loaf of Udi's Whole Grain Bread in the frozen gluten free section of Whole Foods.
I brought it home, made a sandwich, and was amazed.
It was delicious! Not hard, crumbly, or dense. No funky flavors or textures. Doesn't need to be toasted or slathered and confused with toppings to make it edible.

~*Cue fireworks and Celiac angels singing*~

I finally found good gluten free bread! Horray!!

Needless to say, I've happily been on a sandwich kick for the past few days. Oh, Turkey, Ham, Tuna, Club, Grilled Cheese, Egg Salad Sandwiches... I've missed you!!

Udi's gluten free bread[I was hungry, :o)]

So yes, Udi's is here to stay. Until I finish the loaf, which is almost gone. Then I'll go get another one!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Zesty Pasta


Another one of those "I need to use stuff up" dinners.

1/2 can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
a handful of frozen peas
some leftover shredded spinach
a few tablespoons of sour cream
Whatever GF pasta was in the pantry
parsley, basil, and pepper to taste

Heat the tomatoes, peas, spinach, parsley, basil and pepper on the stovetop on low while the noodles cook. When they're ready, top with the "sauce." Mix the sour cream into the tomato mixture just before serving.

It sounds kinda funky, but it was really very delicious. The sour cream brought everything together and cut down a little on the heat without being too heavy. It had a nice spicy kick- if you don't want a kick, then just use regular diced tomatoes.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Quick Red Beans and Rice


First, let me apologize for the picture. My sister has my camera at the after-prom beach house, so I had my brother take a picture with his phone. I just hate to post without a picture so you get some idea of what it will look like. I assure you, it tastes better than it looks.

Disclaimers aside, this is some good shiz.

I had leftover canned red beans and some brown rice so of course the first thing that popped into my head is red beans and rice.

This recipe is more of a guideline.

3/4 can of red beans, not drained
GF andouille sausage, chopped into chunks
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t. parsley
1/2 t. crushed bay leaves
cayenne pepper, salt, pepper to taste
1 t. oil

Heat the oil in a skillet, then cook the celery, onion and garlic for a few minutes to get them soft. Add the rest of the ingredients, and let it heat throughly. Serve over rice.

Quick & easy.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Spring Rolls

I love having asian-cooking-savvy friends... AKA Jen :o)

Today: Spring Rolls. Like the kind you get at restaurants. They're ridiculously easy!

Gather your ingredients:


boiled shrimp
cooked pork marinated in fish sauce (make sure it's gluten free)
rice vermicelli
carrot sticks (boiled so they're not too crunchy)
cucumber sticks
lettuce
rice spring roll wrappers (check, some have gluten)
peanuts or peanut sauce

Step 1:
Dip the spring roll wrappers in warm water. Just get it wet; don't soak it.


Step 2:
Place the wrapper on a plate and add lettuce. Placing the lettuce on first helps you roll it without tearing the rice paper.


Step 3:
Add rice vermicelli


Step 4:
Add all of the other fixins


Step 5:
Start rolling like a burrito, tucking the ends in so stuff doesn't fall out


See? Easy! (Sort of, haha)



Dip in GF fish sauce, GF soy sauce, or your favorite stuff.