Pillsbury GF Cookie Dough

I'm going to keep this quick & sweet; much like this cookie dough (harr harr).

Pillsbury makes a gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough that's already made & ready to plop on a cookie sheet & throw in the oven.

It's really freaking good. So easy. Turns out delicious-- especially when you're my sister and you roll the dough in pecan pieces first.

This would be great especially during the holidays. Although, I like to prepare big batches of dough and store in the freezer already rolled into balls, sometimes real life just isn't that prepared. Great for a quick pinch when you don't have the time or energy to make cookie dough from scratch.

Review: Kathleen's beans

Both my sister and coworker have mentioned that these gluten free Kathleen's beans are worth trying. Being a fan of beans myself, I gave them a try.

Easy to make, and about $1 each, they meet criteria for those days when I don't have leftovers for lunch. I stir in a little cooked brown rice to boost the hunger-busting power.

They've got good flavor and ingredients I can identify. Of course, if you're going to make the curried beans, be prepared for your microwave to smell like curry for months.

The only drawback to these yummy bowls is that even though I've cooked according to package directions, sometimes the beans don't get cooked all the way and the little dried bean chunks are chewier than they should be. Still edible, but distracting. I suggest adding a little more water than called for.

Quick & Easy- Spaghetti

I can't believe I've been blogging gluten free for 6 years and I haven't posted once about spaghetti.

It's the go-to meal when I don't know what to make. It feeds a crowd. It sticks to your ribs. It's cheap. It's quick. It's easy to keep the ingredients on hand.

The key to making the sauce extra-delicious is fresh basil. I've used various store-bought spaghetti sauces and basil always punches up the flavor and makes it taste better.

Seriously, if you don't have a basil plant right now, go buy a pot and some dirt and some basil seeds. It's super easy to grow. Just water it when it starts to droop. This simple addition really makes a difference.

So back to dinner.

Spaghetti:

• Ground beef, sausage, chicken-- whatever you've got. Cook it in a pan. Drain the grease if there's a lot of it.
• Stir in spaghetti sauce-- jar, can, whatever was on sale.
• Fresh basil-- chop it up and add it to the sauce.
• Noodles- cook your favorite gluten free noodles according to package directions-- my favorites are corn-based. They seem to hold up better as leftovers.

You're done and it's dinner time.

I generally serve with some kind of vegetable and, if I've got any, butter & garlic powder spread on a piece of gluten free bread. Noms.

Real Pumpkin Spice Coffee

The other day I was at work when I decided I needed a little treat. So I headed down to Starbucks and ordered a Pumpkin Spice Latte. I was so excited to head back to my desk and enjoy my fancy coffee.

Except, it was not delicious.
It was chemically-tasting and way too sweet, with a horrible lingering aftertaste. I hardly drank it.

I don't remember the Pumpkin Spice Lattes being so gross. Of course, when I stopped to think about it, all it is is a few squirts of flavored syrup added to a latte. Doesn't exactly scream gourmet, right?

I set out to satisfy my craving. I started with the simplest idea of a classic pumpkin flavor that works- pumpkin pie.

So I made a pumpkin pie filling, without the eggs, and spooned it into small ramekins. Topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, they were frozen for future deliciousness.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed!)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/4 t. cloves

Mix all ingredients together and spoon into ramekins (or, even better, ice cube trays). Add a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Freeze.

To enjoy a cup of Pumpkin Spice coffee, just thaw a chunk in a coffee cup and stir in fresh brewed coffee. Not a latte, but much, much tastier.

dinner, but really potatoes

So last night I came home, went for a run (that lasted 15 minutes before I seriously thought I would die), and made dinner.

Standard fish- pepper, paprika, parsley, and lemon juice.
Standard peas- butter & salt.

The real star of the meal was the potatoes. My mom made them and sent me home with a sample.
So simple, and so delicious.

She boiled regular potatoes, plus 1 sweet potato, then mashed them up like regular mashed potatoes.
She then took raw spinach and carrots and gave them a whirl in the food processor, and mixed them into the potatoes with some butter & salt.

That's it. The orange color actually tricks you into thinking they're cheesy, and the hidden extra veggies aren't even noticeable.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I made Hawaiian pork in the crock pot, and had a few pineapple rings left over.
[This was made with pineapple rings canned in juice]

You know what that means...

Pineapple Upside Down Cake! Yay!

I used this recipe for my cake, with a few adjustments:

1 cup gluten free flour (1/3 c. each brown rice flour, sorghum flour, potato starch, 1/8 t. xanthan gum)
1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar, + 2 T. extra
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened + 1/2 T. extra
1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup pineapple juice (use what was in the can)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
5 pineapple rings
5 maraschino cherries (Oops! Didn't have any. I survived!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt 1/2 T. butter right an 8-inch cake pan while the oven's preheating. Take it out and tilt the pan to make sure the butter is covering the bottom. Sprinkle 2 T. brown sugar evenly over the pan. Lay the pineapple rings in the bottom and place a cherry in the middle.

In a mixing bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter, milk, pineapple juice, and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, occasionally scraping sides of bowl. Add eggs, beat for 3 more minutes. *Honestly I don't think I reached the 3-4 minute mark on either of these steps. I just eyeballed it until it all looked well-mixed.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in the pan only for a couple minutes. Turn out onto a big plate, and leave the pan on top for a minute to let the juices run back into the cake. Do not forget to turn it out- you'll lose the valuable brown sugar crusty deliciousness that gets stuck to the pan.

 P.S. You can put booze in this! Oh, I'm so doing that for Christmas...

Tomato basil fish

Here's what you get when you have a healthy basil plant and a sad tomato with skin starting to wrinkle.

Tomato basil fish. The addition of red bell pepper and garlic really make the flavors in this dish pop.

I don't know what kind of fish this is. I bought it frozen in individual packs and I didn't keep the outer bag that tells you what it is. It's pretty cheap as far as fish goes, and it's white with a mild flavor.

So back to dinner. 

Heat your pan. I put my stovetop dial on "3" and use my nonstick ceramic pan. I love that thing. My brother bought it as a gift and I cherish it. Make sure the fish is thawed if you are using frozen, like me.

Toppings:
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 c. fresh basil leaves, chopped (or a small handful)
2 T. chopped red bell pepper*
1 T. chopped onion*
1/4 t. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together, or put chunks in a food processor and pulse a few times.

Throw your fish on the pan. You'll need some kind of lubrication if it's not non-stick- olive oil will do.
Place your tomato basil mixture in the pan just to warm up and let it all cook and get happy until the edges of the fish turn white & are no longer translucent. Turn them over and let the fish cook until the thickest part is white & flakes with a fork. The juices from the toppings will provide moisture so they don't get all dry, and will also provide flavor.

Serve hot with the tomato basil mixture on top. I like broccoli lately, so that's what was on my plate. I beefed it up with some brown rice when I took the leftovers for lunch, since lunch needs more staying power than dinner.

* I am able to use small amounts of bell pepper and onion because I rarely use an entire pepper or onion all at once. I keep the rest already chopped in the freezer and just take out what I need.

Serves 2, or 1 with lunch leftovers.