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Tag Archive: Gluten-Free

Peanut Butter Granola

Written on September 14, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

Sometimes I get sick of food. Kale, potatoes, eggs—all things I usually love—just don’t seem as appetizing lately. There are a few foods I never get sick of like peanut butter, oats, and yogurt. When that’s all you want to eat, what’s better to do than make granola?

This has been my go-to lunch as of late. I’m usually hurried and granola and a container of yogurt are convenient and easy to pack; add a banana and you’re all set. I’m also a huge fan of GORP and ants on a log so raisins add the perfect touch to round out the recipe.

This granola doesn’t have an in-your-face peanut butter flavor; instead, it’s a lighter, sweeter nutty flavor. It’s also chewier than most other granolas I’ve made and reminds me of a crumbled up granola bar on top of yogurt.

Peanut Butter Granola

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 3 1/2 cups):

2 1/2 cups oats
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
2 Tablespoons peanut oil*
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup salted roasted peanuts
1/4 cup raisins

*You can use any type of oil but peanut oil will have the best flavor

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, peanut butter, oil, maple syrup and vanilla.
Spread the oats out in a thin layer on a non-stick baking sheet.
Bake for 35 minutes breaking up the oats with a utensil every ten minutes or so until the oats are toasty and golden.
Let the oats cool before mixing in the peanuts and raisins. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.

Of course you could (and probably should) add chocolate chips as a mix-in. I’m not sure why I didn’t think of that; I must have been tired that day.

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Vegan Honey Mustard Dip

Written on September 12, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Sauce

Last week I moved back to Providence. Now that everything’s been unpacked and I’m settled, there are really only two things I sorely miss: HGTV and the Food Network. While they aren’t my favorite channels, they’re certainly my favorite to have playing in the background when I’m working on other projects. And even better they’re perfect to get ideas from.

One of the last shows I watched was Melissa d’Arabian’s cooking program where she made an easy honey mustard dip. It instantly reminded me of the type of sauce you’d get from McDonalds with an order of chicken mcnuggets and knew it’d be good. However I wanted to make it more like something that I’d eat.

Instead of mayonnaise this recipe uses a vegan mayonnaise substitute that’s tofu based. While I’m sure that doesn’t sound appetizing, I actually prefer the flavor of it to traditional mayonnaise. Instead of honey I used two non-animal based sweeteners: maple syrup and agave. The maple syrup gives an earthy flavor while the agave makes the dip taste a little bit fruity.

Vegan Honey Mustard Dip

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/4 cup stone ground mustard
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 Tablespoon agave nectar

Method:

Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Add more or less sweetener to taste.
Keep cold in the refrigerator when not eating.

This dip has been great with pretzels, apples, and carrots. You can also eat it with chicken or tofu. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about pouring this on a salad even though it’s not quite a dressing; it’s just too good to ignore.

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Gluten-Free Baked Falafel

Written on September 6, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

“Are falafels gluten-free?”

It was a good question. I had no idea. To be honest, falafels were one of those foods I’ve wanted to try for a while but I’ve never gotten while out because I’ve heard conflicting answers on whether it’s gluten-free or not.

Well, sadly they probably aren’t. Most of the recipes I’ve found online use flour as a binder, and if they’re fried in oil that’s also used for chicken fingers or other breaded items that would make them contaminated. The good thing I learned is that they’re incredibly easy to make gluten-free. I was considering making them with chickpea flour for a while and when I heard that reader Carolyn has had success with that, too, I felt good enough to try it out.

All you really need to make these are a food processor and an oven. I didn’t fry them mostly because that’s messy and I don’t like cleaning surfaces, you know? Also, they end up healthier this way—double plus.

I didn’t know what a falafel was supposed to taste like when I first ate a bite so I wasn’t sure how I’d know if it was a “good falafel”. Well, I don’t have anything to compare it to, but I think the fact that I went back to finish it off at 10pm when I’m usually not a savory person at all says something. I started off with this recipe and went from there. I would gladly make these again and maybe finish them off with a little oil in a pan to give them a brown crust.

Gluten-Free Baked Falafel

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 6 falafels):

1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 small clove of garlic
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons oregano, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coriander
3/4 teaspoon cumin
2-3 Tablespoons chickpea flour

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, blend the onion, garlic and olive oil until the garlic and onion are minced.
Add in the chickpeas and lemon and blend until the chickpeas are pureed.
Add in the parsley, oregano, salt, cumin, and coriander and continue blending to incorporate them in.
Add the chickpea flour in a tablespoon at a time until the dough thickens enough that it can be shaped and won’t stick to your hands or a utensil.
Form 6 or 7 balls of dough and place them on a lined baking tray. You can flatten them into patties if desired.
Bake for 40 minutes until the outside starts to brown turning them halfway through.
Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Another good question: Is falafel the singular or the plural? or both?

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Gluten-Free Carrot Bread

Written on September 4, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

I’m a sucker for sweet breads. So far this Summer we’ve made banana bread and zucchini bread. That got me wondering what other fruits and vegetables you can bake into bread?

As unglamorous as they are, carrot desserts are some of my favorites; I’ve had carrot cakes at multiple birthdays throughout the years. Some people think they sound too healthy to make a good dessert, but if you slap enough cream cheese frosting onto anything it will taste good, right?

This bread isn’t quite as sweet as a carrot cake or carrot cake muffin would be; I like that because the last thing I need in the morning is a sugar coma. Instead it’s rather spicy with jewels of sweetness from the raisins. You can swap in toasted walnuts for the coconut for a nuttier flavor and added crunch. Of course you can also add white chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting; it’s all about how decadent you want to go.

Gluten-Free Carrot Bread

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 loaf):

1 1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup tightly packed shredded carrot
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 6oz container plain yogurt
4 extra large eggs
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat together the almond flour and brown sugar to make sure there aren’t any clumps.
Add in the carrots, oil, yogurt, and eggs and mix completely.
Toss in the raisins, coconut, salt, baking powder and spices and mix again.
Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch loaf pan.
Bake for 50 minutes or until the center of the loaf has set.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into slices.

It didn’t take me very long to mix some powdered sugar and cream cheese and spread it onto a hot slice. It didn’t take me long at all.

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Copycat Chocolate Hazelnut Larabars

Written on September 2, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

One of my most popular recipes is the raw/vegan chocolate cake I made last Summer, and every time someone new comments on the post or makes it for themselves and blogs their own mouth-watering photos(I’m looking at you, Texanerin) it makes me want it again.

Well, cake every week is a bit much, even if it’s raw and vegan. But as soon as I finished eating my chocolate chip peanut butter “Larabars” I was thinking of what flavor I could make next, and chocolate hazelnut seemed like the perfect answer.

These are definitely healthy enough to have every day but also can easily satisfy a candy craving. You can use raw or roasted hazelnuts, skin on or off. Roasted will definitely have a nuttier and stronger flavor. To make them truly raw, use cacao nibs in place of the chocolate chips.

Copycat Chocolate Hazelnut Larabars

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 7 bars):

8oz(about 2 cups) pitted dates
3/4 cup hazelnuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Method:

In a food processor, blend the dates until they clump together and form a sticky dough ball.
Add the hazelnuts and salt into the food processor and pulse until the nuts are broken into a coarse flour.
Transfer all the contents of the food processor into a large bowl with the chocolate chips and massage by hand until the hazelnut pieces and chocolate chips are completely mixed into the dates.
Form the dough into equal-sized bars, squares, or balls. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

OK, it’s no raw chocolate cake with avocado buttercream, but it will definitely satisfy a late-night sweet tooth.

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Peanut Butter Cream Cheese

Written on August 31, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous

Last week I made another loaf of almond flour banana bread. It didn’t have any chocolate chips or walnuts or Nutella swirls so it definitely needed something to make it more decadent.

I was reminded of when I made a chubby hubby cheesecake last month and finally shared the recipe with the people I served it to: “You mean my whole family has been fighting over peanut butter and cream cheese?” Hey,what can I say? It’s a winning combination.

You can easily adjust the sweetness by adding more or less honey. I like it when it’s not too sweet so that you still taste the slight tartness of the cream cheese. Add a sprinkling of raw sugar for a little bit of crunch.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup peanut butter*
2 Tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon(optional)

*If you’re using no-stir peanut butter, be sure to soften it in the microwave quickly before mixing.

Method:

Mix together all of the ingredients.
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator when not using. Let it soften at room temperature briefly before spreading because the cream cheese will harden when chilled.

I think I need to stock up on gluten-free bagels because this is too good not to eat every morning. It’s creamy and nutty—the perfect combination of the best two breakfast spreads.

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Easy Kahlua Truffles

Written on August 27, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

I hate to admit it but even after years of cooking long, detailed ingredient lists and steps still scare me away from a recipe. If there’s a way to do something easier, I’ll take it. These truffles are about as easy as they come; they’re JUST chocolate, butter, and Kahlua. How easy is that?(Shoot, now I probably owe Ina Garten royalties)

The hardest part about these is rolling them in cocoa powder, which isn’t hard at all; you just have to pay attention to the chocolate and and keep coating it until it can’t take in any more cocoa. When you’re done you get a nice, rich center and a mess-free surface.

When making anything that involves melting chocolate, it’s better to use a baking chocolate rather than chocolate chips. You can get high-quality baking chocolate near the cheese section in some grocery stores or use Baker’s brand chocolate. Unlike chocolate chips, this will melt easily and smoothly.

Easy Kahlua Truffles

Prep time: 40 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 14 truffles):

8oz semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
3 Tablespoons Kahlua liquor
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Method:

Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave or over a double boiler.
Mix the Kahlua into the chocolate and butter and beat until smooth and silky.
Let the chocolate cool in a refrigerator until it’s a semi-soft solid. It shouldn’t be as hard as a rock, but it shouldn’t stick to your hand when you handle it.
Pour about 1/2 cup of cocoa powder onto a flat plate.
With a melon baller, form small balls of chocolate and drop them onto the plate of cocoa powder, rolling them around. Alternatively, you can take small amounts of chocolate, roll it into a ball in between your hands and drop it into the cocoa powder.
Roll the truffle around in the cocoa powder until the outside is entirely coated and place it on a separate, clean plate. Repeat with all of the chocolate.
When the truffles have set and hardened, shake off any excess cocoa powder and store them in a sealed container keeping the truffles at room temperature.

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Readers’ Favorite Brownies

Written on August 24, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

The best recipes on food blogs are always the ones filled with comments from readers who loved it as well. I’m lucky to say this is one of those recipes.

A lot of readers have stumbled onto my almond flour brownie recipe through google or Pinterest or word of mouth and I get excited every time another person has said they tried them and loved them. I(and most of you) think they really are that good.

What makes this brownie recipe great is that it doesn’t taste “special”; you couldn’t eat these and tell that they’re made with almond flour or are gluten-free at all. They just taste like a really good, fudgy brownie recipe.

One of my secrets to good brownies is using melted baking chocolate instead of melted chocolate chips in the batter; it’s more reliable for even, smooth melting and has a more decadent chocolate flavor. Another is adding a little bit of coffee into batter just to perk up the flavor.

We had a party a couple weeks ago so I jumped at the chance to make these for the first time in ages, partly because I wanted to take new photos of them but partly because I was just craving brownies. There weren’t any leftovers and I was kicking myself for not making more.

My favorite brownies? They’re actually grasshopper brownies, but I will happily “settle” for these any day. Just be sure to double the batch, especially if you’re expecting company. Oh, and bring ice cream. And caramel sauce.

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Salt Roasted Beets

Written on August 22, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in How To, Side Dish

Salt is something that a lot of people don’t understand; too much can make anything a disaster, but just a touch on fruits and vegetables always helps to make them taste sweeter. When you eat something with natural sugars that’s been seasoned right, it touches more taste sensations on your tongue and you’ll enjoy it more.

Salt roasting is a technique I learned last Summer when I was interning in a restaurant. It was something that the lunch crew trusted that I couldn’t possibly screw up so I did it quite a bit whenever we got more beets in. Since then I’ve done it at home whenever I have the chance; you really can’t screw it up! Beyond the ease, I swear it makes the vegetables taste like candy.

This may seem like it’d be a hassle to clean up after but it’s really not. Just put the pan with the burnt salt under the sink and run hot water on it until the salt dissolves.

Salt Roasted Beets

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1-2 hours

3/4 cup coarse grain salt
Beets, tops trimmed and peel on

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Lay the salt out in a single layer on a roasting tray.
Wash the outside of the beets. If your beets are large you can cut them into quarters or leave them whole. The larger they are, the longer they’ll take to cook.
Lay the beats on top of the salt and place them in the oven.
Roast for 1-2 hours until you can poke a fork through the skin with some ease.
Remove from the oven and begin peeling off the skin while still hot. You may want to use gloves or a towel to keep the beets from burning your hands. Brush off any remaining salt on the outside.
Serve hot or chilled.

What do you do with your beets? Well they make a good salad, for one, especially if you keep those beet greens. Vegetables roasted in salt don’t need any further seasoning so you can just pop them in your mouth.

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Chobani Frozen Yogurt

Written on August 20, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

You’ve probably heard of Chobani, if not from their delicious yogurt then from their recent position as sponsor of the 2012 Olympic games. I hardly managed to do anything but watch TV for those two weeks—well, watch TV and eat yogurt.

Chobani recently introduced 6 of their most popular flavors in 16oz tub container form including a 2% vanilla chocolate chip variety which easily takes the gold medal for me. Chobani has always been one of my favorite Greek yogurts because of the simple ingredients and consistently low price at my grocery store and I was happy to try them when they sent me a variety pack.

I had to resist eating all of the flavors simply with granola and fruit and actually make something with them. I settled on frozen yogurt because few things are as tasty(and easy!) as homemade frozen yogurt. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, put it on your Christmas list; even though it only has one function it’s easily my favorite kitchen gadget I’ve bought over the past few years.

This recipe is as easy as 3 ingredients and is entirely customizable! You can use any flavor of Chobani and add any mix-ins your heart desires. Have fun with it and pretend you’re at a fancy frozen yogurt chain by adding things like chocolate chips, fruity cereal, and chopped fruit on top.

Chobani Frozen Yogurt

Prep time: 5 minutes

Freeze time: 2 hours

Ingredients(Makes about 6 servings):

1 16oz Chobani yogurt container*
1 cup skim or 2% milk
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

*I’ve only tried this with the fruit flavors. If you’re starting with Plain Chobani, you might want to adjust the sweetness by adding more powdered sugar.

Method:

In a large bowl whisk together all of the ingredients.
Pour the base into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.
After the ice cream has churned, scoop it into a solid container and freeze for at least two hours.
Before serving, let the yogurt soften at room temperature for 5 minutes.

Mango admittedly is not one of my favorite flavor of yogurt. Somehow, turning it into frozen yogurt makes it much more irresistible. It reminded me of something I’d order from Pinkberry. And since this is made with low-fat ingredients and greek yogurt, it’s packed with protein, so feel good about having an extra scoop.

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