Author: Angela Drake

Angela Drakehttp://AWorldWithoutWheat.wordpress.comElementary school teacher, circulation desk clerk at my local library, mother of Kasey, Nonna to Aiden and Liam, volunteer at Musikfest, gardener, potter in stoneware, quilter, gf baker, hiker, camper, birdwatcher and addictive reader.......
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Brownie Meets Cheesecake and Love Ensues!

I never thought I would want another brownie recipe after I made the gluten free version that is so easy to make and so tasty.  Then I met this recipe.  It is from a book of Gluten Free Christmas cookies, by Ellen Brown that my best friend gave me for Christmas.  I made some very minor changes.  It is like a brownie and a cheesecake meet, fall in love and this is their baby!  A bit more work than my other brownies but just totally nummy good! And I am not a big cheesecake lover.  This is an exception to that rule.

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Marble Brownies

Ingredients:

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1 stick unsalted butter

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar, split

½ c brown rice flour

¼ tsp. xanthan gum

Pinch of salt

1 8 oz pkg light cream cheese, softened

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Make sure the cream cheese is room temperature.  Do not use fat free cream – it is dreadful in baking!  I get the best quality chocolate I can find. Frankly I often use regular salted butter in my baking. It is what I normally have in my kitchen so I tend to just use it.

Melt chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan, stirring frequently.  Take off heat, cool for 5 minutes.

Grease an 8×8 pan and dust with rice flour.

Combine 2 eggs and ¾ c. sugar in mixing bowl, beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add cooled chocolate mixture and beat one minute.  Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed just til mixed.

In a separate bowl combine cream cheese, remaining ¼ c sugar, other egg and vanilla.  Beat with electric beater for 2 minutes.

Spread chocolate mixture into pan, Top with cream cheese mixture, swirl together with spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, until top is springy. Cool in pan on wire rack until completely cooled before cutting into 16 to 20 squares.

Store in airtight container between wax paper sheets for up to 5 days, room temp.  Can freeze for up to a month.

Mine weren’t too swirly but the cream cheese mixture mellowed the chocolate into a creamy dreamy delight.  There were very few leftover squares. I took this photo of the last brownie square the next morning!  I know this recipe is a lot more work than the other one I had blogged some time ago but if you like cheesecake you will love it and it makes a nice change of pace or a great snack to take to a party.

Get Charmed by Chia Green Tea

A few weeks ago I was eating lunch at an elementary school and sitting next to the building sub.  She was drinking something pale green and there were things floating in the liquid! I asked what the heck it was and learned that every morning she makes green tea and puts a spoonful of chia seeds in it.  I was struck by the fact that she did it every day.  To my mind that meant that there was good reason for this drink. So I felt I would investigate it myself regardless of my memories of weird chia pets that were advertised on TV decades ago.  Image

So I googled chia seeds and found this paragraph in Wikipedia:          “According to the USDA, a one ounce (28 gram) serving of chia seeds contains 9 grams of fat, 5 milligrams of sodium, 11 grams of dietary fiber, 4 grams of protein, 18% of the recommended daily intake of calcium, 27% phosphorus and 30%manganese.[7] These nutrient values are similar to other edible seeds, such as flax or sesame.”   That is a whole lot of nutrition.  I also read that ancient Mexicans like the Aztecs cultivated it as a major staple food.

WebMd had some kind words for chia seeds, mentioning their Omega 3  fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium.  It suggested they can be sprinkled on foods, put in breads, and used in beverages.  The focus of the WebMd article was whether they help with weight loss.  It concluded that more study is required before such claims can be verified.

Nuts.com had a list of seven benefits to eating chia seeds.  I would be happy to have 3 or 4 of those benefits!  So chia seeds in my tea? Maybe yes!  Image

I personally have always felt green tea was rather blah in flavor.  I drank it occasionally but not with any enthusiasm. The addition of chia seeds to tea might be fun I thought.  I tried them a week ago and I think I am hooked!

Here is my simple recipe.  I make a large mug of green tea using one tea bag, be sure to let your boiling water cool a minute before adding the tea bag.  I brew for 3 minutes.  Then I add ½ a teaspoon of local honey.  Bechdolts is my source for great honey. The typical honey in  your supermarket is somewhat suspect as to quality.  Best to get it as close to the bees as possible!  Many people think there are health benefits for allergies to local honey.  Maybe, I just think it tastes much better and is not adulterated as I fear much commercial honey is these days.  I digress.

Anyway, I put a tsp of chia seeds in a small dish, add about ¼ cup of filtered water and let it stand as the tea cools.  In about 15 or 20 minutes I add the chia seeds which have swollen with water to the tea.  Stir well. I like to put a couple ice cubes in a glass and add the chia tea.  Sometimes I put it in my water bottle and take it to where ever I am going.    Image

You can use any type of tea.  I have several flavored green teas and chia seeds are great in all of them.  It works fantastically in plain green tea.  I love the addition of these slightly weird slippery balls of chia seeds spinning around in my tea.  They make it much more interesting to drink.  I like to stir it up or swirl it around so I get a few slithery seeds in each sip.  I am positive it will work great for your favorite herbal tea or black tea.  So use what ever tea you prefer and have a silly iced chia tea time!

Some recipes put as much as a tablespoon of chia seeds in each cup.  I suggest you start with a teaspoon and see how you like it before considering increasing the amount.  And many recipes just put the chia seeds right in the hot tea without soaking them; feel free to do that if it makes life easier!

My healthy green tea is much more playful and nutritionally improved by this small addition.  I get nutrients and fiber and fun! I find myself drinking more green tea, maybe 3 or 4 times as much as I used to.  This hydrates my body in this hot weather which is a real benefit.  It is cheaper and considerably healthier than commercial ice teas which can be laden with sugar and a variety of not so healthy additives.  Goes without saying that it is gluten free too!

Try it and you will be happily hooked on chia tea too.

Fruity Frozen Chocolaty Popsicles

A frozen fruity tasty treat can be found at your local Giant grocery store.  Chocolate covered strawberry fruit bars, six in a box with only 90 calories per treat!  As a bonus, the price for a box of these beauties was pretty reasonable. The flavor is excellent, not too sweet, fresh strawberry flavor and a tasty chocolate coating. I gobbled mine up far too fast….can’t wait to enjoy another bar.    strawberry pop

They are found in the frozen treats case and are the store brand; made specifically for Giant Food Stores, a chain in Pennsylvania, Maryland and a few other East Coast states.  My New England friends are probably out of luck.  Let me know if you can get them in your geographical areas.

The first ingredient is strawberry puree followed by water, sugar, coconut oil, chocolate liquor, cocoa powder, etc.  There is even a touch of carrot juice in there.  No gluten in these bars; the box is marked gluten free and this product is manufactured in a peanut free facility.  There is dairy and soy in these bars, albeit a small percentage for sure, these things are at the lower end of the ingredient list.

I love that it is only 90 calories and the first ingredient is a fruit puree.  Safe for me, low in calories, made with real fruit as the first ingredient which is pretty rare in a fruit pop.  Get a box and enjoy them guilt free when the heat index goes up later next week!

Blueberry Smush Delish!

There are times when nothing but ice cream will do.  After a long tiring day and not much in my tummy I ate an omelet for supper.  It was pretty tasty but I had seen this article on ice cream blends in a food magazine at the library and was craving to try one. There were more than a dozen mixtures pictured, all based on vanilla ice cream and fruit and at least one or two other ingredients like a sauce and cookies/nuts.

There was one combination I was sure I had all the ingredients, ice cream, bananas, nutella sauce and cornflakes.  Seemingly simple with clean, clear flavors.  Upon some reflection I decided to replace the banana with some fresh blueberries I had purchased at a farm stand. Bananas seemed too bland and I adore blueberries with ice cream.

I put two small scoops nutella of ice cream in a cereal bowl, about a quarter cup of blueberries, a spoonful of nutella sauce and I dumped the cornflakes over it all.  Maybe ¼ cup of them.  I didn’t measure any of it.  I let the dish stand 2 or 3 minutes to allow the ice cream to soften.  Then using a spoon I blended the goop partially together before diving my spoon deep into it to try and get some of all four ingredients.

OMG, it was freaking crazy tasty.  The nutella sauce which is toasted ground up hazelnuts and chocolate/cocoa was wicked good against the other flavors. The corn flakes gave a nice crunch and the blueberries were bursts of fruity yumminess.  blueberry smush

I would say that this dessert is more than the sum of its parts. I was skeptical about cornflakes in ice cream but they worked well and didn’t get soggy.  The nutella was the star of the dish as far as my taste buds were concerned.  I could barely stop long enough to take this photograph as I suddenly knew I had to share this revelation with you my readers!

Now I need to go back and write down some of those other blends.  One had pureed peaches with bourbon and smoked almonds.  Oh, I think I must try that smushed up treat and soon!

 

Red Beans and Rice, So Nice and So Easy!

Yesterday I got a strong hankering for red beans and rice.  Deciding not to wait I started a batch last night.  Since I worked all the next day from morning until dark my crock-pot became the preferred method for cooking this old school delicacy.  I put a cup of dried beans on to soak overnight.  I didn’t have plain red or kidney beans.  What was in the cupboard was a mixture of four beans including white navy beans, black beans, red kidney beans and some pink speckled kidney beans.   Image

This morning they were swollen with bean water but needed to be cooked so I rinsed them off well and tossed them in the crock-pot set on high to warm it as well as some onion chopped, a bay leaf, ½ a pound of bulk sausage chopped up and about 4 cups water.  Since I had not used the andoulle sausage the original recipe called for I added some extra seasonings: ½ a tsp of paprika, a garlic clove, a pinch of red pepper, a scant ¼ tsp smoked paprika, and ½ tsp. hot sauce specifically some green sauce.  I turned it to low before leaving at 8.

When back home eight hours later I added 2/3 cup raw brown rice and a ½ tsp of sea salt, and a few grinds of pepper.  I left for my second job at the library. Four hours later on returning I added a touch more salt and stirred it up well.  Image

Heavenly; creamy just like all the reviewers of the recipe I started with were longing for.  It was as good a creamy beans and rice as I have ever eaten. I think mine got extra creamy from the long slow cooking I gave it all day.

If you make it feel free to use what you have and modify as necessary.  But, be sure to wait to add the salt as it can make the beans tough.

Below is the recipe I had originally located on food network and modified to make today with a few additions I plan to make from now on. I didn’t have time this morning to chop celery and fresh red pepper. I think they will be great additions next time I make this Hispanic classic. If you use the andoulie sausage you can cut back on the hot sauce and spices. I made a bit less than this recipe; see my measurements above if you want a smaller amount.  Since I didn’t have the spicy sausage it is a bit different flavor wise. My modified recipe made 2 big servings plus a quart I put in the fridge for future meals. If you want more; use the proportions below.

It is naturally gluten free and a fantastic accompaniment to a number of classics from enchiladas to tacos.  So easy and tastes authentic without any fancy effort or ingredients. Enjoy!

 

Slow cooker red beans and rice

Ingredients

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 celery stalk chopped

1/3 red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp paprika

¼ tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp. hot chili powder

1 bay leaf

Pinch crushed red pepper

½ tsp hot sauce
1/2 pound smoked Creole seasoned sausage ( andouille), cut into small pieces
2 cups dried red beans, soaked overnight and drained
1 quart water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hot cooked rice (about 3 to 4 cups)

Directions

In a slow cooker, combine the onion, garlic and sausage. Stir in the beans and water and season, to taste, with pepper. Cover and cook on low heat until the beans are tender, about 7 1/2 hours (on high it takes between 3 1/2 to 4 hours). Remove 1/4 cup of beans from slow cooker; mash until smooth, then sir them stir back into slow cooker, add salt. Continue to cook for another 30 minutes on low or 15 minutes on high. Remove the beans from the cooker to a serving bowl. Serve over cooked rice and enjoy!

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/slow-cooker-red-beans-and-rice-