Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

Did someone say birthday? Yes, yes I believe they did. It's mine, actually. Another grand old year of my 20s to live ahead of me. I'm pretty excited about that. Nothing to hold me back, just the open country full of possibilities, all calling my name. Yep, there's so many ways I can go at this point in my life. Right now I've filled my life with a great job, a wonderful boyfriend, my delightful (and bizarre) family, and some riotous and loving friends.

This year I traveled to a few places, hitting the Arizona business trip, a week at camp, a trip to Alabama for a conference. I have some pretty big travels come up in my life this next year. Still, this year, too, I will blissfully spend my big day at camp. Surrounded by lots of young people who are so easy to love, and an older crowd of friends I've known since I was very young. I'm pretty spoiled like that, to have a giant group of friends who enjoy getting together and working hard to provide a formative experience for young people. I'm honored to be a part of that group. Hopefully they'll keep me for another year.

These cupcakes are moist, but still a little crumbly. Everyone needs some crumbs to Hoover out of the little cupcake liner at the end, right? The chocolate is strong enough and just sweet enough that it's a well rounded flavor, and can be eaten with or without frosting. I added some Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip frosting to mine (which is gluten free). Everyone could use some of those easy identifiable "chips" on their birthday. As long as they are multi-colored.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from a recipe in Gluten Free & Wheat Free Gourmet Desserts by Michael L. Eberhart

3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup sweet rice flour

Mix eggs and sugar in your stand mixer until they are lemon yellow and fluffy. Add sour cream and mix. Add oil, mix. Add vanilla, baking powder and baking soda. Add remaining ingredients, but not all at once, and mix until combined into a smooth batter.

Divide into 12 cupcake liners and bake at 350 for 13 minutes.

Dairy Free Carrot Spice Muffins

I didn't managed to catch a photo of the CSA week 4 food that I picked up on Wednesday. I was too eager to eat the beautiful ripe fruit. It turned out that I had a small container of fresh raspberries that melt in your mouth, a bag of fresh apricots (I love me some apricots), a giant head of romaine lettuce, some peas, and a little bundle of carrots with their tops still on. I think I was most surprised by the carrots, because I pulled on those long, leafy greens, expecting it to be an herb or something, and out popped carrots! So this is also my third installment of "Foods One Can Make From Fresh Locally Harvested Produce." We've also had fresh pea soup and some garlicky marinara sauce.

We've been in a hurry to gobble up that fresh food too - this week is camp. So, I'm actually off in the mountains, playing and having fun. All while you drool over these fresh carrot muffins, right? :) I actually prepared a huge batch of blueberry muffins, some coffee cake, some pizza, and several other specialties for the Celiacs at camp this week, so I'm really not going hungry either. I'm actually working up quite the appetite.

These muffins are healthy and full of that yummy carrotty (is that a word?) fiber. I sprinkled the tops with a little cinnamon sugar so that they would be golden, sweet, and crunchy on the top. It seems to work everytime.

Dairy Free Carrot Spice Muffins
based on a recipe in Better Homes and Gardens Cooking for Today Muffins & Breads

3/4 cup millet flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon combined of nutmeg, ginger and cloves
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk (or milk substitute - I used hemp)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cup finely shredded carrots

cinnamon sugar for the top

Add dry ingredients to a large bowl, and then whisk them together until they are consistent. Add in the egg, milk/buttermilk, sugar, and oil, and mix together. At this point, it should be a pretty thick batter. Then, add the shredded carrots, and fold them in gently.

Divide the batter into 12 lined muffin tins, and then sprinkle each muffin liberally with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden and the muffins are fragrant.

Oven-Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce Recipe

As promised, I've used some of my CSA food to make something divine. (Check out last week's fresh pea soup!) Something fresh and local-tasting. (Please ignore the giant can of tomato paste in the corner :). I can't claim to eat local food - not even close - because of my love affair with the beast named Costco, but we're moving a little more in that direction. I love the idea of supporting local farmers, and eating the bounty when it's so fresh. My CSA share has been helping with that.

I had two heads of fresh, Kaysville Utah garlic on hand from weeks 1 and 2, and it was time for me to put together a new batch of my homemade marinara. Extra garlic, please. We're big garlic fans, and this packs a serious garlic punch. I love to roast it the way that I shared a few weeks ago, then incorporate the roasted garlic into the marinara, creating a really deep flavor profile with some strong substance.

Oh yeah, come on over and join the group on Facebook. It's fresh off the press, but I wanted a place for my Gluten Free in SLC groupies to share their favorites. And to get more frequent garlic-infused updates from the headquarters (yes, that would be my 10 square foot kitchen). I'm working on a giveaway to go with the new Facebook party, so stay tuned for that. It's likely to feature one of my favorite kitchen appliances. :)

Oven Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce
original recipe, based on personal experience

1 #10 can of organic tomato paste
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 heads oven-roasted garlic, mushed or finely chopped after roasting
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 bay leaves
water, as needed (about 1/2 the can)

This can easily be made in a very large saucepot, or in a 6 quart crockpot or slow cooker. I've done it both ways. It actually makes almost 8 quarts (2 gallons) when it's reconstituted to the texture I prefer, but you can make it thicker and add water when it's time to use the sauce.

In the bottom of the saucepot, simmer onions and roasted garlic in olive oil. Once the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant (oh yeah!), add the tomato paste. I chose the canned tomato paste because the only ingredients in it were tomatoes. Nothing else. No fillers, flavorings, water, or weird stuff. I wanted straight tomatoes that were preserved at the peak of their freshness. Add in some water to the tomato paste and stir, then add the remaining seasonings.

Simmer on low on the stove top for several hours, or in the crockpot for up to 8 hours.

Remove from the stove and cool. I put mine in freezer containers after it has cooled, and then freeze each portion. And I usually make pizza, calzones, or focaccia breadsticks the same day as marinara so that I can use some of the fresh goodness pronto.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies Recipe

Whew. I survived The Inferno. A week in Arizona on a business trip. In July. If you add that up, that equals filling the rental car up with gas and the bank sign across the street shows 123 degrees Fahrenheit (51 degrees Celsius).

Just a few things: a shoutout to Amy at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free for highlighting my Fudgey Teff Brownies this week. Check out her Chewy Chocolate Vegan Date Brownies! I could use a brownie right now. I really could. I suppose the recipe I'm about to share with you is going to work though - there is chocolate involved, and it's my favorite real milk chocolate Guittard chips. Oh yes.

My traveling buddy Caren, who is also gluten free, opened my eyes on our Arizona adventure. The website Urban Spoon has a category for gluten-free friendly, and you can narrow it by city. And so all you have to do is type in your destination city and get some addresses for great gluten free food!

So, on our trip to Phoenix/Mesa, Arizona, we hit the following gluten free restaurants:

• Barros Pizza, where they have homemade gluten free crust to order. The crust was delicious, and even though I didn't have any cheese on my pizza, it was divine. (It had celery salt on it...I should try that).
• Sabor Cubano. We ate Cuban food! (My first time). Their menu had little red stars next to each gluten free item. We shared some fried plantains (so sweet and a little crunchy), Cassava with Mojo, and a huge plate of Arroz con Pollo. Caren had this amazing lemonada too. Sigh.
• Gluten Free Creations Bakery. A dedicated bakery with free samples! We sampled some Herb Loaf bread, and several types of bagels. We came home with a box of donuts with frosting and sprinkles, and even a box of Winkies (we had to ask what they were - gluten free Twinkies).

Now I'm home, with a suitcase full of dirty clothes, a cold (ironic to get a cold in Arizona), some work to do, and something to eat. I made these blondies based on the recipe on Kitchen Therapy.

I was so intrigued because the whole recipe only used one type of flour: sorghum. Sorghum is a great flour, with more nutrition than rice, but it does have some drawbacks. Used in large amounts, it can be a little bitter, and does not lend a whole lot of structure to a baked good. The peanut butter and chocolate chip combination help to tone down the bitterness, and make for a quick and delicious treat.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies
based on this recipe from Kitchen Therapy

1 cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup real milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients, and whisk them until they are combined. This is important so that there are no globs of xantham gum, or bitter bites of baking soda. Add in the peanut butter, oil, vanilla, eggs and water. Stir until combined, then add in the chopped peanuts and the chocolate chips.

Spread into a greased 9x9 or 7x10 pan, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until there's a flaky crust on the top of the blondies. Remove form the oven, and cool. Cut into 12 squares.

Oh, PS, that also means the boy didn't pick up the CSA order. No Beehive cheese for him.

Fresh Pea Soup Recipe

Fresh summer peas. My mom would grow them in our backyard garden. I'm pretty sure she grew English peas, which should be removed from their pods before eating, and we would sit between the plants, eating them out of each crisp little pod. I think that's why my mom grew vegetables - so she could watch each of us enjoy them.

As promised, I'm making a recipe from each week of my community supported agriculture share, and I've gotta lotta peas right now.

I told you how I sat on the front porch, removing each little green gem from its pod. There was a bit of a breeze on my back, and the peas dropped into the colander like little rain drops.

I already knew I was making pea soup out of them, and that I would have a big bowl full of pods to go into our compost bin.

The bag from the farm was just the right amount for 4 servings of soup, all of which I consumed myself.  I hope you enjoy this bright green soup too, warm or cold. It's like summer in a bowl.

Fresh Pea Soup
adapted from this recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cups fresh peas, removed from the pod
1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup water
fresh cracked pepper and sea salt

coconut milk for drizzling on top

In a large saucepan, drizzle olive oil and saute onions until translucent. When they begin to brown slightly, add the fresh peas, chicken broth and water. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the peas are tender. Remove from the heat, and pour part of it into the blender. Puree until smooth, and then strain back into the pan. Puree all of the pea mixture. Return it to the pan, and reheat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a little bit of coconut milk drizzled over the top and some fresh parsley.

Peas in a Pod: 2010 CSA Week 2

Today was a food kind of day. I picked up the CSA order on the way home from work, and set it carefully on the passenger seat. As I drove the rest of the way home, I could smell the fragrant garlic through the tightly tied grocery bag.

Ooh la la! I love fresh garlic. I'm saving up last week's and this week's for a giant batch of homemade marinara with oven roasted garlic.

Last week we received an abundance of English peas from our CSA this year, Borski Organic Farms. We got more again this week! A bag of beautiful peas, green and ready to be shucked, a big juicy bag of plump cherries, a fragrant head of garlic, and more salad greens.

I sat on the front porch in the evening light, shucking English peas. Sliding my fingers through that translucent skin so that each little pea would pop pop pop out of the pod. I dropped the empty pods off the side of my lap, into a large bowl. When I finished, there was more in the pod bowl than in the pea bowl, but isn't that the joy of it? They were fresh, and I slid a few into my mouth as I went along.

What else did this long weekend hold for us? We went to the Mirror Lakes area in northwest Utah, and stopped by our favorite Provo Falls, tripped around through the rocks, searching for ground hog holes and wild flowers, and ate dinner on the shore of Teapot Lake. The trout were jumping, and someone across the lake was playing the guitar and singing. Highly recommended.

Stay tuned for some fresh pea soup in a few days. All bright and green and bursting with flavor. I think you'll like it too.

[Full disclosure: Borski Farms didn't pay me anything, or give me free produce. I just can't keep my mouth shut about local, fresh produce. That's all.]

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken Recipe

As Michael Scott would say, it's hot hot hot.

Now all I need is a pair of the steel drums from Sandals Resort.

That's unlikely, but I still haven't put the window unit up in my bedroom window, so it's a little toasty in my house these days. Last night we went shopping and managed to spend 2 hours at REI looking at wicking socks and various flip flops, in order to not return to the well-baked evening abode. We did find some great wicking socks for the boy though. He's pretty pleased with that.

On the agenda for this weekend is definitely the opportunity to put the air conditioning unit in the window, sell a bike on Craig's List (anyone in Utah want a Specialized Rockhopper?), and probably go for a day trip on Monday. Amidst all the evenings of reading on the front porch with my feet up on the windowsill, drinking water straight from the fridge, and grilling fresh pineapple and sausages. It's going to be a great weekend.

We also love this spicy lime chicken because it's quick and easy, so it doesn't heat up the house much. It's a strong, fresh flavor, and can be served with anything from a salad to mashed potatoes to just some chips and fresh fruit.

Enjoy your weekend!

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken
adapted from this recipe

3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lime juice

In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and parsley. Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken breasts.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side. After cooking the first side, add minced garlic to the pan. This will keep it from burning. Then, cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce.

Last month: Bacon Wrapped Mango Chicken with Balsamic Reduction
Last year: Gluten Free Orange Bars