Trav's Gone Gluten Free's Kick-butt Cookbook!

Trav’s Gone Gluten Free’s Kick-Butt Cookbook! Words and Photographs by Travis Ingersoll www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com

1

Table of Contents Recipe

Page

Breakfast Easy Cheesy Breakfast Bake Two Kinds of Easy Breakfast Potatoes

4 5

Dinner Goulash Chicken Rustigo Spicy Acapulco Chicken Mofongo Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp Corn and Okra Jambalaya Beans & Soft Rice Tacos Tuna Steaks & Marinated Bean Salad Tofu Pesto Penne Lemon Chicken & Rice Gratin Dauphinois Lemon Parmesan Tilapia Mexican Stuffed Peppers Shepherd’s Pie Nice & Easy Chili Edamame-Lentil Stew Herbed Mushroom Macaroni and Cheese Country Chicken Bake Six-Bean Barbecue Bake Spinach Potato Pie Spaghetti Frittata Arabian Spinach & Chick-Peas Eggplant & Ricotta Rolls Jerk Turkey Tacos

7 9 11 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 25 27 29 31 33 35 36 38 40 41 43 45 46 48

Side Dishes Tomato and Zucchini Gratin Tuna Salad with Black-Eyed Beans and Apples

50 51

Breads Corn Bread Banana Bread

52 54

Dessert Apple Butter Galette Hulled Hemp-Seed Crisps

56 58

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com

2

No-Bake Cocoa Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies Cranachan Chocolate Kiss Cookies Golden Raisin Pumpkin Squares Double Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies Chocolate Marshmallow Rice Chex Bars Iced Lemon-Pistachio Biscotti Double Chocolate Biscotti Espresso Swirl Cheesecake Pumpkin Spice Cookies Almond Fudge Shortbread Squares Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons M & M Cookies Chocolate Emergency Cake Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies Bake Sale Brownies Chocolate Quake Cookies Southern Style Sweet Potato Bake Corn Bread Biscotti Molasses Spice Cookies Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

60 62 64 66 68 70 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 100

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com

3

Easy Cheesy Breakfast Bake

This breakfast dish is super easy to make, satisfying, and very filling. I went with parmesan, but feel free to use whatever cheese you'd like. If you're a meat-eater, this would also be great with chopped sausage or bacon mixed in with the corn meal/grits. Ingredients Any 14 to 24 oz. can of chopped tomatoes (I used Hunt's with herbs) 2-3 cups cooked Yellow Corn meal or White Grits (make sure it's GF!) 3-4 eggs 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4-1/2 cup shredded cheese (your choice) Cooking Directions 1. Cook the grits/yellow corn meal according to the directions. Stir in the paprika, sea salt and pepper 2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 3. Layer the bottom of a 9" by 12" baking dish with the corn meal 4. Spoon a wall of chopped tomatoes around the edge of the baking dish 5. Crack open the eggs over the center of the dish, making sure not to break the yolks 6. Carefully place the dish in the oven 7. Cook for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the egg whites are fully cooked 8. Remove from oven, add a little more s&p, and then sprinkle shredded cheese over cooked eggs 9. Return the dish to the oven and bake just until the cheese has fully melted Enjoy your breakfast!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com

4

Two Kinds of Easy Breakfast Potatoes

I'm a big fan of breakfast potatoes. Which is partly why breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. One of the first food venues I felt semi-safe eating at were diners. Although I know that cross-contamination can happen (when it's super busy, and foods a'flying), for the most part, egg and meat-based breakfasts are naturally gluten free. Having worked in a diner called Pano's during my time as an undergraduate student at Buffalo State, I know that in general the grill will be divided up into food groups. There's a square for the potatoes, a square for the eggs and meats, and one for the pancakes/waffles. When you first get diagnosed with having gluten sensitivity issues, you become afraid of going out to eat. You're paranoid that you'll eat the wrong thing, or someone will make a mistake when telling you it's gluten free, or it will get contaminated by another food in the kitchen, and you end up staying home a lot. Diners were my initial window back into the social phenomenon of communal eating. Although we all have our own tables and plates, what we really seem to be satisfying is our need of the company and energy of fellow human beings. Feeling confident in the relative safety of breakfast foods, made traveling around the USA a lot more enjoyable as well, since I could always count on a diner being close by. Sometimes I'd eat at diners for multiple meals in a day, especially on long road trips. Lots of grits, omelets, scrambled eggs, frittatas, roasted tomatoes, bacon, ham, steak, coffee and of course BREAKFAST POTATOES. With a hefty side of ketchup, I typically take care of the potatoes first thing. I've cooked a lot of stuff in my life, and it occurred to me about a week ago, I've never made my own breakfast potatoes! I've probably eaten breakfast potatoes thousands of times in my life, and have never learned to make my own. How pathetic is that!? Well, that had to change. I decided to use the same bag of red potatoes and make two different kinds. I cooked them at the same time, ended up with a LOT of leftovers, and absolutely loved both styles. Even so, I don't see myself cutting back on my diner visits:) Eating alone sucks!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com

5

Easy Roasted Potatoes Ingredients 3 medium (1 pound) red or white potatoes, or 12 tiny (1 pound) new potatoes 2 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil (or butter - melted) 1/2 tsp. onion powder 1/2 tsp. garlic salt 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 1/4 tsp. paprika Cooking Directions Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cut up the medium potatoes into fourths, or the new potatoes into halves Toss the potatoes in a cooking-sprayed 9x9x2-inch baking pan Mix up the oil, onion powder, garlic salt, black pepper, and paprika; drizzle over the taters, and using some tongs, toss them up. 14. Bake for 45 minutes, then take them out and stir them up. Throw them back in for another 20 minutes, or until the edges are browned. 15. Chow down! And be careful not to burn your tongue, or the roof of your mouth. These babies can be dangerous-hot!

10. 11. 12. 13.

Home Fried Potatoes Ingredients 4 medium (1 1/3 pound) red potatoes 3 tblsp. olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. paprika 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 tblsp. dried) Cooking Directions Bring a large pot of salted water to boiling. Gently drop in the potatoes and cook until tender but firm (about 15 minutes). Drain, cool and then cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Heat 1 tblsp. olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the onion and green pepper and cook until soft; stirring often (about 5 minutes). Transfer to a plate for later. Heat another 2 tblsp. of olive oil in the skillet over med-high heat. Toss in the potato cubes, paprika, salt and black peper. Cook, stirring from time to time, until browned (about 10 minutes). Add the waiting onions, green peppers and parsley, and cook for another minute or so. Serve hot. It's breakfast potato time! Enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com

6

Gluten Free Goulash

I've always been a big fan of goulash. Growing up in central New York, goulash was one of my mom's staple dinners. With so many options for gluten free pasta on the market now, the pastabilities are endless. This is the first time I have ever actually made goulash the way it's supposed to be (slow cooked). When I typically make a goulash-like pasta dish, I boil the pasta separately, and then add all the sauce ingredients afterwards. What makes goulash taste so much better, is that the pasta is slowly boiled within the sauce. The smell that filled my home as this dish cooked was amazing! I knew I was in for something special. The first bite instantly transported me back to countless dinners shared with my mother and brother. I kept picturing my brother and I devouring our goulash, while the sun slowly drifted toward the horizon outside our windows. It was a race to the finish so that we could go back outside and take advantage of the last but of sunlight left. I love how food can help us access memories long ago filed into the recesses of our minds. This recipe calls for Soy Sauce, which is often gluten-ous. There are a few varieties of gluten free soy sauce to choose from, by I use "SAN-J Organic Tamari, Wheat Free Soy Sauce." Most herbs and seasoning salts are gluten free, but make

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com

7

sure to check the ingredients. Prep Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes Servings: 8 Goulash Ingredients 2 pounds lean ground beef 2 large yellow onions (chopped) 3 garlic cloves, (chopped) 3 cups water 2 cans (15 oz) tomato sauce 2 cans (15 oz) diced tomatoes 3 tblsp. soy sauce (gluten free) 2 tblsp. Italian seasoning (or mix Oregano, Basil, Sage) 2 tblsp. paprika 3 bay leaves 1 tblsp. seasoned salt (I used Goya) 2 cups uncooked gluten free elbow pasta Goulash Directions 16. In a deep pot, cook the ground beef on medium-high until no longer pink (breaking it up as it cooks). Spoon out the fat as it pools. Add the onion and garlic to the beef, and cook until the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes) 17. Stir in the water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, and seasoned salt. Heat till boiling, then reduce to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally 18. Stir the elbow pasta into the beef mixture. Cover and simmer on low for 25 more minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking 19. Remove from heat, fish out and discard the bay leaves. Stir it up good to distribute flavors and return lid to pot. Let sit about 30 minutes before serving. 20. Devour and Enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com

8

Chicken Rustigo

This dish calls for a bit of red wine, so I used some Cabernet-Shiraz, and saved the rest to drink with dinner. The combination of flavors in this recipe are amazing! We all sat at the table slightly dazed after our first bites, so I knew this would be a keeper. Drinking the same wine that was used in the dish rounded the meal off perfectly. Try not to love this one! I also made the rice differently than I usually do. Since I had more chicken stock on hand, I used it to cook the rice in. I boiled the rice with the chicken stock on med-high for 11 minutes (covered), and then turned the heat off and set the timer for 13 minutes (keeping the cover on). The rice went perfectly with the dish. Try it, you'll like it:) Ingredients 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 package (10 oz.) fresh sliced mushrooms 3/4 cup organic GF chicken broth ( I used Pacific Natural Foods brand) 1/4 cup red wine www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com

9

3 tblsp spicy brown mustard 2 plum tomatoes, diced 1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained and quartered 2 tsp cornstarch sea salt and pepper Cooking Directions 21. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tblsp oil in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes, or until browned on both sides. Remove from skillet and set aside. 22. Heat another tblsp of oil in the same skillet over med-high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 or so minutes until tender (stirring occasionally). 23. Stir in the broth, wine and mustard and mix well. Return chicken to the skillet, then add the tomatoes and artichoke hearts. Heat till boiling, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center. 24. Mix the cornstarch and 1 tblsp of cold water in a small bowl. Stir into skillet and heat to boiling again. Cook, while stirring, over high heat for about 1 minute or until the sauce thickens. Serve with cooked rice (optional)

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 10

Spicy Acapulco Chicken

Here's another one of those gluten free dishes you can throw together in a snap. It's made with basic, inexpensive, wholesome ingredients and tastes awesome! This has a bit of a kick, but nothing tongue-melting. Serve it up with rice and you're good to go. Ingredients 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1 tblsp olive oil 1 cup chopped green bell pepper 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 large tomato, cut into chunks 15 drops of hot peeper sauce ( I used Texas Pete Hot Sauce) 1 tblsp chili powder (divided) 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced Salt & Pepper Cooking Directions 25. Throw the chopped up chicken into a bowl. Add 1/2 tablespoon chili powder and salt and pepper to taste and mix up well. 26. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is nice and hot, add the seasoned chicken and saute for 4 minutes or so until no longer pink. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the skillet. 27. Toss the chopped green pepper and onion into the chicken oil and stir fry until soft. Then add the jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, hot pepper sauce, plus the remaining 1/2 tablespoon chili powder and cook for another 4 minutes (stirring often). Finally, toss in the cooked chicken and stir fry for 2 minutes more. Eat! www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 11

Mofongo

When I get time to relax, I begin to reminisce about the things I've done over the semester. A few weeks ago I was lucky to have the opportunity to spend time in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was awesome! I loved it! One of the first things I wanted to do when I arrived, was venture out and sample some local foods. Mindy and I ended up finding a great little place called El Jibarito Puerto Rico. The wait-staff were extremely friendly and helpful. I explained my gluten issues and he let me know exactly what to avoid on the menu. He seemed pretty knowledgeable about food allergies, and was happy to help me. I asked what would be one of the most traditional Puerto Rican dishes on the menu, and our waiter immediately said "Mofongo!" So Mofongo it was! I'm so glad too, because I absolutely loved it! It was pure comfort food. Mofongo is basically mashed plantain with garlic and spices, stuffed with a variety of fillings. The mashed plantain is shaped into a bowl, then filled with things like pork, shrimp, steak, etc., and then sealed with more mashed plantain. It is traditionally served with rice and beans and salad. I went with the waiter's recommendation, the Mofongo filled with Grilled Flank Steak ($14.95). The spices were amazing! The steak was tender and juicy, and the mashed plantain was delicious and filling. If you are ever in Old San Juan and you get the chance, stop by El Jibarito. You'll love it!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 12

Here's a recipe I found that is exactly what I ate at El Jibarito. Enjoy! Ingredients 4 green plantains, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces 4 cups gluten free beef or chicken stock oil (for deep frying) 1/2 cup of your favorite seasoned filling (pork, beef, shrimp, etc.) 1 tblsp. chopped garlic Fresh ground black peppercorns Sea Salt Cilantro leaves (chopped for garnish) Cooking Directions 28. Mix a handful of sea salt into a bowl of cold water and soak the chopped plantain. 29. Warm stock in a saucepan over low heat. 30. Bring at least 1 inch of oil to around 350 degrees F. in a deep skillet. 31. In the meantime, cook your meat/seafood until crisp. Remove from heat and drain. 32. Remove the plantain from the water. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Deep fry the plantain pieces until brown and tender (watch out for splattering!). Remove from oil. Flatten the plantain with a flat-bottomed glass bottle. Fry the plantains again for 30 seconds on each side, or until slightly crispy. 33. While the plantains are still hot, take a wooden mortar and pestle, and smash them with the garlic, and salt & pepper (to taste). Shape the plantain mash into a small bowl, making sure to leave a space for filling. Fill the space with your favorite filling and seal with another layer of plantain. Place on a plate and douse with warm stock and garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice and beans, and some salad. Turn on some salsa music, light some candles, and chow down!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 13

Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

Red curry paste comes in a wide range of heat levels, so keep that in mind when deciding how much to add. We used a milder red curry paste, so adding two teaspoons made this turn out perfect. However, two teaspoons of a hotter version could melt your tongue off! Be wary and add a little at a time and taste-check, if all you can get is the hot stuff. You can also use any size shrimp you'd like, but my suggestion would be to keep it simple and use pre-cooked shrimp. It was so good that we almost ate it all up before taking a picture. That's why the plate in the pic is so small; that's all that was left! In the following ingredient list, you'll notice there are two ingredients that are optional. We didn't have any green onions on hand, but while we were eating we both realized how great they would have been if added to this dish. The original recipe also didn't call for frozen vegetables, but we had some so we added them. We also used dried basil, but that was only because we didn't have any that was fresh. I'd highly recommend using fresh basil. Ingredients 1 tsp. canola oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 tsp. mild red curry paste (make sure it's GF) 1 tsp. sugar 1 pound cooked shrimp 1 cup coconut milk 1/4 tsp. fish sauce (make sure it's GF) 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (optional) 1/4 cup chopped green onions (optional) 1 tblsp. fresh chopped basil Cooking Instructions www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 14

34. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-hight heat. Add the chopped onion and curry paste to the pan. Saute for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in the sugar and saute for another 15 to 20 seconds. 35. Add the frozen vegetables, stirring constantly, saute till cooked (about 3 minutes), then add shrimp and saute for another minute or so. 36. Stir in the coconut milk and fish sauce; cook for a couple of minutes (or until thoroughly heated). Remove from heat and stir in the green onions and the basil. Serve with your choice of rice. Enjoy! Because I know you will:)

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 15

Corn and Okra Jambalaya

Eating Jambalaya always brings me back to the time I worked on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. I think the year was 1995. I had taken a job working with my father on a steel crew. We spent two weeks breathing diesel fuel exhaust while welding white metal plates on the new Crystals fast food restaurant. It was hard, miserable work, but I loved the time I spent after work exploring the area. In particular, I loved all the street musicians, the architecture of the French Quarter, the Voodoo shops and especially the FOOD! I remember how much I would look forward to our lunch breaks, when I could scope out some little cafe or diner and order Jambalaya, Gumbo, or hoagies filled to the brim with cajun-spiced shrimp (before I had to deal with celiac disease). The following dish brought back a flood of memories, and put a huge smile on my face! Although it doesn't contain Andouille Sausage (a staple of many Jambalaya recipes), it tastes great nonetheless. It's also a lot healthier, since it uses low-fat Turkey Bacon instead. This dish tastes better the longer the spices are allowed to set into the food. I swear, the best it tasted was as a "leftover" meal, a full two days after I made it. Of course, you can easily make this dish vegetarian by substituting bacon with "facon," it's all up to you. But regardless, I'm sure you'll love it!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 16

Ingredients 1/4 pound turkey bacon (make sure it's GF!) 1 pound fresh (or frozen) sliced okra 1 cup chopped onions 1 (16 oz.) can stewed tomatoes 1 (16 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained 1-2 tblsp. butter 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1 bay leaf 1/8 tsp. ground cloves 1/4 tsp. thyme 1 tblsp. paprika 1/4 tsp. cumin Cooking Instructions 37. Fry turkey bacon in large/deep skillet until crisp and drain. Add butter to skillet with bacon drippings (there won't be much), and saute the okra and onions until cooked - but not browned. 38. When the okra and onions are almost done cooking, break up the bacon into small chunks and throw them into the skillet. 39. Empty the stewed tomatoes and drained corn into a bowl. Mix all of the spices with the tomatoes and corn, then add to the skillet and stir well. Bring the entire mixture to a boil, and then turn down to simmer for about 10-20 minutes. Jambalaya should not be runny. 40. Serve hot over rice, or simply eat on its own. Enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 17

Beans & Rice Soft Tacos

Here's an example of one of my typical weeknight meals. The only part of this meal that takes any real time is the rice. Initially, one of the hardest parts of dealing with Celiac disease is learning to create easy meals, made with basic ingredients. I quickly learned how useful corn products were and found ways to eat polenta and tortillas in as many ways as possible. Rice-based meals were also high on my list. Although research has helped me become very creative in making gluten free meals, I've rely a lot on easy meals like the one below. On this particular occasion, I was looking for something to create with a pot of leftover rice I had. I rummaged through the cabinets and decided to pull out a can of black beans, and another of refried beans. I also found a half-used jar of Mexican Red Sauce from Trader Joe's. In about 15 minutes my meal was prepared, and I was digging in. Meals like this one are great for anyone, but especially for parents of kids with Celiac disease. It's easy, fast, and healthy. Plus, it's vegetarian, and lactose free as well.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 18

Ingredients 1 can Refried Beans (read the label for gluten. Old El Paso brand are GF) 1 can Black Beans 2 cups Rice 1 tblsp. Garlic Powder 1 jar Mexican Red Sauce (or Enchilada Sauce) 2 tblsp. Dried Oregano Pure Corn Tortillas Salt & Pepper Directions 41. Drain the black beans but don't rinse them off. You want some of the liquid to make it a bit saucy. Throw them in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Add the garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper (to taste). Cover the saucepan and stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes. 42. In a small pot on medium-low heat, mix the rice and red sauce until it is as soupy as you'd like. I think the soupier the better, but some people like it drier. Cook for 5-10 minutes. 43. Open up the can of refried beans, which usually looks like cat food, and either put it into a bowl and microwave it, or into a pan on the stove to heat up (5-10 minutes). 44. Use a frying pan to heat up the tortillas. Just spray a little cooking oil on the pan and throw the tortillas on until bubbles start forming. Then flip them over for a minute. You just want to make them soft and pliable, not hard and crispy. 45. That's it, you're done! Just spoon each ingredient into the center of the tortillas and fold together. You can also add some sour cream, some shredded cheese, or pre tty much anything you can think of. Enjoy:)

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 19

Tuna Steaks & Marinated Bean Salad

This one is super easy! And super tasty! You can make this meal, from start to finish, in about 30 minutes. I had a couple of tuna steaks and a variety of canned beans on hand, so I went searching through my cookbooks to find a way to put them together. I found this particular recipe in an "Essentials" book on Fish & Seafood that I picked up from the bargain rack at Borders. It had a lot of nice pictures in it, which is exactly what I look for in a cookbook. I can't stand cookbooks that are all words and no pictures. Not that there aren't great all-word cookbooks out there, but the visual-learner side of me likes to see what my end product should look like. I'm not big into surprises when it comes to getting my grub on, especially when I have guests coming over:) I used the beans I had on hand in my cupboard, but you can use any kind of beans. The original recipe calls for a can of sweet corn, something I'll incorporate the next time I make this (even if just for the visual appeal). You can also keep it uber-easy and just use a couple cans of marinated beans instead of making the dressing yourself.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 20

INGREDIENTS 2-4 Tuna Steaks 2 tblsp olive oil 3 cans mixed beans and/or sweet corn Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper Dressing Ingredients 46. 6 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil 47. 3 tblsp balsamic vinegar (make sure it's GF) 48. 1 tblsp lime juice 49. 1 garlic clove (chopped) 50. 1 tsp fresh coriander (1/2 tsp if dry) 51. Salt & Pepper Cooking Instructions Preheat frying pan on medium high heat Brush the tuna steaks with olive oil and apply generous amounts of sea salt and ground pepper to each side Cook the tuna for about 2 minutes then turn over and cook for another two minutes (or to taste), and remove from heat. Don't overcook the tuna, since it keeps cooking after being removed from the heat While the tuna is cooling, heat the beans/corn on the stove (according to the directions on the can), and drain. Put all the "dressing" ingredients in a bowl and stir it up good Put the beans/corn in large bowl and pour in 1/2 of the dressing. Mix it up Serve the bean mix along side the tuna and then drizzle the remaining dressing over the whole meal Garnish with some sliced limes and parsley if you want to show off to friends ENJOY!!!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 21

Gluten Free Tofu Pesto Penne

Pesto is great on anything! You can use it as a delicious coating for broiled fish, add it to any stuffing for meat or poultry, as a condiment for a sandwich, or to add taste and color to any pasta dish. Now you can go the natural route to pesto, via lots of basil, garlic and olive oil blended together in a food processor. Or, you can go the quick and easy route and purchase a jar of the stuff. With me, unless it's a for a special occasion, I'm happy with what I can get from the supermarket. Plus, pesto rarely has anything glutenous in it. In this case I went to Trader Joe's, where I picked up the pesto sauce, pine-nuts, and the gluten-free brown rice penne pasta. Try saying that last part 5 times fast!! I make this dish a variety of ways, but this time I used Tofu as the protein source. We had our good friend Meghan coming over, and she's a strict vegetarian. Plus, a little plant estrogen now and then never hurt anybody. The way I like to deal with Tofu is by first freezing it. This causes the water to be sucked out of the Tofu, making it better to cook with (in my opinion), and also giving it a grittier, more textured feel. Because it's frozen, you'll want to make sure to plan ahead for this recipe and take the Tofu out of the freezer to thaw well before getting ready to cook.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 22

Ingredients 8 to 10 oz. Penne Pasta (a little over 1/2 pound) 1/2 cup Pine Nuts (also called Pignolia) 2 cups chopped tomato 1 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 (7 to 10 oz.) jar of Pesto Sauce (check the ingredients for hidden gluten) 3 tblsp. vegetable oil Salt & Pepper Cooking Directions 52. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta 53. Drain the tofu and then pat dry with paper towels (or real ones). Chop up the tofu into relatively small pieces 54. Chop up the tomatoes and set aside 55. Heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet, and add the tofu, seasoning generously with the salt and pepper (to taste). Cook on medium high heat, stirring frequently, until slightly browned. 56. Once the tofu is slightly browned, throw in the pine nuts and reduce the heat, stirring constantly. Pine nuts can burn easily, so be careful 57. Once the pine nuts are slightly cooked add the jar of pesto (or your own homemade stuff) and mix thoroughly 58. Then add the chopped tomatoes, mix, reduce to simmer and cover 59. If you haven't already, drain and rinse the pasta 60. Keeping the pasta in the same pot you cooked it in, add the hot sauce and the parmesan cheese and stir over low heat. Top with a few basil leaves and some more cheese, and go to town!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 23

Lemon Chicken And Rice

I'm all about easy, and often cheesy, meals. It's pretty simple really, the quicker the food is done, the faster it's in my stomach. This is one of those recipes that you can almost make blindfolded. Well not really, if you tried that you'd probably hurt yourself, but it is super easy. I used Jasmine rice for this dish, but you could speed things up by using instant rice. Lemon Chicken and Rice Ingredients 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (cut into strips) 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced 1-2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tblsp. butter 1 tsp. cornstarch (make sure it's GF) 3/4 cup GF chicken or vegetable broth 1 tblsp. lemon juice (can use concentrate) 1/4 tsp. salt 1 cup cooked rice (or 3/4 cup uncooked instant rice) 1/3 cup frozen peas Freshly ground pepper (optional) Cooking Instructions 61. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Throw in 1 cup of rice. Bring back to boil, then cover and lower heat to simmer for 20 minutes. 62. Toss the butter in a skillet and cook the chicken, onions, carrots, and garlic together. 63. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch, broth, lemon juice and salt together until smooth. Add the mixture to the skillet.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 24

64. Bring everything to a boil. Cook while stirring for 2 minutes or until thickened. 65. Add and stir in rice and peas. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes 66. Fluff it up and top with ground pepper (optional). Devour!

GF Gratin Dauphinois

I just made this dish for an Easter get-together with some friends. It's a recipe from a book I bought when I lived in Newcastle, Australia entitled the "Great Potato Cookbook." It isn't listed in the United States, but if you ever find it be sure to pick it up. Besides the slicing of the potatoes, this dish is pretty simple. I decided to alter the original recipe by adding layers of pre-sliced button mushrooms, and diced onions. But either way you make it, this is delicious! GF Gratin Dauphinois Ingredients butter for greasing 4-4 1/2 pounds potatoes 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese (or any cheese you please) 3-4 garlic gloves, crushed 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 2 1/2 cups milk 1 1/4 cups cream (half & half is fine) 2 large eggs, beaten salt and freshly ground black pepper Directions 67. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 68. Butter a large baking/casserole dish 69. Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly 70. Mix together two-thirds of the cheese, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper (to taste)

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 25

well. Layer the potatoes in the prepared dish, sprinkling the cheese mixture over each layer except the top one. 71. Whisk the milk, cream and eggs together and then pour evenly over the layered potatoes, making sure that the liquid goes all the way to the base of the dish. 72. Layer the remaining cheese over the top of the layers and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Test the potatoes with a sharp knife or fork; they should be tender when done. 73. Eat and be merry! With the recipe I just shared, I was able to make two containers full of food. You can feed a lot of people with this recipe, or have a ton of leftovers for yourself! Enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 26

Lemon Parmesan Tilapia

This dish is ultra-easy to prepare and make. In fact, from start to finish, it took me less than 20 minutes. I had some frozen tilapia fillets that I thawed overnight. I love cheese, so when I came across this recipe I had to try it out. After the first bite, I knew this needed to be shared! I chose to stir fry some french green beans with garlic oil to round out the meal. You're going to love this dish! Lemon Parmesan Tilapia Ingredients 2-2 1/2 pounds Tilapia fillets 2-3 tsp. softened butter 3 tsp. fresh lemon juice or concentrate (about 2 tsp for concentrate) Lemon Parmesan Sauce 74. 3/4 cup mayonnaise 75. 2 tblsp. fresh lemon juice (or less for concentrate) 76. 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese Garnish (optional) fresh lemon slices parsley Cooking Directions Rinse the tilapia filets in cold water and pat dry with paper towels Place on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil lightly coated with cooking spray (you don't have to use aluminum foil, but it makes clean-up real easy) Turn on oven to broil Mix butter and lemon juice together in a small bowl Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese together in a slightly larger bowl www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 27

Coat the tilapia with the butter/lemon juice mixture and place under broiler. Set timer for 5 minutes When the timer goes off, take out the fillets and coat with the mayo/lemon juice/parmesan cheese mixture Place back under broiler for 3 more minutes (until the surface has a toasted cheese appearance) Take out of broiler and devour! I've been eating the meal in the picture the whole time I've been writing this blog entry, and ooooweeeeeee is it good! Enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 28

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

I got the idea for this dish out of a cookbook my good friend Cheryl Vermilya gave to me a while back. The book’s title is “Low Fat Mexican Recipes" and is full of great food! Cheryl and her husband David are great friends of mine who founded and operate a youth center in Camillus, NY called the Town Shop. If you have some time, click on the youth center’s website link right here: Town Shop Youth Center and check the place out. I spent the majority of my teenage years involved there, and loved every minute! Now back to cooking! You can make stuffed peppers a variety of ways, but you should always look for wide based bell peppers, so that they stand up easier in the baking dish. I suggest using meat in this recipe, but as usual you can substitute meat with seasoned tofu, beans and corn, or whatever you like really. This dish can be made ahead of time as a planned meal with friends, and kept in the fridge for a day or two before the final baking. Mexican stuffed peppers ingredients 4-8 good sized, wide-bottomed bell peppers (make it colorful if you can!) 1 pound ground beef, or turkey, or beens and corn, or tofu, etc. 1 can diced tomatoes, drained 1 medium diced onion 1 cup rice 3 tblsp diced hot chiles 16 oz. jar enchilada/Mexican sauce (make sure to check those ingredients for

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 29

evil gluten!) 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (chipotle cheddar is choice!) First you want to get a pot of water boiling, and one that’s big enough to fit all of your bell peppers in. Cut the top of the peppers off and scoop out all the seeds. I often get the strays out by filling the pepper up with water and shaking and pouring them out. Submerge all the peppers (minus the tops) in the boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Take them out and place open side down on a paper towel to cool. Keep the water boiling and throw in the cup of uncooked rice. Set the timer for 13 minutes, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. About the same time as you put the peppers in the boiling water, put a skillet on med/high heat and cook up the meat (or meat substitute). Make sure to chop it up real good while it’s cooking. When using meat, you can just use the juices to cook the chopped onions and hot peppers that you’ll be adding once the meat is nearly all browned. If you make this meatless, you’ll need to add a bit of butter or oil. Cook the meat/onion/hot pepper combo till the onions become semitranslucent. Add the Mexican/enchilada sauce, lower the heat to simmer until the rice is done. Once the 13 minute timer goes off, drain the rice and throw back into the empty pot. Add the them all together in the pot and stir up. Then add your drained, diced tomatoes and any other vegetable or legume you want. Finally add a couple cups of shredded cheese to the mix and stir it all up. Take the cooled bell peppers and fill them up with the rice/meat mixture and place them open side up in a baking dish. Make sure that they are steady and won’t easily topple over. Top them all off with a little bit more cheese and throw them in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes and you are done. You’ll probably have extra “filling” that can be used in omelets, thrown in corn tortillas for tasty soft tacos, or simply reheated and eaten as is. Enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 30

Shepherd’s Pie

I cook a lot for myself. I cook a lot in general, but when it’s primarily for myself I like to make dishes that create a lot of leftovers. I remember when I couldn’t stand eating leftovers. I thought I was too good for them, and would usually throw them out. My mentality changed however, after my gluten-intolerance made it very difficult for me to just go out and grab a quick bite to eat somewhere. Now, if I’m going to be outside of my home for an extended amount of time, I always bring my own food and snacks. It’s not that I can’t go to a store and find something I can eat, it’s just more convenient to be prepared. There’s nothing more annoying than going over the ingredient lists of foodstuff after foodstuff, only to come to the conclusion that gluten is in absolutely everything! Something especially true for pre-packaged food. This simple recipe for Shepherd’s Pie comes from the book: Easy Cooking With 5 Ingredients, by Barbara C. Jones. This book is no frills, with no pictures or glossy www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 31

pages. What it has however, is a ton of easy to cook meals. Shepherd’s Pie can be made a ton of different ways. The way I make it here is not for the vegetarians out there. You can substitute the meat with ingredients like seasoned Tofu or beans. The recipe calls for instant potatoes, but since most instant potato products contain some form of gluten, I would recommend using old fashioned mashed potatoes, or find some guaranteed gluten-free instant ones. No matter how you make this dish, you'll most likely have leftovers! It's very tasty... and very filling. Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients 2 cups Mashed Potatoes (instant gluten-free if available) ½ cup Salsa, or gluten-free enchilada sauce 1 cup Shredded cheese (whatever you like) 1 can Whole kernel corn (drained) 1 pound Lean ground beef (or turkey, tofu, tofurkey, turducken, etc.) Salt & Pepper If using raw potatoes, you’re going to want to get them cooked and out of the way before starting the rest of this meal. You can make great mashed potatoes by boiling them without skins until soft. Drain them and mash them up in a large bowl, to which you add some butter, a little salt, and milk. Whip it up until it’s light and fluffy. This is to taste, so just add the butter and milk, little by little, until you got what you want. You don’t want potato milk soup! Preheat the oven to 350º F. Brown the ground beef in a skillet on med-high. Make sure to chop it up good while it’s cooking. Once the meat (or substitute) if fully cooked, drain the excess grease, and then add the salsa (or gluten-free enchilada sauce) and put back over the flame. Find an 8-inch baking pan, or a nice casserole dish. Put the cooked beef/salsa mixture in the bottom of the pan, then add the corn, then the cheese, and then the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle some salt & pepper on top, along with some more cheese and put into the oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is slightly browned.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 32

Nice and Easy Chili

Lately I've been getting into experimenting with chili a lot. Before a couple of months ago I've never actually made chili. Growing up in Syracuse introduced me to the joy of eating steaming bowls of chili outdoors, among crowds of halfinebriated people. Every year The Cuse has a chili cook-off, where scores of local restaurants prepare and serve up free chili for everyone. There's live music, art vendors, and of course BEER TENTS! Although Syracuse was a pretty dark and dreary place (weather-wise), the community puts on a wide variety of cool, and free, downtown events. There was always something going on. This chili is super easy, fast and filling. There are a lot of different chili powders out there to choose from, with various levels of hotness. Good chili is all about one's specific tastes. If you aren't used to lots of hot spice in your foods, start with the mildest chili you can find and be sparing. I've found the more I experiment with chili peppers, the more tolerant both my tongue and stomach become. In addition, I'm being opened up to a whole new world of taste

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 33

sensations. It's funny, the more I cook, the more I want to cook. I love the challenge of it. I love the never-ending variety of amazing foods one can create. And of course, I also love to eat:) With all the cultures around the world, you could really cook something different for every meal, for the rest of your life. That's just cool! I've made about 5 different chili dishes just this month. Last week I made a kickin vegetarian chili and fed it to my coworkers at our holiday party. Less than a week before that I made a thick and hot pork chili that I rolled up in corn tortillas. This one here was super tasty, and the absolute easiest. Enjoy! Ingredients: 1 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 lb. ground beef 2 tsp. ground cumin 2-3 tsp. mild or hot chili powder 1 tsp. minced garlic 2 tbsp. gluten free flour (I used Arrowhead Mills) 3 cups (about 24 oz) canned chopped tomatoes 1 (15-ish oz) can red kidney beans pinch of dried oregano (roll together in palm to crush up good) pinch of brown sugar salt and freshly ground pepper (according to taste) Cooking Directions: 77. Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the beef, breaking it up as it cooks. 78. Sprinkle on the cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, pepper, sugar, garlic, and GF flour. 79. Stirring frequently, cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes. 80. Add the tomatoes and their liquid and let simmer 25-30 minutes. 81. Drain the kidney beans and add just before serving. Heat for another 5 minutes. Grab a square of Gluten Free Cornbread and dig in!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 34

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 35

Edamame-Lentil Stew

This side dish can actually be eaten as a main entree. I loved it! The flavors explode in your mouth. And it's super-healthy. You actually feel a little bit healthier after every bite. Not kidding. Just take a little bean-o, since this is chock full of legumes! Did you know that beans are the magic fruit? Cooking Ingredients 1 cup dried lentils 3/4 cup frozen shelled soybeans (edamame) 1 1/2 cups minced red onions 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tblsp olive oil 1 14-16 oz. can diced tomatoes 6 tblsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tblsp fresh parsley, chopped 1 tblsp fresh mint, chopped 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp ground cloves Cooking Instructions 82. Put the lentils in a saucepan and cover with about 2 inches of water. Bring it to a boil, cover, reduce heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes (or until tender). Drain and set aside. 83. Place the soy beans in a small saucepan, cover with 2 inches of water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and drain. 84. Heat the olive oil in a large lidded pot on medium-high heat. Throw in the onion, the garlic and tomatoes. Stirring often, cook for about 6 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Stir in lentils, edamame, juice and the rest of the ingredients. Cook and stir for about 3 more minutes.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 36

Serve it up hot and enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 37

Herbed Mushroom Macaroni and Cheese

This mac-n-cheese recipe is awesome! The mushrooms and thyme give it an amazing earthy aroma, and the dijon mustard adds a unique bite. Even though I charred the pine nuts a little, this still turned out to be some of the best mac-ncheese I've had. Ingredients 4 cups gluten free elbow or rigatoni pasta (I used Tinkyada elbows) 1/2 a pound of sliced button mushrooms 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 2 fresh sprigs of thyme 4 tbsp. gluten free flour (I used Bob's All Purpose GF Baking Mix) 1 tbsp. chicken base (I used Superior Touch, Better Than Bouillon) 2 1/2 cups milk 1/2 tsp. celery salt 1 tsp. Dijon mustard 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup pine nuts Sea salt & freshly ground pepper Cooking Directions 85. Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a boil and cook macaroni until al dente. 86. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a heavy pan. Add the mushrooms and thyme. Cover and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes. 87. Stir in the GF flour and remove from heat. Add the chicken base and continuously stir until completely blended. 88. Stir in the milk a little at a time, mixing after each addition. www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 38

89. Add the celery salt, Dijon mustard, Cheddar cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine will, then simmer for about 1-2 minutes, continuously stirring until the sauce thickens. 90. Preheat the broiler to medium heat. Drain the macaroni well and toss it into the sauce. Mix it up and transfer to a baking dish. 91. Top it off with the grated Parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Broil it until brown and bubbly. Be careful not to burn the pine nuts like I did! Chow down!!!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 39

Country Chicken Bake

This dish didn't last long after I made it. There was one day that I ate this for lunch and dinner, and then again the next morning for breakfast! I know that would probably be out of the question for many, but something about the broth was just so darn comforting that I couldn't get enough! You're going to love this:) Ingredients 2 tblsp. vegetable oil 4 chicken quarters 1 pound small whole onions, peeled (I found them in the frozen vegetable section) 3 celery stalks, sliced 1 14oz. can red kidney beans 4 small tomatoes, quartered (or 1 16oz-ish can diced tomatoes) 1 cup chicken stock (make sure it's GF - I used Pacific Natural Foods) 4 tblsp. fresh parsley 1 tsp. paprika salt & pepper 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used parmesan and mozzarella) Cooking Directions 92. Heat the oil in a flame-safe casserole dish (or heavy all-metal pan) and fry the chicken quarters, two at a time, until golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. 93. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 94. Add the onions and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add the celery and fry for 2-3 minutes. 95. Return the chicken to the pan, then mix in the beans, tomatoes, broth, 1/2 the parsley, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the paprika. 96. Cover and cook in your preheated oven until the chicken juices run clean when forked. 97. Remove from oven and sprinkle with your choice of shredded cheese and top

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 40

with remaining parsley. 98. Return to oven, uncovered, and bake for an additional 12 minutes, or until crispy and golden. 99. Remove, serve immediately and enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 41

Six-Bean Barbecue Bake

In general, I like my baked beans on the sweet side. And maybe even some bacon thrown in for good measure. The following recipe doesn't require bacon, but is definitely designed for those with a serious sweet-tooth (i.e., people like me). You'll love em' but those around you might not love you so much; especially with all that fiber going through your system. For real, you might want stay outdoors after eating a big bowl of these beans, otherwise you might gas people out! But who cares, it's a small price to pay for indulging in some seriously good barbecued beans:) This recipe calls for a slow cooker Ingredients 1 can kidney beans, drained 1 can pinto beans, drained 1 can butter beans, drained 1 can great northern beans, drained 1 can navy beans, drained 1 can pork and beans, not drained (or any other can of beans if you're veg) 1/4 cup barbecue sauce (makes sure it's GF) 1/4 cup mustard 1/2 cup ketchup 1 small onion, chopped 1 small bell pepper, chopped 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup molasses Cooking Directions 100. Mix everything together in your slow cooker. 101. Cook on low to medium for 4-6 hours. 102. That's it, couldn't be easier! Enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 42

Spinach Potato Pie

This one was my favorite meals! The process is a little involved, but the tastiness of this dish makes it completely worth the extra labor. I used honey mustard, but feel free to use any kind of mustard you like (ex. spicybrown, honey-dijon, regular hot dog mustard, etc.). However, don't use frozen spinach. Fresh spinach is much better, and those easy-packs of fresh spinach you find in the grocery store near the ready-made bags of salad are typically the exact amount you'll need for this recipe. Ingredients 2 pounds large potatoes (washed thoroughly) 4 cups raw spinach 1 3/4 cups low-fat cream cheese (room temperature) 1 tblsp. mustard (any kind you prefer) 2 oz. mixed fresh herbs (ex. thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley), chopped 2 eggs Salt and Pepper Directions 103. Place potatoes in a large pan and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Drain well and leave to cool a little before slicing. 104. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 105. Wash the spinach and throw into another large pan with only the water clinging to the leaves. Cover and cook, stirring only once, until the leaves are slightly wilted. Drain well into a strainer and press the leaves with a large spoon to drain excess water. Chop the spinach finely. 106. Beat together the cream cheese, eggs, and mustard in a bowl. Then stir in the chopped spinach and fresh herbs 107. Coat a deep 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray (make sure it's GF!) 108. Layer the sliced potatoes in a concentric circle in the bottom of the pan. Then add a layer of the spinach mixture, topping with salt and pepper. Repeat www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 43

this process until your ingredients have been used up, making sure that the last layer is made of potatoes. 109. Cover the pan with tinfoil and place in the oven to bake for 60 minutes. 110. Remove, uncover, and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 44

Spaghetti Frittata

Spaghetti frittata? I know, it sounds weird, but I swear it's yummy;) You can play around with the spice in this one depending on your taste, but as it's written, it's not too spicy. When boiling the gluten free pasta, remove and drain before it's al dente to avoid it becoming too mushy when you throw the whole thing in the oven. This can be scooped out with a big spoon, or cut into wedges like I did for the photo. Also, feel free to substitute the mozzarella with whatever cheese you prefer. Enjoy! Ingredients 8 oz. uncooked spaghetti (I used Tinkyada Organic Brown Rice Pasta) 1 medium onion, sliced 2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced 1 medium zucchini, sliced 1 tblsp. olive oil 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (undrained) 8 eggs, lightly beaten 1 tblsp. hot sauce (I used Emeril's Red Pepper Sauce) 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped 1 cup shredded cheese Cooking Instructions 111. Cook the pasta as directed on the package, minus 3-5 minutes or until "almost al dente." 112. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 113. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet on medium/high. Add the onions and mushroom and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until onions are crisp and tender. 114. Add the sundried tomatoes, zucchini and chopped tomatoes with their liquid. Cook an additional 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated off, stirring occasionally.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 45

115. Mix the pasta with the eggs and 1/2 cup of the cheese in a large bowl; mix well. Add to the vegetables in the skillet; stir until incorporated. Cook on medium/low for about 5 minutes or until bottom of frittata is set. 116. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and throw into the oven for 10-20 minutes, or until center of frittata is set. 117. Remove from oven and let cool for a little while. Say FRITTATA 3 times loudly, devour and enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 46

Arabian Spinach & Chick-Peas

This is a great inexpensive vegetarian dish. It's extremely simple, fast and delicious! Most people would likely use this as a side dish for fish or meat, but I had it as the main course with basmati rice. I'll be making this again:) Ingredients 15 oz. can chick-peas (garbanzo beans), drained 1 onion, sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 14 oz. fresh spinach, washed and shredded 1 tsp cumin 1 tblsp. butter 2 tblsp. olive oil sea salt and freshly ground pepper Cooking Instructions 118. Using a large frying pan or wok, fry the onion in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Ad the cumin and garlic and fry for another minute. 119. Add the shredded spinach in small batches, stirring until the leaves begin to wilt. It may not seem like it can all fit, but the spinach shrinks down a lot! 120. Stir in the chick-peas, butter, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Reheat it until just bubbling and then serve. That's it! Enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 47

Eggplant & Ricotta Rolls

I've been cooking up a storm lately; sticking to vegetarian and more healthconscious meals. I love it! Cooking healthy gluten free food is actually very easy. It's the calorie-laden GF baked goods that are a bit more challenging. Eating foods that energize and make you feel good inside is where it's at. I still eat whatever I want when I'm out, but I think sticking to the healthy stuff at home is an easy way to keep my weight down. Not that I'm worried too much about my weight, but it's good to think preventatively. I've had some pretty gross and greasy eggplant parmesan before so I don't usually cook with eggplant. I wasn't sure how this dish would turn out. It required a few more steps than I'm used to (I'm a pretty lazy cook), but the end product was AWESOME! The following day when I had it for lunch at work - it tasted even better! This dish seriously opened up my taste buds to the yumminess of cooked eggplant. I know you're going to like this one;) Ingredients For the eggplant rolls 2 medium eggplants Olive or Sunflower Oil (enough to coat the bottom of a pan) 1 cup ricotta cheese 2 cups white rice (cooked) 1 tblsp. fresh basil (chopped) 1 tsp. fresh mint (chopped) Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper For The Sauce 121. 1 tblsp. olive oil 122. 1 medium size onion (finely chopped) 123. 1 garlic clove (crushed) 124. 14 oz. can of chopped tomatoes 125. 1/2 cup white wine (or GF vegetable stock) 126. 1 tblsp. fresh parsley (chopped)

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 48

Cooking Instructions Get the rice cooking. Create the tomato sauce: heat the oil in a small pan and fry the garlic and onion for 2 to 3 minutes (or until softened). Add the tomatoes, wine (or stock), and parsley. Season well with salt & pepper. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes (stirring occasionally). Meanwhile: preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Slice the eggplants the long way. Discard the ends and outer slices. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the slices of eggplant until golden brown on each side (you'll need to do this in stages). Remove the browned slices and drain on paper towels. Mix the cooked rice, ricotta cheese, basil, mint, and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Lay the cooked slices of eggplant on a cutting board. Drop generous spoonfuls of rice mixture onto one end of each slice and roll them up. Arrange the rolls side by side in a shallow ovenproof dish. Cover the rolls with the hot tomato sauce and throw it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove and chow down! This is serious good eats!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 49

Jerk Turkey Tacos

This is another example of a typical quick and easy meal I'd make any odd day of the week. Lately I've been making things a bit more spicy than usual... and I've been loving it! These soft tacos are loaded with Jerk Seasoning. I used quite a bit... enough to make your nose run a little, but oh man were they good! I picked up the Jerk Seasoning while in Ochos Rios - and when I took my first bite of soft taco, I was instantly transported back to the beach in my mind. I love how your taste-buds can do that:) Feel free to ease up on the Jerk Seasoning if your sensitive to hot spice, but not too much because then it just wouldn't be Jerk! Ingredients 1 lb. ground turkey 1 can ready to serve black beans Corn tortillas (make sure GF!) 1 small onion (diced) 1-2 cups shredded greens (I used Romaine) 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 3 tblsp. Jerk Seasoning 3 tblsp. olive oil Cooking spray (make sure it's GF!) Directions 127. Empty the black beans in a small saucepan and add the garlic powder and diced onion. Heat on low, stirring occasionally. 128. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the ground turkey. Chop up the turkey as much as you can as it cooks, while adding your Jerk seasoning one tablespoon at a time. What your looking to do is add enough seasoning to color the oil a light orange. 129. Once your turkey is completely cooked, and your beans are warmed through, www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 50

heat a large skillet on medium. Lightly spray each side of your tortillas and throw on the skillet. You only need to heat them till they soften up. Remove softened tortillas, set aside and add more to the skillet (repeat). Fill the tortillas with your turkey, the greens and your beans and go to town!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 51

Tomato and Zucchini Gratin

Here is an example of one of those great dishes that is simple, and naturally gluten free. I made this along with my meals for the week. I loved it! You can use eggplant instead of zucchini (also known as courgettes) if you'd like. There's a couple stages to this one, but it's still easy, and the finished product is healthy and delicious. Enjoy! Gratin Ingredients 2 medium zucchinis, sliced 1 pound of roma tomatoes, sliced 1/2 to 1 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese 6 tblsp olive oil salt and freshly ground pepper Gratin Directions 130. Preheat the broiler (or grill). 131. Place the sliced zucchinis in a single layer on a foil-lined grill rack. Brush the zucchini slices with olive oil and broil for 15-20 minutes, turning once about half way (until golden on both sides). If you overlap your slices a bit, don't worry about it. Not a big deal:) 132. Remove from broiler and set aside. 133. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 134. Toss together the browned zucchini, sliced tomatoes, a little more olive oil, and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Then pile the mixture into a shallow, baking dish. 135. Drizzle the zucchini and tomato slices with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. 136. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and the vegetables are piping hot. Chow down immediately!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 52

Tuna Salad With Black-Eyed Beans and Apples

When I found a similar recipe in a Portuguese cooking book I thought the mix of ingredients were a bit bizarre. I never thought of mixing apples with beans and tuna before. In fact, I was a bit hesitant to make it since I couldn't imagine such an eclectic mix of flavors working well. Boy was I wrong! This salad was a big hit! Everyone I ed it to loved it! It tasted fresh, earthy, and completely healthy. The best thing about this recipe is how easy it was to make. I guarantee you'll be surprised at how good this is:) Ingredients 1 apple (cored and thinly sliced) 8 1/2 oz. of tuna, drained 1 can of black-eyed beans (peas), drained and rinsed well 1 small onion (finely chopped) 2 tbsp. fresh parsley (chopped) 6 tbsp. quality olive oil 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar Preparation 137. Mix the sliced apple, tuna, beans, onion and parsley in a salad bowl and mix gently. 138. Whisk together the olive oil and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl, then pour over the salad. Toss and serve. I told you it was easy! Get ready for some good eating!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 53

Gluten Free Cornbread

Corn bread was the first gluten free bread I experimented with. There are a ton of different ways to make corn bread, but this recipe pairs particularly well with spicy dishes due to its sweetness. A problem that many gluten free breads have is moisture content. A trick I've learned is to simply add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water to every recipe. gluten free flour tends to quickly soak up any liquid you add to it, making it rather clumpy and hard to pour into baking dishes. Experiment a little and add water anytime you are making GF baked goods. You'll be able to see and feel the difference. Another tip is to add yogurt to baked good recipes. I usually add organic vanilla yogurt, but any yogurt (make sure its GF) works well. The following corn bread recipe was adapted from the book: Sundays At Moosewood Restaurant. I thought it was really good, as did everyone who attended my good friend Erika's Labor Day Party. However, next time I'll add more corn meal, as well as freshly ground peppercorns to the dough before baking. Any all-purpose gluten free flour will work with this recipe. Corn Bread Ingredients 139. 2 eggs 140. 1 cup milk 141. 1/4 cup cooking oil 142. 3/4 tsp. salt 143. 1/4 cup brown sugar (optional) 144. 4 tsp. baking powder 145. 1/2 cup yogurt 146. 1/4 cup water 147. 1 cup white or yellow cornmeal 148. 1 cup all-purpose gluten free flour 149. 1/2 cup water (optional, but may help keep bread from being too dry) Cooking Instructions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 54

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, yogurt, milk, oil, salt, brown sugar and water until well blended. Sift in the baking powder and whisk until foamy. Add the cornmeal and flour to the mixture and blend well. Beat it until the batter is smooth. Pour batter into an oiled 9-inch square or 10-inch round baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Chow down!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 55

Banana Bread

Who doesn’t love banana bread!? Banana bread, in my opinion, is one of the easiest gluten-free breads to make. This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. My partner is a big fan of Martha’s cooking, and I’ve got to admit, this book is full of amazing recipes! Martha Stewart can seriously cook! I often use my own gluten-free flour mix with various banana bread recipes, but I decided to try out Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Mix. It came out great, and was devoured quickly by my friends and co-workers. Feel free to experiment and use my own flour mixture below. I’m sure you’ll be happy either way. The Following gluten-free flour recipe was adapted from the book The GlutenFree Gourmet Cooks Fast And Healthy by Bette Hagman. Gluten Free Flour Mix 3 cups white rice flour 1 cup potato flour ½ cup tapioca flour 2 tsp xanthan gum Banana Nut Bread Ingredients 150. 3 cups Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Mix 151. ½ tsp baking powder 152. ¾ tsp sea salt (or regular table salt) 153. 2 cups sugar 154. 2 tblsp pure vanilla extract 155. 1 ½ cups ripe mashed banana (3-4 medium sized) 156. 1 cup diced walnuts 157. ¼ cup soy, rice, or buttermilk www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 56

158. 1 cup vegetable oil 159. 3 large eggs Preheat oven to 350º F. Coat two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray (check ingredients for gluten!) and set aside. In a large bowl whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer or hand mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and oil until combined. Use a spatula to scrape the side of the bowl as you mix. Beat in the flour mixture until just combined; add the vanilla, banana, nuts, and milk until mixed thoroughly. Pour the mixture evenly into the two prepared bread pans. The mixture will be soupy. Bake them until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60-65 minutes. Transfer the loaves, inside the pans, to a wire rack to cool for 20-30 minutes. Remove the loaves from the pans and let cool completely. The banana bread can be left at room temperature, if wrapped in plastic, for a little past a week. However, you can also freeze them and they’ll keep for up to 3 months. * Makes two loaves * Try adding a cup or two of chocolate chips to the batter, and some coconut shaving on top!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 57

Apple Butter Galette

I don't spend that much time watching TV, but when I do I typically watch something I can learn from. I'm that much of a dork! This recipe was inspired by a segment of a show on the Food Channel called "Real Cooking." It seemed so easy and fun, that I just had to try it out myself. I decided to experiment with the dough recipe that my Almond Fudge Bars were made with. It worked out pretty well. Being that I had only caught a snippet of the show, I really didn't know what this desert was called. However, I just happened to come across a similar recipe on The Hungry Mouse's blog, and discovered that what I was making was a kind of rustic Galette. A couple weeks before making this delicious desert, I did some shopping at a place called Linvilla Orchards, and picked up a couple jars of Apple Butter. I absolutely love peanut butter and apple butter sandwiches! YUMMY! The galette on the TV show used fig jam for a base, but I wanted to try apple butter. Next time I'll go with the figs. I'm sure you can use any kind of apple with this dish, but since I was born on Cortland, NY, I decided to use my favorite apple of all, the Cortland Apple. When making the crust, make sure that you spread it on well-floured parchment paper. Also, have a bowl of GF flour close by, since you'll need to keep your hands constantly floured to avoid sticking to the dough. The dough will be very thin, so to avoid tearing, use the parchment paper to lift the dough toward the filling. It doesn't have to be perfectly formed, just try to avoid leaving any open holes in the dough.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 58

Galette Ingredients: 4 or 5 peeled, cored and sliced apples 1 tblsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg 1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus a little extra for sprinkling) 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 1/2 cups apple butter 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter 1/4 tsp salt 1 1/4 cup all purpose GF flour or baking mix (I used Bob's Red Mill) 2 eggs Baking Instructions: 160. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 161. Beat the butter, powdered sugar and salt in a large bowl until fluffy. Add flour and mix well. With GF floured hands, press the dough on a floured sheet of parchment paper. Work the dough into a circular shape (10 to 12 inches in diameter). 162. In a bowl, toss the apple slices with 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until well coated. Spread the apple butter into a small circle in the center of the dough. Pile the apple slices onto the apple butter circle (you may have more than you need). 163. Using the parchment paper, lift the dough (one side at a time) toward the center of the apples. Pinch the dough together as you go. This part is a little tricky, so be careful not to create any large tears. Once you have the galette fully formed, transfer (still on the parchment paper) to a baking sheet. 164. Whisk the eggs with a splash of water in a small bowl, and then brush the outside of the galette dough. Sprinkle the egg-coated dough with granulated sugar. 165. Bake for 35 minutes, or until dough is golden. 166. Serve with a couple scoops of ice cream and dig in! 167.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 59

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 60

Hulled Hemp Seed Crisps

Every so often I get a package in the mail, chock-full of gluten free goodies to test out. One day I received a bag of Hulled Hemp Seeds. At first, I had no idea how I was going to use them, but after doing a couple of Google searches I had a few ideas. This following recipe is my first experiment using Hemp Seeds in a recipe. Hemp seeds are actually really good for you. As stated on the Bob's Red Mill website, "Hulled hemp seed is high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids, and an excellent source of protein containing all of the essential amino acids." Of course, being the sweet-tooth that I am, I had to begin my hemp seed experimentation by whipping up some cookies. However, in the future I plan to incorporate them in breads, muffins, and possibly as a crunchy breading for fish or chicken. These cookies were super-yummy! They were a bit crumbly, but melt-in-your mouth delicious. Enjoy! Prep Time: 5-ish minutes Baking Time: 10-15 minutes depending on your oven Ingredients: 2/3 cups brown sugar 1 large egg 1/2 cup butter (melted) 1/2 cup GF Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Mix) 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 cup Shelled Hemp Seeds Baking Instructions: 168. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 61

169. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside (I used cooking spray) 170. Mix together the brown sugar, large egg and butter in a bowl. 171. In a separate bowl, whisk together the GF flour, cinnamon, and shelled hemp seeds. 172. Mix together the dry and wet ingredients until fully incorporated. 173. Spoon mixture onto cookies sheets. Leave about 3 inches between each drop since they spread out! 174. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are crispy. Cooking time depends on the oven being used, so keep an eye on them. You don't want to burn these sweet treats! Grab a mug of soy, rice or cow milk and chow down:)

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 62

No-Bake Cocoa Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Try to say that title 5 times fast:) I love these cookies!!! These cookies have been a part of my life for a long time. I think the first time I had these I was 7 years old. I watched my Aunt Vic mixing the ingredients together in a cast-iron bowl on an antique wooden stove. The smell of the bubbling chocolate potion was maddening. I remember salivating as she ladled the gooey dough onto wax sheets to cool. I must have eaten a dozen at least! I think I eventually crawled off to some dark corner, uncomfortably intoxicated with sugar, and drifted into a narcotic coma. Afterwards I begged my mom to get the recipe. Throughout the years as I grew older, these cookies continued to make their presence felt. Looking back, and knowing how much sugar goes into these, I can understand why my mom didn't make them as much as I would have liked; these are the antithesis of diet food:) But they are soooooo worth it! I've been craving these lately for some reason. This is actually the first time I've made them myself. Knowing my weakness with these little drops of evilness, I strategically cooked up a batch the night before a case conference where I intern. That way, I could spread out the sugar, and avoid putting myself into some kind of diabetic coma. They didn't last long, but I kept a little stash for myself. Actually, I'm going to get one right now... Oh yeah

these rock!

Enjoy Cookie Ingredients 2 cups sugar 1 stick butter 1/2 cup milk 1 tsp. all natural vanilla extract 3 tbsp. cocoa www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 63

1/2 cup peanut butter 3 cups oats (I used Bob's Red Mill GF Whole Grain Rolled Oats) The Process 175. In a medium saucepan, throw together all the ingredients except the peanut butter and oats. 176. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. 177. Remove the saucepan from the heat and throw in the peanut butter and oats. Stir it up good. 178. Clear your countertop or kitchen table, and rip off a couple long sheets of wax or parchment paper. 179. Using a 1" ice cream scooper, or a spoon, drop the warm mixture onto the sheets about 3 inches apart. 180. Let cool for about 20 minutes. Devour!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 64

Cranachan

Last Friday our friends Joy and Jason came over for a dinner party. They brought the booze and I provided the food. I ended up making a three course meal. This is the desert I made. It was awesome!! The appetizer salad I made was kickin too, so I'll be sure to post what I made for my next entry, but I just had to share this recipe first. It calls for the use of whisky or bourbon. I'm sure you could just use apple cider/juice and honey instead of liquor, but what fun would that be? Although it looks complicated, this desert is really easy to make, and is completely delicious! This is what I found out through a little bit of research: Cranachan is a traditional Scottish dessert. It's usually made from a mixture of whipped cream, whisky, honey and fresh raspberries mixed with toasted oatmeal. Cranachan was originally a summer dish consumed around harvest-time. However, it's now likely to be served year round during special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and especially weddings. Cranachan Ingredients 4 tbsp. honey 3 tbsp. whisky or bourbon 3/4 cup oatmeal (make sure it's certified gluten free!) 1 1/4 cups heavy cream 2 cups raspberries 1 tbsp. sugar splash of water

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 65

Cooking Directions 181. Add the honey and whisky together in a small pan. Heat the mixture on low, stirring frequently, until warmed through. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. 182. Preheat the broiler. Spread the oatmeal in a shallow layer in a grill pan and toast. Stir occasionally, making sure not to burn the oatmeal (which is very easy to do!). Remove from broiler once browned. Set aside to cool. 183. Using a hand-held electric mixer, whip the heavy cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form, then gently fold in the oatmeal and the honey/whisky mixture. Mix until well combined. 184. Put a small handful of raspberries aside and begin layering your glasses or small bowls with alternating layers of raspberries and the cream mixture. Top with raspberries for decoration. 185. Smash up the remaining raspberries in a small cup with a splash of water and the sugar until saucy. Dribble this raspberry sauce over the prepared Cranachan and then place in the fridge for about 15 minutes. 186. Serve it up and enjoy every bite. You'll love it! Serves 4

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 66

Chocolate Kiss Cookies

The following cookie recipe uses Hershey's Kisses. It’s adapted from one of my favorite cookie books: HERSHEY'S Classic Recipes. According to this link: "GF Candy Database" and other sources, Hershey's Kisses are gluten free. However, as with most products coming from huge factories, there is a slight chance of cross-contamination. Now I've never had a negative reaction to Hershey's products, if you are worried about it, or have an extremely sensitive system, simply replace the kisses with chunks of your favorite GF chocolate. Be prepared, because this one is messy! Chocolate Kiss Cookie Ingredients 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 1 tsp. all natural vanilla extract 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1 2/3 cup all purpose gluten-free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill) 1/4 cup baking cocoa 1 cup pecans, finely chopped 1 bag (9 ounces) Hershey Kisses (or chocolate chunks) Powdered sugar Baking Directions 187. Beat the butter, granulated sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy. 188. Mix the flour and cocoa, then gradually add the creamy butter mixture. Beat until blended. 189. Add the pecans and incorporate. 190. Refrigerate the dough for about an hour, or until it's firm enough to handle. 191. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. 192. Remove the wrappers from the Hershey's Kisses (or cut chocolate into 1/2 inch chunks). Mold about a tablespoon of cookie dough around each piece of chocolate, making sure to cover completely in order to shape it into a ball. 193. Place each cookie dough ball onto ungreased cookie sheets, about 3 inches apart. 194. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until dough appears set. Remove from oven www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 67

and cool for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks. Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar (optional).

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 68

Golden Raisin Pumpkin Squares

This recipe is an adaptation of my banana bread recipe. Just like the original banana bread recipe, I cooked it until a toothpick inserted in the center came out clean. I sliced up some small square samples and handed them out. After the first bite I was in love. At first I didn't know what to call it. It's texture was kind of like a cross between bread pudding, a slice of pie and a brownie. And boy was it good! It was hard not eating the entire pan in one sitting, I'm not even joking. It became one of those situations where you make compromises with yourself regarding how much more you'll allow yourself to eat, or, how much longer you'll make yourself wait for the next slice. This is how it was when it was still warm: completely, and seductively sinful! Well, at least it was to me at that moment in time:) But seriously, this is yummy! Make it, you'll love it! That is, if you have a throbbing sweet tooth and love the taste of pumpkin and golden raisins. My mom hooked me up with the red plate and insisted on adding a dab of fluff:) Recipe Ingredients 3 cups gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Mix) 1/2 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp sea salt (or regular salt) 2 cups white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 tblsp pure vanilla extract 1 1/2 to 2 cups canned pumpkin 2 cups golden raisins 1/4 cup soy, rice, or buttermilk 1 cup vegetable oil 3 large eggs Baking Instructions 195. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 196. Coat a 13" by 9-ish" baking pan with cooking spray (check ingredients for

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 69

gluten) and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 197. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer or hand mixer, beat the eggs, sugars and oil until combined. Beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Next, mix in the vanilla, pumpkin, golden raisins, and milk. 198. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick entered into the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool. Grab some whip cream and go to town!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 70

Double Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies

A little over a week ago, I found myself trying to figure out what to bring to a foodie gathering being held in the home of fellow food bloggers, Messy and Picky. Although I had never met Messy and Picky, I knew the foodie in charge of sending out the invitations. Her name is "E" and she writes the blog, "Foodaphilia." With very little time to prepare, I whipped up a bowl of Golden Sunshine Quinoa Salad, using Bob's Red Mill Organic Quinoa, and a batch of cookies based on my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I brought my partner Mindy, and my good friend Erika along with me for the ride. When I entered, I found a beautiful home filled with complete strangers, talking, drinking and eating. They were mostly surrounding a table displaying a wondrous banquet of food. As we began to intermingle with the guests, I discovered that I knew another person in the crowd. I began to chat it up with Lauren, the author of the food blog "I'll Eat You." Lauren, E, and I had all met previously during a dinner gathering for Foodbuzz featured publishers, at Fork Restaurant in Philadelphia. Throughout the evening, I ate a ton of great food, tasted a variety of wines, and met many cool people. One of the people I chatted up happened to be a food writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer. He ended up mentioning me and my blog in his article "On the Side: Live and in person, the food bloggers munch." Thanks Rick Nichols!!! We left the party with full stomachs, healthy buzzes, and a sense of excited anticipation for the next gathering. The Double Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies I whipped up in a flash ended up being quite tasty! I used Trader Joe's brand Organic Creamy Peanut Butter, but feel free to use any GF peanut butter you like. It's hard to go wrong with the www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 71

ingredients in these cookies:) Cookie Ingredients: 2 sticks softened, unsalted butter 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp sea salt 3 tsp pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs 2 1/5 cups gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Flour) 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 cup pure cocoa powder 3 cups chocolate chunks or chips (make sure they're GF!) 1 cup natural peanut butter Baking Directions: 199. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 200. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugars, salt and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the egg. Scrape the bowl using a spatula as it mixes. 201. In a small bowl, whisk together the GF flour, cocoa and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just absorbed. Remove the mixture from the electric mixer and incorporate the chocolate chunks with a strong spoon or spatula. 202. Using a 1-inch ice cream scooper, drop dough balls about 3 inches apart onto non-greased baking sheets. Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until centers no longer appear moist. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. Grab a tall glass of milk (or soy milk), kick back, and chow down!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 72

Chocolate Marshmallow Rice Chex Bars

One of the staples of bake sales across the country, Rice crispy treats have to be one of the easiest sweets to make. Unfortunately rice crispies contains malt flavoring, and malt contains gluten, therefore completely off-limits to celiac sufferers. Fortunately, there is ONE name brand cereal that has gone gluten free: Rice Chex. I wrote a blog a while ago about Rice Chex going gluten free, here is the link "Rice Chex Article." This is my first experiment making cereal bars with Rice Chex. It's basic, super fast, and most importantly, EASY. As far as the Marshmallows go, I've found most brands to be gluten free like Kraft Jet Puffed, but check the ingredients. Experiment by adding coconut flakes, nuts, M&Ms, or substitute any other gluten free cereal in this recipe. I brought these into work. They were very popular:) Ingredients 6 cups of Rice Chex (no other Chex products are GF, YET) 1 cup of chocolate chunks/chips (make sure GF) 1 pound bag of Marshmallows (any size) 1 1/2 sticks butter Cooking Directions 203. Throw the butter in a big pot over low heat until melted. 204. Add the marshmallows and stir consistently until completely melted (10 minutes or so). 205. Add the chocolate and the Rice Chex, stir until the cereal is completely coated. 206. Scoop out the mixture and press into an 8" x 12" pan. Press to compact. Place

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 73

in fridge to cool. Once cool, slice into squares and chow down!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 74

Iced Lemon-Pistachio Biscotti

Ever since I began writing my gluten free cooking blog, I've been constantly learning. Not only have I been learning how to cook better, but also more effortlessly. It's so true what they say about practice; the more you do something the easier it gets. I've always loved to cook, but I used to be more cautious with culinary experiments. Partly due to economical reasons (it's expensive to burn up prime cuts of meat), but mostly because I had no real push to improve. This blog has motivated me to expand my ability to create amazing meals and deserts, and I'm loving it! I've been learning how to make things I never thought I'd attempt, like cheesecake, fudge, and BISCOTTI. Did I mention that I love biscotti. I've caught the joy-of-cooking bug, and hope I'm eternally afflicted. Although I don't have any kids yet, I can imagine how hard it would be for busy parents to find the motivation to get creative with cooking. However I think it's important to try. Turning any meal into a communal experience helps people bond in a special way. Allowing the kids to pitch in makes it a family event that always has a happy ending (EATING!). Patterns and predictability can be comforting at times, but they can also stagnate. Personally, there is something about exploring the world of edible art that gives me a truly visceral sense of being human. Now onto the recipe... The only laborious part of the following recipe was grating the lemon zest. I did end up doubling the recipe so I had enough to share with my co-workers, which made the zesting process twice as long, but completely worth it. The flavor the lemon zest adds to the biscotti is irreplaceable. I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Mix, but feel free to use any GF baking mix you prefer.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 75

Biscotti Ingredients 1/3 cup softened butter 2/3 cup sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 2 eggs 1 tsp. natural vanilla 2 cups gluten free flour 4 tsp. finely grated lemon peel (ZESTY!!!) 1 1/4 cups unsalted pistachio nuts Lemon Icing Ingredients 207. 1 cup sifted powdered sugar 208. 1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel 209. 2 tblsp. milk, soy milk, or lemon juice Biscotti Cooking Directions Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets and set aside (I used cooking spray). Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Using an electric mixer and a large bowl, beat the butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, baking power, and salt. Beat until combined, occasionally scraping the sides. Then beat in the eggs and vanilla until fully incorporated. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Add what's left of the flour and mix by hand. Stir in the shredded lemon peel and pistachio nuts. Divide the dough in half, and using well floured hands, shape each portion into 8-inch long rolls. Flatten them down a bit until they are about 2 1/2 inches wide and an inch thick. Place at least 3 inches apart on your prepared cookie sheets and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and tops have cracked. Remove from oven and cool on the cookie sheet(s) for 30 minutes. Take a serrated knife and cut each roll diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Place slices cut side down on the cookie sheets. Lower the oven to 325 degrees F.. Bake biscotti for an additional 8 minutes and remove from oven. Turn each slice over and return to the oven for a final 9-10 minutes, or until dry and crisp (be careful not to burn them!). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Once cool drizzle with lemon icing and chow down! Lemon Icing Directions In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, lemon peel, and chosen liquid until it reaches a drizzling consistency. How easy is that?! Enjoy!!!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 76

Double Chocolate Biscotti

Biscotti has lost it's intimidation factor with me. I used to think it was so hard to make, that only expert bakers could pull it off. I now know that biscotti has to be one of the easiest baked goods to create, and the possibilities are endless! I decided to quiet the angry chocolate monkey that is persistently on my back, by giving this recipe a double dose of cocoa. Any high grade baking cocoa is usually safe from gluten, but it's important to read the ingredients in your chocolate chips for things like "modified food starch," "maltodextrin," and "malt flavoring." As a rule of thumb, the higher quality the chocolate chips/chunks, the less likely they'll contain fillers. Chocolate is perfect by itself! Why anyone would contaminate good chocolate with artificial flavors and gluten-containing fillers is beyond me; but it basically comes down to money. The less actual food ingredients it contains, the cheaper it will be to produce. In this recipe, you can use chocolate chips or chunks depending on your preference. You can also melt chocolate and coat the tops of each piece after the biscotti cools, thereby making it a triple chocolate biscotti! However you do it, experiment and have fun with it:) Food is all about sharing and sensual pleasure. The joy is not only in eating the food, but also smelling it and looking at it. Enjoy yourself, because that's what it's all about! Double Chocolate Biscotti Ingredients 1/2 cup softened butter 2/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tsp. baking powder 2 eggs 1 3/4 cups all purpose gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill) 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips or chunks

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 77

Baking Instructions 210. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 211. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside (I use canola oil spray) 212. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl, and with your electric mixer, beat the butter on med to high speed for 35-ish seconds. 213. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder to the mix. Beat until combined, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to get it all incorporated. 214. Beat in the eggs until combined, and then as much of the flour as you can before it gets too clumpy. Remove the mixer and stir the remaining flour by hand. Stir in the chocolate chunks or chips. 215. Shape the dough into two 9-inch long rolls. Place the rolls on the prepared cookie sheets and flatten them slightly so that they're about 1/2 to 1-inch thick. 216. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 hour. 217. Using a serrated knife, cut each roll diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Place the slices, cut sides down, onto an ungreased cookie sheet. 218. Bake at 325 degrees F. for around 8 to 9 minutes. 219. Turn the slices over and bake for an additional 7 to 9 minutes, or until dry and crisp (be careful not to burn them!). 220. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Make a cup of coffee for dipping purposes and enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 78

Espresso Swirl Cheesecake

This is only the second time I've been able to enjoy cheesecake in nearly three years! The first time, was while visiting Cairns, Australia at a place called Fusion Organics. It was a huge slice of delicious pumpkin cheesecake. Before Celiac, I was a huge fan of cheesecake. Especially strawberry cheesecake! However, I never really understood what it took to make one. I figured it must be very complicated, and due to its richness, figured it must be loaded with some form of gluten. Although many cheesecake recipes call for a small amount of flour, you can easily replace it with GF flour. In addition, it's actually very easy to make; the only part typically containing gluten is the crust. Now the only challenge will be to limit how many varieties I'm going to make in a given year, so that I can continue to fit into my clothes. Although I absolutely love fresh strawberry cheesecake, I decided to try something a little different. For the crust, I processed a package of Pamela's Chocolate Chunk Cookies. I suggest using two packages. I only used one, and did not have enough cookie crumbs to fill the sides of the pie pan. You can actually use any kind of gluten free cookie you'd like. The possibilities are endless. Be creative and have fun with it. Because unlike other forms of creative expression, with culinary arts, you get to eat your masterpieces:) And I loved eating this one! INGREDIENTS 1 package (9 to 12 oz) gluten free cookies 1 1/2 cups sugar, plus a tblsp 6 tblsp butter 1 stick melted butter 3 tblsp instant espresso coffee powder (divided) 4 (8 oz) cream cheese packages, softened 1/3 cup gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour) 7 eggs, whisked up

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 79

1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy or whipping cream 2 tblsp pure vanilla extract 2 oz bittersweet chocolate or 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips BAKING DIRECTIONS 221. On bottom rack in oven, place a pan half filled with water (this keeps the cheesecake from getting too dry), and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 222. Throw the cookies and a tablespoon of sugar into a food processor and grind up. Set aside. 223. In a small saucepan, melt 6 tblsp of butter, then add 1 tblsp instant espresso. Stir until dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the cookie mixture. Into a 9-inch pie pan, press the crumb mixture onto bottom and up the sides. 224. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, flour and melted butter until it's all mixed and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs, cream and vanilla until smooth. Set aside 1 cup batter. Pour the rest of the batter into the prepared pan. 225. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate on HIGH for 1 minute or until chocolate is melted. Stir chocolate until smooth, and then stir in the remaining 2 tblsp instant coffee until dissolved. Stir chocolate mixture into the cup of remaining batter until blended. Drop mixture by tablespoon onto the batter and swirl with a knife. 226. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until edges are golden. Without opening the oven door, turn the heat off and let cheesecake stand in oven for 30 more minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate over night. Best if made 24 hours ahead. Cut yourself a huge slice and Enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 80

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Here's another recipe in celebration of the mighty pumpkin. I just love the fall! There's nothing better than autumn hikes, crisp air scented with fallen leaves, followed by hot, spiced apple cider shared among friends and family:) These cookies are soft and moist like little cakes, and are alive with the tastes and smells of Thanksgiving. They are also very easy to make. I've used an electric mixer, and then made them again by hand just to get an arm workout. You'll love the smells that fill your home while these bake. It creates an amazing feeling of comfort, and fills your head with memories of past holiday feasts. Besides being absolutely yummy, these are actually quite healthy. You can cut the sugar in half and still have a great cookie. These are made to be shared. Enjoy! Ingredients 1/2 cup softened butter 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 large egg 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree 2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour (I used "Bob's Wheat Free") 1 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. ground clove 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup raisins www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 81

1 cup chopped walnuts

Baking Instructions 227. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 228. Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray (make sure it's GF) 229. In a medium size bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. 230. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree. 231. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and clove. 232. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat well to combine. Add the raisins and nuts in two batches, mixing between additions. 233. Drop by tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 20 minutes until set, not browned. 234. Transfer to cooling racks. Harvest and enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 82

Almond Fudge Shortbread Squares

Yes, these are gluten free. And yes, these are freaking delicious!!! This was the first time I've made fudge, and I found it easy and fun. I also liked the hands-on aspect of pressing the shortbread dough into the pans. The process was a bit messy, but messy is fun! I can totally see using this short bread dough as a cheesecake crust in the near future. Possibly Pumpkin Cheesecake?! For flour, I used "Bob's Red Mill Wheat Free Biscuit & Baking Mix." I used an artificial Almond extract which had vanillin in it. From everything I've read, vanillin is gluten free. But for a link to a dialogue on the topic, click here. I really wanted all natural almond extract, but hey, you've got to work with what you can get. I ended up doubling this recipe so that I would have enough to share with my coworkers during our Friday training workshop. I had WAY more than enough! I ended up sharing with my partner's coworkers, as well as my neighbors, and still had enough to contribute to my gut-building process. Beware! These are habit forming! Makes 24 to 36 Bars Ingredients 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 1 1/4 cups all purpose gluten free flour or baking mix 1 (12 oz.) package Semi-Sweet chocolate chips (check the ingredients for gluten) www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 83

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 tsp. almond extract Sliced almonds (toasted optional) Baking Directions 235. Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. 236. Beat the butter, sugar and salt in a large bowl until fluffy. Add flour and mix well. With GF floured hands, press the dough evenly into a greased (vegetable oil sprayed) 13 x 9 inch baking pan. You many need to flour your hands repeatedly. 237. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. 238. Melt chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat once all the chips have melted and stir in the almond extract. 239. Quickly and evenly spread the chocolate mixture over the baked shortbread. Garnish with the sliced almonds and press them down into the chocolate with your hands. 240. Throw it in the fridge and let cool for a few hours (or until firm). 241. Cut into bars. Store covered at room temperature. 242. Eat up and enjoy with a tall glass of milk (or soy milk)

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 84

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

I scoured through my cookbook library looking for the simplest way to make coconut macaroons, and found this easy recipe in the book: "The American Test Kitchen Family Cookbook". On my last day of our student-placement orientation, we were required to bring something in for a pot-luck lunch. I knew I wanted to offer something sweet, but I didn't have a lot of time to make it. These cookies were exactly what I was looking for. Some of my earliest childhood memories involved hot sand beaches, palm trees, air-boats, hunting alligators and eating fresh cut coconuts. Some people have issues with the texture of coconut, but I happen to love it. And of course, everything is better with chocolate! Although I didn't do it for the macaroons pictured, one way to remedy the stringy texture often associated with macaroons, is to first pulse the shredded or flaked coconut in a food processor. Than way it ends up more like a coconut meal. To make sure that they are nice and moist, just cover the final mixture with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for a while. The longer the coconut has to soak up the egg whites, the softer the end product. As far as the egg whites are concerned, I found it much easier to just buy a carton of liquid egg whites. Why waste all that yolk? These were a big hit with my coworkers, as well as with my partner's. I even had people tell me that they don't like coconut, but loved eating these. It just goes to show you, it's all about quality and presentation. Coconut lovers beware, these are seriously habit forming. I've given most of them away, just so I don't eat them all myself! Ingredients 5 cups (20 ounces) sweetened shredded or flaked coconut 8 large egg whites (or 1 1/2 cups) 1/2 cup sugar www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 85

1/2 tsp. pure almond extract (or vanilla) 1/2 tsp. salt chocolate morsels (make sure they're GF) Cooking Directions 243. Put all the coconut into a large bowl. 244. Place the egg whites, sugar, salt, and almond extract into a mixer on medium high until light and foamy. 245. Stir the egg mixture into the bowl of coconut and combine well. Wrap the bowl in plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator for at least 1/2 an hour. 246. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly coat with vegetable oil spray. 247. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 248. Either use a 1-inch ice cream scoop, or wet your hands and roll the coconut mixture into tablespoon-sized balls. Space the coconut balls about 1 inch apart. 249. Bake the macaroons for 8 minutes, and then switch and rotate them in the oven. Bake for another 8 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown. You may have to cook them longer. If you under-cook these, they'll fall apart when you try to handle them (and especially when dipping them in chocolate). 250. Let the macaroons cool completely on the baking sheet (about 30 minutes). 251. Once the macaroons are cool, place sheets of wax paper on a table. Fill a microwavable bowl with chocolate morsels and microwave for bursts of 30 seconds at a time, being sure to stir often. 252. When your bowl of liquid chocolate is ready, simply dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate and place on the sheets of wax paper to cool. It may take a while for the chocolate to solidify on the bottom of the macaroons, so cover them with plastic wrap while cooling to keep their insides moist. Eat and be merry!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 86

M&M Cookies

This recipe combines two of my favorite sweets: M&Ms and Chocolate Chip Cookies (CCCs)! M&M cookies are simply any CCC recipe where you substitute the chocolate chips with M&Ms (try using Peanut M&Ms with this. YUM!). I'm pretty sure that M&Ms are gluten free. Every time I surf the web I find lots of data to back that up. However, when I was in Australia I picked up a pack of Peanut M&Ms and as I was reading the ingredients, I discovered that "wheat flour" was listed. I quickly spit out my half-chewed candy and tossed the rest of the bag to my friend Damian. What would be the purpose of adding wheat flour? Thinking it had something to do with them being "Peanut M&Ms," I examined a plain M&M bag and discovered the same thing. So the whole time I was in the land down under, I was deprived of one of my favorite snacks. But no longer!! This particular recipe was adapted from the "Nestle Toll House, best-loved Cookies" book. I love this book! It has 70 of their most requested cookies, bars and brownies, making it a treasure chest for the sweet-toothed. Make a bunch of these and share. People will love you for it! You can use absolutely any all-purpose GF baking mix for this, but I used the flour concoction below. The Following gluten-free flour recipe was adapted from the book The GlutenFree Gourmet Cooks Fast And Healthy by Bette Hagman. Gluten Free Flour Mix 3 cups white rice flour 1 cup potato flour ½ cup tapioca flour

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 87

2 tsp xantha Cookie Ingredients 253. 2 1/4 cups gluten free flour 254. 1 tsp. baking soda 255. 1 tsp. salt 256. 1 cup butter (softened) 257. 3/4 cup granulated sugar 258. 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 259. 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (make sure it's GF!) 260. 2 eggs 261. 2 cups chocolate chips 262. 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional) Cooking Instructions (for about 4 dozen cookies) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each one until well combined. Gradually mix in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and the chopped walnuts (if you're into nuts). Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop (or spoon), drop onto an ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes, and then transfer to cooling rack. Share and enjoy:)!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 88

Chocolate Emergency Cake

If you love chocolate, you'll know what I'm talking about. Sometimes you get this deep, almost painful hunger for chocolate. Sometimes it's related to stress, other times not. All you know is that when you start feeling it, a feeling I can only describe as a "longing", you must fully satiate your need. This recipe does just that and then some. With this cake, not only do you get to enjoy moist, fluffy, chocolate Nirvana, it only requires about 15-20 minutes of prep time. After about 50 minutes of bake time, it's just a short wait before you can top your cake with more chocolate-yumminess, and finally knock that pesky coco-monkey off your back. I made this cake for my good friend Erika on her 28th Birthday. She has a problem... it's pretty bad, and fortunately I share her affliction. She should really join chocoholics anonymous at some point, but until then I guess I'll be a real friend and completely enable her. When I asked her what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday, she said chocolate, moist, but not too dense, fluffy, but not to fluffy, and of course, topped with chocolate frosting. I found the following recipe and used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Flour. I also used light mayo. This is my new favorite cake recipe, and probably will be for a long time. It's just soooo good, and so easy to make! You'll love it! Cake Ingredients 2 cups all purpose GF flour www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 89

1 cup sugar 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder 2 tsp. baking soda 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (make sure it's GF) Frosting Ingredients 263. 8 ounces semisweet chocolate 264. 2 tblsp. cocoa powder 265. 1 tsp. vanilla extract 266. 2 sticks of butter 267. 2 cups confectioners' sugar 268. 1 tblsp. instant coffee (optional) Cake Baking Instructions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (f). Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Lightly coat an 8-inch square pan/dish with cooking spray (GF of course). Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, and baking soda together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, vanilla and water together. Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, while scraping the sides of the bowl. You don't want any chocolate to get away do you? No, of course you don't. Smooth the top and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs attached (about 40 minutes). Cook the cake in the pan on a wire rack for about an hour. Now it's time to add the frosting! Chocolate Icing Directions Cut 5 ounces of chocolate up into chunks. Using a cheese-grater, grate up the remaining 3 ounces onto wax paper (or a plate). Throw the chocolate chunks, butter chunks, salt and instant coffee into a small pot on low heat. Stir regularly as it slowly melts. In the meantime, prepare an electric mixer. Whisk the two cups of confectioners' sugar with the cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Set the electric mixer on low and combine the melted chocolate with the sugar. Once combined, increase the speed to med-high and beat until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Final Directions Using a spatula or a spoon, spread the icing onto the cooled cake. Once your satisfied with your paint job, take the chocolate shavings and sprinkle over the cake. I kind of made a chute with wax paper and slowly poured the shavings, like chocolate rain, onto the cake. Get a tall glass of milk (or soy milk) and get ready for a little slice of heaven...

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 90

Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies

Oats scared me for a while. When I first found out what my problem was (celiac disease), the jury was still out on the safety of oats. Soon it was discovered that the reason why so many people with gluten sensitivities had problems with oats was due to cross-contamination. Although that should have made me feel safe, it didn't. Having celiac disease can make you pretty paranoid about what you eat! Nowadays there are a number of companies offering gluten-free oats. The certified gluten-free oats I used for this recipe were made by Gifts of Nature, Inc. But there are a lot of different companies doing GF oats like: Lara Scudder's Oats, Gluten Free Oats, Bob's Red Mill, Only Oats, and Gluten Free Oat Matzos. After making these, I gave them to a bunch of my friends. When I handed my friend Katie a container full of these cookies, she looked at me with a bit of apprehension in her eyes. Katie has to be GF as well, and she too was nervous around oats. I assured her that they were safe, and that I had used myself as a guinea pig the day before and had eaten quite a few cookies without any negative reaction. After the first cookie was slowly eaten, the next few were practically inhaled! I love these cookies, and they remind me of how much I missed eating oatmeal and Cheerios. The following recipe came from the book: Martha Sterwart's Cookies. I used my own GF flour mix for these. You are going to love these cookies! The Following gluten-free flour recipe was adapted from the book The GlutenFree Gourmet Cooks Fast And Healthy by Bette Hagman.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 91

Gluten Free Flour Mix 3 cups white rice flour 1 cup potato flour ½ cup tapioca flour 2 tsp xanthan gum Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookie Ingredients 269. 270. 271. 272. 273. 274. 275. 276. 277. 278. 279. 280.

3 cups GF oats 1 cup GF flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 2 sticks softened unsalted butter 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup light brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract (make sure it's GF!) 1 1/2 cups raisins

Cooking Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer (or by hand if you like that kind of workout), combine the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Mix in the eggs and vanilla and reduce mixer speed to low. Add the oat mixture and mix until just combined. Add the raisins last. Use heavy duty aluminum foil to line baking sheets, or just coat baking sheets with cooking spray. Using a 1 or 1 1/2 inch ice-cream scooper, drop dough balls onto baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden (about 13 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Try not to eat enough to give you a stomach ache, and share with friends.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 92

Bake-Sale Brownies

I've experimented with a lot of brownie recipes, and this is one of my favorites. It was adapted from "The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook." What I like the most about this recipe, besides its brownie-yumminess, is the easy clean-up. By layering the bottom of the baking pan with tinfoil, you end up having a relatively clean pan, and an easy way to get the brownies separated from it. Each batch makes about 16 tiny person brownies, or 9 Trav-size brownies (or 4 depending on the day I've had). It only takes about 10 minutes to prep, and then 45 minutes to bake. The brownies pictured are a result of an experiment substituting my typical GF flour combination (see recipe below), with equal parts Bob's Red Mill GF Pancake Mix. The result was very cake-like brownies. In fact, I think using pancake mix with this recipe, instead of all-purpose flour, would make a perfect chocolate birthday cake. Or, you could pour the batter in a loaf pan and make chocolate bread, and then use that bread to make decadent chocolate french toast! I digress... When made with my own GF all-purpose flour the brownies come out a lot denser; a bit more fudgey. I love them either way! Whether you make these with an all-purpose GF flour, or decide to fluff them up with GF pancake mix, you'll know they are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs. After removing from the oven, let them cool for at least 45 minutes before digging in. I know... the wait is torture.

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 93

Brownie Ingredients 281. 8 tblsp (1 stick) unsalted butter cut into chunks 282. 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped 283. 1 cup sugar 284. 3 large eggs 285. 1 tsp vanilla extract (GF of course) 286. 1/2 tsp baking powder 287. 1/4 tsp salt 288. 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (or GF pancake mix) 289. 1 cup chopped nuts (optional) Cooking Directions Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, so that the aluminum sheets make a big "plus" sign. Lightly coat the aluminum sheets with cooking spray (make sure its GF) Place the butter and chopped chocolate into a small sauce pan and heat over low heat while stirring frequently. It's easy to do, so don't burn the chocolate! While the chocolate is melting, whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. Pour the melted chocolate/butter mixture into the bowl and mix it all up good. Then mix in the flour until no streaks remain. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the top with nuts (or not) before placing in the oven. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached (about 25 minutes with all-purpose GF flour mix, or about 35 minutes when using GF pancake mix). To be safe, start checking it around 25 minutes no matter what. It would be shame to lose these morsels of deliciousnesss to overcooking Enjoy! Maybe even better with a couple scoops of Bryers vanilla ice-cream (it's GF)!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 94

Chocolate Quakes

I love these cookies! They are easy to make, and will completely satisfy even the most ferocious chocolate craving. These cookies are called quakes for the way the powdered surface cracks when cooking, making them look like ground that has been shaken up by an earthquake. This recipe calls for ground pecans, but you can use any nut you want. If you want them to taste even better, slightly roast your nuts before grinding. This recipe was adapted from my good friend Peggy's book "Got Milk: The Cookie Book." I have a lot of great cookie recipe books, but in my opinion, this is one of the best out there! Plus I like endorsing my friends, I'm not going to lie:). GF Chocolate Quakes Ingredients 290. 3 tblsp unsalted, melted butter 291. 1/2 cup granulated sugar 292. 1 large egg, beaten (or egg substitute) 293. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 294. 3 tblsp unsweetened cocoa www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 95

295. 1/2 cup GF flour (Pamela's or Bobs are good, but you can also use my mix above) 296. 1/2 tsp Baking powder 297. 1/8 tsp salt 298. 1/4 cup finely ground pecans (or nuts of choice) 299. 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips 300. Confectioners' sugar

Cooking Instructions Using an electric mixer (or your speedy hand-whisking skills), beat the melted butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla on low-speed until pale in color and thickened, about a minute or so Using another bowl, sift together the cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until completely combined Fold in the nuts and the chocolate chips Chill the mixture for about an hour, or until it's firm enough to handle Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Put some confectioners' sugar in a bowl (for coating) Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop (or spoon), form chilled dough into 1-inch balls and toss into the bowl of confectioners' sugar. Roll the balls around until completely coated and then place about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies have puffed and cracked apart Let cool for 5 or so minutes and then transfer to cooling rack Try not to eat too many of these. Good luck with that!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 96

Southern Style Sweet Potato Bake

I made this sweet-tooth dish for a pot luck dinner at my friend Katie's house. It was real easy to make, and there was a LOT of it! I am aware of how many recipes for sweets I have on my blog, but I just can't help it! I love sweet things! For those of you with egg allergies, feel free to omit or add egg-replacer instead. The eggs help it expand a bit, but has no real impact on the taste of this desert. You can also replace the pecans with any other kind of nut you prefer, or even leave out nuts completely. Although this desert will appease those with the sweetest of sweet teeth, it comes packed with Vitamin A, Beta Carotene, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B6. It also has a good dose of Potassium and Manganese, so you can feel a little less guilty about the sugars and carbs you'll be taking in:) Southern Style Sweet Potato Bake Ingredients: - 4 medium sweet potatoes (yams) - 4 tblsp. butter - 2 tblsp. heavy cream - 1/4 cup brown sugar

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 97

-2

large eggs

- 1/2 cup milk - 1 tblsp. pure vanilla extract - 1 tsp. cinnamon

Topping - 1 cup brown sugar - 1/3 cup gluten free flour - 1/3 stick softened butter - 1 cup chopped pecans (or nuts of choice) Directions 301. Peel the sweet potatoes and place in a medium/large pot of water. Bring water to boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain and put aside. 302. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 303. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and mash them up with the butter and cream. Whip in the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and milk. Smash it all together until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a 13" x 19" pan (or whatever you got) and even out. 304. Combine the topping together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potatoes. Bake until brown, about 35 minutes. That's it. Simple as sweet potato pie! Enjoy!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 98

Corn Bread Biscotti

This was the first GF biscotti I made after finding out I had celiac disease. Actually it's the first biscotti I ever made. It's funny how finding out you have some kind of dietary restriction can bring out your inner chef. Before discovering my gluten-intolerance, I never even thought about making my own biscotti. I figured it was too laborious to make the process worth it, especially since most coffee houses had an ample supply of the stuff. However, now things are much different. Go to any coffee house you know and try to find one that supplies gluten free biscotti, and if you find one, please let me know about it! It must be human nature to always want most, the things you can't have. This is especially true for people with celiac disease. The following recipe is adapted from Peggy Cullen's book: Got Milk? The Cookie Book.. I know, I use her book for almost every cookie recipe, but it's only because her recipes are that good! In her book, she calls this "Thanksgiving Biscotti." Biscotti is a lot easier to make than I though it would be. Once you get this recipe down, you'll have no problem experimenting with a variety of biscotti recipes. Biscotti is simply twice-baked cookies, nothing more. You can use pretty much any pre-packaged GF Flour mixture, but I typically use the flour combination below. Corn Bread Biscotti Ingredients

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com 99

1/2 cup yellow stone-ground cornmeal (check the ingredients for gluten in any form) 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour 1 cup sugar, plus a little extra for sprinkling 1 tsp baking powder 1 pinch of salt 1/2 stick cold unsalted butter cut into pieces 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 2/3 cups dried cranberries Directions 1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Take some aluminum foil or parchment paper and line a heavy baking sheet, or coat the baking sheet with cooking spray. 2) Whisk up the cornmeal, GF flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and mash up until the mixture has a gritty texture. A potato masher works great for this recipe. Or is you have access to one, use a food processor and pulse the mixture. 3) Beat the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix to blend. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture from the sides of the bowl. Add the cranberries and mix until the dough begins to clump. 4) Turn the dough out onto a table. Gather it together and form into a disk. Using a knife, divide the disk into two equal parts. Lightly flour a surface and form each piece into a 12 inch log. Transfer the logs to the baking sheet. Sprinkle the top with sugar. 5) Bake for 30 minutes, or until the logs begin to turn golden. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Leave the oven on. 6) Use spatulas to transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a large knife, cut the logs crosswise and slightly diagonal, making 1/2 inch-thick pieces. Transfer the pieces back to the baking sheet, arranging them cut-side up. Bake for 12 more www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com100

minutes, or until the undersides of the cookies show a little color (don't burn them!). Take out of oven and leave on baking sheets to cool completely. The picture shows how I used some chocolate chips that were leftover from another cookie recipe.

Molasses Spice Cookies

This cookie is from my favorite cookie book, Got Milk? The Cookie Book. This is the perfect Holiday cookie, with lots of the season’s best spices: ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. I used Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Free Biscuit & Baking Mix for the cookies in the photo. They flattened out a lot. When I make them with my simple homemade GF flour (instructions below) they turn out much thicker, more cakey. Either way they come out delicious! I get a lot of requests for this recipe from friends and family. These are also easy to make. The Following gluten-free flour recipe was adapted from the book The GlutenFree Gourmet Cooks Fast And Healthy by Bette Hagman. Gluten Free Flour Mix 3 cups white rice flour

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com101

1 cup potato flour ½ cup tapioca flour 2 tsp xanthan gum

Molasses Spice Cookies Ingredients 305. 306. 307. 308. 309. 310. 311. 312. 313. 314. 315. 316. 317. 318. 319. 320. 321. 322. 323. 324. 325. 326. 327. 328.

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter cut into pieces 1/4 cup dark unsulphured molasses 1 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 egg lightly beaten 2 cups gluten free flour 2 tsp baking soda 2 tsp ginger 2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp cloves 1/4 tsp salt

1) Melt your butter over low heat in a medium size saucepan. Remove butter from the heat and stir in the molasses and vanilla. Put to the side to cool. 2) In a medium bowl whisk together the flour with 1 cup of the sugar, the baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. 3) Once the butter mixture is cooled, add the beaten egg and mix well. Take a rubber spatula and fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until the mixture is firm enough to form balls (around 15 minutes). 4) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 5) Put the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar in a small bowl. Using a 1-inch ice cream scooper, or using a spoon, scoop out mixture and then roll into 1-inch balls. www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com102

Throw the balls into the sugar and coat completely. Place the dough balls on ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches apart. 6) Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the center no longer appears uncooked. 12- minutes will produce soft and chewy cookies, whereas 15-minutes will produce crispy cookies. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for around 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool. They'll last in an airtight container for a couple of days, or freeze them and they'll last a few weeks. Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

I found this recipe while watching the rotating gluten-free (GF) videos I have featured on my blog. You can watch it too by going directly to Gluten Free Cook. The one challenge the cook had when making her husband’s peanut butter GF cookies, was that they were very brittle and crumbly. I used her recipe and added a small amount of Xanthan Gum as an effective binder. The results turned out great! These are some of the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever had, as well as the most easiest to make! Peanut Butter Cookie Ingredients 2 tsp baking soda (make sure it’s GF) 2 large eggs 2 cups peanut butter (natural/no sugar added is preferable) 2 cups sugar ¼ tsp xanthan gum Preheat oven to 325º F. Spray your cookie sheets with cooking spray (check the ingredients), or line the baking sheets with foil. Whisk up the two eggs in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com103

mix the sugar, baking soda, and xanthan gum together. Add the peanut butter to the eggs and mix. Then add the sugar/baking soda/xanthan gum and mix until thoroughly combined. Use a spoon or 1 inch ice-cream scooper and drop them on the cookie sheets about 2-3 inches apart. Use a fork and press them down enough to make a textured surface. Bake each batch for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for five minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack. Enjoy!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe was adapted from my good friend, Peggy Cullen’s book Got Milk? The Cookie Book. I use this book all the time to make amazing gluten-free cookies. Whenever I make these and give them to people, they often tell me they are some of the best chocolate-chip cookies they’ve ever had. When I say that they're gluten-free people often act surprised, as if removing gluten removes flavor. I guess it’s the same thing as thinking no-fat equals notaste… but then again, that one might be true. Yeah, that was a bad example! The point is, these cookies are the bomb! Make them up, and try them yourself. I’m sure you’ll agree. You can use any gluten-free baking mix you want, but I suggest using the recipe I list below. It is the closest thing to all-purpose flour that I’ve come across so far. I use this mixture in most of my baking projects. I’ve also experimented with bean flours, but many have a strong aftertaste. Ahh, experimentation… the key to a happy gluten-free life! Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients 329. 2 sticks softened, unsalted butter 330. ½ cup granulated sugar www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com104

331. 332. 333. 334. 335. 336. 337. 338.

½ cup light brown sugar ½ tsp sea salt 3 tsp pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs 2 1/5 cups gluten free flour 1 tsp baking soda 2 cups chocolate chunks or chips 2 cups large pecan or walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 375º F. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter, sugars, salt and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the egg. Scrape down the bowl using a rubber spatula as it mixes. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just absorbed. Remove the mixture from the electric mixer and add the chocolate and nuts. Mix the batter with a large and strong spoon or spatula. Use a 1 inch ice cream scooper to make the cookie-dough balls, and drop them about 3 inches apart onto un-greased baking sheets. Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. * Makes about 4 dozen * Save some for yourself. These will disappear fast!

www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com105