been awhile

Hi All

It has been awhile. I will be posting a new post soon with all Vegan recipes. They were delicious.

Sorry for the absence life has been busy and still unpacking and organizing from the move.

Gluten Free Mini Peanut Butter and Strawberry Muffins

Welcome back to my blog.  It has been awhile.  I apologize for not updating the blog we have moved and am still in the process of unpacking.  Today, however I decided to make Gluten Free Mini Peanut Butter and Strawberry Muffins.  This recipe is based on a Giada's recipe for Mini Almond Butter and Strawberry Muffins.   Here is the link to her recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/mini-almond-butter-and-strawberry-muffins.html?soc=socialsharingpinterest

I adapted the recipe as follows, I used Gluten Free Flour. Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour is finally available in Canada so I tried that.  I am not a fan of almond butter so I used crunchy peanut butter instead.  I also left out the sugar as the peanut butter had sugar and the jam was sweetened with pear juice. I think the amount Giada's has is too high and I do not like an overly sweet muffin.  I might add 1/4 cup of brown sugar or coconut sugar next time. The muffins were good but a little dry.  Next time I make them I will make regular size muffins and put all the jam in the middle instead of on top and in the middle. Will also try with smooth peanut butter.  I bet they would be good without the jam and some mini chocolate chips instead.

All the ingredients ready to make the muffins

Whisk the peanut butter with the vanilla, oil and eggs. Set aside.

The peanut butter mixed with the eggs, vanilla and vegetable oil.

In another bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder together.  Then add to the peanut butter mixture in 2 additions.

The flour mixture being added to the peanut butter mixture

Everything is mixed together and ready to go into the mini muffin pan.

Fill each muffin cup half full with the muffin batter.

The muffin mixture is added to the muffin pan. Filling only half full and now ready for the jam.

Now add 1/2 teaspoon of the Strawberry Jam to each muffin cup.  Then fill each cup with the remaining muffin mixture covering the Strawberry Jam.  Then put the pan in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

The half teaspoon of strawberry jam added to the muffins.

The remaining batter has been added to the muffins and now ready for the oven.

When the muffins are done remove from oven and add 1/2 teaspoon of Strawberry Jam to the top of each muffin.  Let cool and then enjoy the muffins.  Great with a cup of tea.

Out of the oven and ready for more jam on top.

The other 1/2 tsp of Strawberry Jam added to the top of the cooked muffins.

Ready to eat with a nice cup of tea :)

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 Cup Crunchy Peanut Butter

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

2 Large Eggs, room temperature

1/2 Cup Strawberry Jam

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 325 Degrees.

2. Line 24 mini muffin cups with paper liners. Or spray with non stick      spray.

3. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside

4. In another bowl, whisk together peanut butter, oil, vanilla and eggs.

5. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture in 2 additions. Stir only until blended.

6. Fill each muffin cup half-full with batter.  Then spoon 1/2 teaspoon of jam on top of each muffin cup. Then spoon the remaining batter on top to cover the jam.

7. Bake until the tops are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

8.  Remove from oven and add 1/2 teaspoon of jam on top of each muffin.

9.  Once cool enjoy the muffins.  Serve with a cup of tea or coffee.

Sweet Potato Chowder (easily made Vegan)

I have been working on this recipe since January.  It is good to make with leftover sweet  potatoes and leftover roast chicken or even turkey.  It is tasty, spicy and can easily be made vegan by leaving out the chicken.

It is a very fast and easy chowder to make.

Dice onions.  Heat olive oil in a dutch oven and add the onions.  Cook until softened.

Once the onions are softened.  Add the mashed sweet potatoes and vegetable broth  When you are making baked sweet potatoes add a couple of extra and use them for this recipe.

Bring this mixture to a boil.  Then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the corn, coconut milk, finely diced jalapeno peppers and chicken.  Simmer atleast 10 minutes or until ready to eat.  Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.  Depending on the heat of your jalapeno peppers you might need to add pepper and some salt.

When ready to eat, ladle it  into a bowl and garnish with more sliced jalapenos,  if you wish.

INGREDIENTS

2 Large sweet potatoes baked and mashed

2 Tbs olive oil or coconut oil

2 onions, diced

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken

2 cups corn kernels, frozen

1 can lite coconut milk

2 jalapeno peppers finely diced

DIRECTIONS

In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions.  Stir occasionally and cook until they begin to soften. Add the mashed sweet potatoes and vegetable broth.  Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the chicken, corn, jalapeno peppers and coconut milk. Stir and simmer atleast 10 minutes.  Taste for seasonings and adjust if needed.  Serve in a bowl with more sliced jalapenos if desired.

This chowder is delicious on a cold winter day and great at clearing out the sinuses due to the peppers.  ENJOY :)

Gluten Free Hawaiian Sweet Bread and Two Soups

Today the weather was all kinds started with plenty of rain and then dropping temperatures and snow.  So I decided to make two soups and my first attempt at making gluten free Hawaiian sweet bread.

The two soups I made were no set recipe more what I had on hand.  I made a chicken and veggie soup and then a sweet potato chowder with jalapenos.

Sweet Potato Chowder with jalapeno peppers

Chicken soup with vegetables.

While the soups were cooking I made my first attempt at homemade gluten free bread.  I got the recipe from Gluten Free and More.  Here is the link

http://www.glutenfreeandmore.com/recipes/hawaiian_sweet_bread-2561-1.html

Dough ready for its resting time

After the resting period

Egg Wash and ready for the oven

Out of the oven

First Slice

I was surprised at how easy it was to make and how well it turned out. It tasted really good better than other gluten free bread I have purchased.  I will definitely be making this again and trying other gluten free bread recipes. :)

Gluten Free Muffins

GLUTEN FREE MUFFINS

Today I made some gluten free muffins.  One recipe was based on a Nigella Lawson recipe which I made gluten free.  It was alright but I don't like dried cranberries so it wasn't very good.  Perhaps I will fiddle with the recipe some more and use whole fresh cranberries.

The second recipe was Chocolate Strawberry Muffins.  They are so good and moist.  Need some more tweaking but the recipe is coming along nicely.

I will be working on these recipes and when perfected will post the recipes for them also have a few other muffin ideas I am thinking of.


Here are the before and after pictures  of the muffins.

Christmas Morning Muffins GF version of Nigella Lawson's recipe

Gluten Free Chocolate Strawberry Muffins

Until next time have a good day :)

Happy New Year and easy dinner

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  

Welcome to 2016.  Just popping by to wish everyone a happy and healthy 2016.

Tonight for dinner I made Epicure 10 Minute Steamer Turkey Clubhouse Meatloaf ( I absolutely love this recipe so easy and so delicious), Veggie Fried Rice and Steamer baby bok choy. Both the meatloaf and baby bok choy was made using the Epicure Silicone Rectangular Steamer.

Here are the shots of the Turkey Meatloaf.  Top shot is it ready for the microwave and the second shot is once it is cooked. Here is the link to the recipe for the meatloaf.  I love Epicure  products and that's why I sell it :) 

https://epicure.com/en/recipe/4694

The veggie fried rice was easy to make.  I took leftover cooked basmati rice, chopped red onions, chopped green onions, chopped green beans, bean sprouts, and frozen corn kernels, as well as scrambled eggs and tamari sauce and cracked black pepper.

Saute the onions, green beans and corn in oil

Then add the cooked rice, bean sprouts and scrambled eggs.

Add tamari low sodium sauce to taste. Then added more green onions.

Give it a final stir and its ready to serve.

The baby bok choy I just added to the rectangular steamer and added a splash of tamari sauce.

It was a healthy and delicious meal to start the new year off on the right foot :)

I am ending this blog with a photo of my kitchen companion while I was cooking this meal.  She kept waiting for something to drop on the floor but it didn't happen.  Sorry Daisy :)