Testing Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe from 150 Gluten Free Muffin Recipes

Today I tried a recipe from a new cookbook I have.  Its called 150 Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes by Camilla V. Saulsbury.

There are many great recipes that I cannot wait to try.  Lots of savoury ones which I will try once the peppers, onions and basil are harvested from my garden.

Today I tried the chocolate chip recipe.  Chocolate chip muffins are among my favourite muffins it is very difficult to find a good chocolate chip muffin.  It is even harder now to find a gluten free chocolate chip muffin.  I made a couple of substitutions in the recipe from the book I used half the amount of chocolate chips but used mini chocolate chips and i also added more cinnamon.  The results were the best that I have tried.  Will definitely try the recipe again.  They were a little overdone my fault as I was on the phone when the buzzer went off on the oven.  Also, they were a little gritty but the author did mention that this would happen if you didn't use superfine ground brown rice flour.  I used the brown rice flour by Bob's Red Mill.  I was not able to find superfine brown rice flour here.

The next recipe I will try will be blueberry muffins.  But there are so many to try, Strawberry Muffins,  Dulce de Leche Muffins,  Cheddar Dill Muffins, Ham and Cheddar Muffins,  Canadian Bacon Muffins with Cheese and Chives, Roasted Pepper Feta Muffins,  Rocky Road Muffins,  Ginger Lime Muffins and so many more.

I will let you know how the other muffins turn out.

Chocolate Chip Muffins ready for the oven

Chocolate Chip Muffins fresh from the oven

Chocolate Chip Muffins fresh from the oven

Chocolate Chip Muffins cooling

Delicious with a cup of tea

Hot mug of tea with Chocolate Chip Muffin :)

Ginger Pear Sweet Potato Soup

This is a very delicious recipe I have made it times and finally got it the way I like it.  People who have eaten it have LOVE it. I make this soup a lot throughout the year.


Melt coconut oil in a large pot.  While it is melting chop 1 large Spanish onion and add to the pot.

  

Sweat the onions for about 5 minutes then add the chopped ginger.

Stir the onion and ginger and continue cooking for about 10 minutes.

While the onions and ginger cook together, peel and chop 3 sweet potatoes.  And then add to the pot.

Add half a carton of stock and 3 cinnamon sticks, pepper and salt  Bring to a boil.

Once it comes to a boil add the 3 chopped pears and 1 can of lite coconut milk.

Reduce temperature to low cover the pot with a lid and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender.

When the sweet potatoes are tender remove the cinnamon sticks and then using an immersion blender puree the soup until smooth. If the soup is too thick add some more of the stock until you get the consistently you like.

Heat thoroughly and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Then serve up.

GINGER PEAR SWEET POTATO SOUP

1 T Coconut Oil

1 Large Spanish Onion, Chopped

3 Large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 inches of Ginger Root peeled and chopped

1 Carton of Unsalted Vegetable or Chicken Stock

3 Cinnamon Sticks

1 can of Lite Coconut Milk

Ground Black Pepper

Sea Salt

Instructions:

1.  Melt coconut oil in a large pot.

2. Once melted add the chopped onion.  Sweat the onion for 5 minutes then       add the chopped ginger to it.

3. Continue cooking the onion and ginger for another 5-10 minutes then add       the chopped sweet potatoes to the pot.  Add half the carton of stock to the     potato and the cinnamon sticks.

4. Bring to a boil then add the chopped pears and the can of coconut milk.           Stir and season with salt and pepper.  Low the temperature and simmer         until the sweet potatoes are tender.

5. When the sweet potatoes are tender remove the cinnamon sticks and puree     the soup with an immersion blender.  Adjust seasonings to taste and heat       thoroughly.  Then serve.

new peppers

Just a quick post about the growing of peppers.  Between last night and this morning the mini pepper planter has 2 new peppers growing so its now up to 3 for that planter.  The other pepper planter with red peppers and purple peppers has only one pepper so far.  Also looks like the bunching onions will be ready to harvest soon.  Think they are almost 6 inches tall.

2 new mini peppers are starting to grow

The only pepper so far in this container.  Is it red or purple? Time will tell :)

Crock Pot Pineapple Ginger Chicken

Way too humid today to even think about turning on the oven to make dinner.  So dinner came together by taking what was in the fridge and cupboard and tossing into the slow cooker.  Was pretty good will tweak the recipe in the future but this is how it turned out.

First sliced 1/2 red pepper, 1/2 yellow pepper, 1/2 a large onion.

Trim the fat off 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Cut into chunks and place into crock pot. Season with black pepper.

Once the chicken was in the crock pot I added the peppers and onions. Then I added  a sauce I made up containing pineapple juice from a can of pineapple chunks, brown sugar, vinegar, grated ginger and lite tamari sauce.

Put the lid on the crock and cooked on high for 2 hrs.  Once the 2hrs are up I added green onions and the pineapple chunks.

Stir them in and continue cooking.  Since I like a thicker sauce I let this cook for another 10 minutes and then added a slurry of cornstarch and water.  I let it continue cooking until the sauce is thicken and then serve over some rice.

Next time I make it I would add a little more spice and some more ginger and maybe some greens like baby bok choy perhaps.

Crock Pot Pineapple Ginger Chicken

8 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed and cut into chunks.

1 can of chunk pineapple in juice

1/2 red pepper cut into slices

1/2 yellow pepper cut into slices

1/2 of a large onion sliced

4 green onions chopped

2T lite tamari sauce

2T vinegar

3T brown sugar

2 inches of fresh ginger root, grated

1)  Trim fat from chicken thighs cut into chunks and put into crock pot

2)  Slice the peppers and onions and add to crock pot

3) make sauce, stir together vinegar, juice from the canned pineapple, brown       sugar, grated ginger, tamari sauce.  Add to crock pot.  Put lid on the on the     crock pot and turn on high for 2 hours.

4) After two hours add pineapple and green onions continue cooking on high       for 15 more minutes.  If you like a thicker sauce, make a slurry of                   cornstarch and water, add to crock pot and continue to cook until sauce           has thicken.  Serve over rice.  

Welcome Summer and my container gardening

It is now officially summer!!!  This is my first year having a balcony so I have planted some containers and I will post pictures as I now have a camera my first digital camera.

I have 5 planters on my balcony.  2 are pepper planters.  One of the planters has red peppers and purple peppers. The other pepper planter is mini peppers called cute peppers.  One pepper has started to grow.

Two other planters have onions.  I four different varieties, bunching onions, red onions, spanish onions and vidallia onions.  And the last planter is basil.  I did want some lettuce but couldn't find any.


It should be interesting to see how this turns out.  Can't wait to start cooking with them, I have a funny feeling there will be lots of pepper recipes.  :)

First Tiny Mini Pepper

The combo planter of red peppers and purple peppers.

These are my onions not much to see so far.

Look for future posts of recipes, kitchen items etc.  Have fun this summer and have fun creating recipes. :)

Happy Easter weekend to those who are celebrating and Happy Passover for those who are celebrating.  What am I doing on this Good Friday well I finally unpacked the dehydrator that I got as a housewarming gift when I moved into my apt last Sept.  Never used one before but have a good friend who is an expert answering all my questions.

So I am starting with pineapple, kale, and cranberries.  We will see how it works.


If I can figure out my camera I will post the sweet potato soup I am planning on making this weekend as well.

My newest kitchen gadget.

Product: 12 Piece All In One Food Prep Set


This is my newest kitchen gadget.  haven't tried all the accessories but what I have used is great. The easiest grater I have ever used. Can't wait to make salads and stir frys with everything the same size.


Its from Avon which I also sell.  Now to get back into the kitchen :) :)


Happy New Year everyone.  May 2014 be happy and healthy!!