If You Give a Moose a Blueberry Muffin...

I love blueberries and we have had fresh blueberries in our local store for weeks.  I finally bought some berries and I decided, the half I didn't eat right out of the container, I would use to make muffins.  They turned out very delicious.  This is an easy recipe that you can make during the weekend and enjoy all week for breakfast or for as a snack. 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup and 3 Tablespoons of sweet rice flour, white rice flour, soy flour, and tapicoa flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Blueberries (about 3/4 cup)
Brown Sugar

1.  Pre-heat the over to 400 degrees
2.  Lightly grease the muffin pan (or use paper cups)
3.  In a bowl whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt
4.  In a medium bowl whisk togethter the egg, milk, and cooking oil
5.  Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix well (the batter should still be a little lumpy)
6.  Add the blueberries and stir until combined
7.  Pour the batter into the muffin cups filling about 2/3 of the way
8.  Sprinkle your desired amout of brown sugar ontop of the batter just before you put the muffins in the oven
9.  Bake the muffins between 15 and 20 minutes or until they are a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 
10.  Let the muffins cool on a rack for a short time aften they come out of the oven and out of the tin

You can reheat these muffins or grab them on the go during busy mornings.  It is worth the time to make them before the busy work week starts. 

BBQ Ribs

Have you ever felt like you make the same recipe every time friends come over for dinner?  I do.  At times it feels like all we eat with our friends are burgers or hot dogs.  We knew we were going to have friends over for dinner this weekend and I wracked my brain trying to think of something different and I finally came up with bbq ribs.  It was brilliant!

This is a recipe I would recommend when you have a little more time.  The secret was the fantastic rub.  The ingredients I list seem like a lot but the rub goes a long way.  I saved the extra for next time.

Ingredients:

Rub:

3 Tablespoons salt
6 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons chili powder
3 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 Tablespoons paprika
3 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
3 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

Ribs:
Pork ribs
Gluten-free bbq sauce (I used Kraft brand but check their website and the label since ingredients often change)

1.  Pre-heat oven to 225 degrees (a low temperature)
2.  Rinse and pat ribs dry with paper towels
3.  Mix ingredients for the rub in a medium bowl (I used a whisk to make sure it was well blended)
4.  Rub the ribs with the rub mix on all the sides (Don't feel like you have to use all the rub)
5.  Place ribs in a roasting pan and cover tightly with foil
6.  Bake in the oven for 3 to 4 hours or until cooked through
7.  Remove from the oven but DO NOT remove the foil, let the meat rest on the counter covered for at least 30 minutes
8.  After waiting at least 30 minutes uncover the ribs and cover with sauce and place on a hot grill to reheat and caramelize the bbq sauce (Make sure the grill is not too hot and that there are not flames that burn the meat)
9.  Place both sides on the covered grill for 5-7 minutes

We served these ribs with potato chips and steamed corn on the cob.  They were delicious!

Steak and Spinach Pinwheels

I have made these Steak and Spinach Pinwheels for large gatherings and for just me and my husband.  They are tasty, quick, and go great with baked potatoes or twice baked potatoes.  I forgot to take a finished picture but they still look great not grilled. 

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon

1 1/2 lbs round steak
1 bag frozen spinach (thaw before use)
1/2 cup - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper

1.  Cook the bacon over medium heat in a large skillet
2.  Drain bacon on paper towel
3.  Pound steak with a meat mallet until 1/4 inch -1/2 inch thick (start from the middle and work outwards)
4.  Salt and pepper the steak to taste then lay the bacon lengthwise on the steak
5. Cover the bacon with the spinach
6.  Cover the spinach with the Parmesan cheese
7.  Roll the whole thing up from the short side (the bacon should be laying the same direction you roll)
8.  Secure the meat with toothpick
9.  Cut between the toothpick (about 1 inch intervals I use the thickness of the bacon as a guide)
10.  Grill with the steak side down turning frequently until thoroughly cooked. 

This recipe is a huge crowd pleaser.  It looks more complicated and fancy than it is.  If the directions are not clear please let me know because I don't want you to miss out on this recipe!

Biscuits, Birthdays, and Giant Aspargus Oh My!

The month of May in our household is always a month of birthdays and just plain craziness.  Since my last posting almost a month ago I have been experimenting with a couple of recipes with some success. 

My latest experiment involved making biscuits.  I made a couple of batches and they came out decent but not very fluffy.  I am going to tweak the recipe a little and try again.  Bread is my biggest challenge.  I was never a big bread eater but it is nice to have with some meals.  There are good mixes and frozen breads available but they can be extremely expensive.  I hope to have a successful batch of biscuits this weekend.

May was also a month of discoveries.  With the nice weather my husband and I started doing some serious work to our yard.  We discovered giant asparagus growing up against our house.  Don't ask how we never noticed before because I am talking giant. 

Now, I have a couple ideas for cooking asparagus since it is good and healthy.  I usually like to grill it.

Obviously, it wont work for our giant asparagus but you should try it.  It is delicious!

Decadent Red Velvet Cake

I have wanted to try to make a red velvet cake for a long time and that is why I chose it for dessert Friday night.  I tried to make a red vlevet cake cake with my friend at one point in college and it came out good but this one was better.  The more I cook gluten-free the better I become.

Ingredients:

Cake:

1/2 cup butter softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup butter milk
2 Tablespoons red food coloring
1/2 cup sweet rice, white rice, tapioca, and soy flours
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 Tablespoon white vinegar

1.  Preheat oveb to 350 degrees
2.  Grease and flour 13x9x2 in baking pan or 2 9 inch baking pans
3.  Beat butter and sugar into a large bowlk
4.  Add eggs and vanilla beating well
5.  In a small bowl stir together buttermilk and food coloring
6.  In a medium sized bowl stirl together flours, cocoa  and salt
7.  Alternativley add flour mixture, and coloring mixture to butter mixture
8.  Stir in baking soda and vinegar
9. Pour into prepared pan
10.  Bake for 30- 35 minutes or until done
11.  Cool Completely before frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting:

6 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
milk (if needed)

1.  Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth
2.  Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla
3.  Mix until thoroughly combined (I had to add a couple Tablespoons of milk to mine to make it a little more spreadable)

Yummy Twice Baked Potatoes

Friday night I made dinner for several of my friends.  I made the Enchanting Garlic Herbed Crusted Pork Chops, twice baked potatoes, broccoli with cheese, and a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting for dessert.  We at well to say the least.  The twice baked potatoes were wonderful, I chose to make them because I wanted something more/different than just baked potatoes to go with the main course.  The potatoes really complimented the rest of the meal and were easy to make.  They do take a little longer to make than regular potatoes. 

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes
3-4 Tablespoons milk
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1-2 Tablspoons chopped chives
1/2 cup grated cheese (I used cheddar)
2-3 slices cooked bacon (I cooked the bacon while the potatoes baked the first time)
salt
pepper

1.  Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
2.  Wash and prick potatoes with a fork
3.  Bake potatoes for 1 1/2 hours or until done
4.  Cool for 10-15 minutes
5.  Cut the potatoes in half long ways
6.  Scoop cooked potato into a mixing bowl setting aside the skin
7.  Add half of the cheese and all of the rest of the ingredients
8.  Stir until well combined
9.  Scoop back into potato skin and sprinkle remaining cheese on top place in a shallow baking dish or baking sheet
10.  Bake for 15-20 minutes

Creamy and Hearty Beef Stroganoff

I am a substitute teacher and sometimes I go through periods where I work almost everyday but for the last two days I have not.  As I was sitting on the couch attempting to entertain myself I started thinking about what I would make for dinner.  I was feel experimental and I am glad that I was.  I thumbed through one of my favorite cookbooks looking for a recipe (I usually have to convert them to be gluten-free once I find something I want to make).  I decided to surprise my husband with one of his favorite dishes and something I have never made before, Beef Stroganoff.  I had most of the ingredients so after a quick trip to the store I made one amazing dish.  I encourage you to try it!

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef steak (I used a round steak because that is what I had in my freezer it wasn't the most tender but tasted wonderful!)
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
16 oz. sour cream
1 1/4 cup beef broth
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups mushrooms (chopped)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
hot cooked noodles
salt
pepper

1.  Cut the meat into bite sized pieces and set aside
2.  Chop the onion, mince the garlic,chop mushrooms and set aside with the beef
3.  In a large skillet over medium heat melt the butter
4.  Place the meat in the hot skillet with the butter
5.  Add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms when the meat is about halfway cooked
6.  In a mixing bowl combing beef broth, cornstarch, and sour cream whisking to make a smooth consistency
7.  When the meat is cooked add the sauce in the mixing bowl
8.  Stir thoroughly in the skillet until all ingredients are combined
9.  Cook until the sauce is bubbly and thickened
10.  Add salt and pepper to taste
11.  Serve over freshly cooked noodles (I used Tinkyada shells)