Turkey Skewers with Peanut Sauce (GF!)

Photo courtesy Martha Stewart. Recipe adapted from M. Stewart.

Ingredients

• 1 boneless, skinless turkey breast (1 pound to 2 pounds), cut into pieces
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon tamari
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• PInch garlic powder
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (or more to taste)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• Fish sauce, to taste
• Tamari, to taste
• Olive oil, for pan

Direction

1.   n a bowl, brine turkey in salt and water bath for an hour or so (while making rice*).

2.  Drain, toss turkey with sesame oil, tamari, garlic, garlic powder, s&p, and red pepper flakes if desired (not for kids). marinate for 30 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, make dipping sauce.  Whisk together pb, vinegar, splash fish sauce, splash tamari and if desired red pepper flakes (not for kids!), and about 3 Tablespoons water.

4.  Heat grill pan over high. Brush pan with oil, and cook turkey until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve with dipping sauce.  Place on toothpicks for kids.

*Rice - Approx 2.5 cups water for 1 cup rice at high altitude, brought to boil, then let sit at low for about 1 hour.

Boeuf Bourguignon Soup (GF!)

Photo and recipe (adapted) courtesy Martha Stewart.

This is one of those recipes that actually looks like it does in the picture.  Nothing like a Sunday supper full of warmth and comfort.  Makes a lot - perfect to make dinner one night, with leftovers; and freeze the other half for another night.

• 4 bone-in short ribs (2 inches thick, 2 pounds total)
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered or sliced
• 3 carrots, 2 finely chopped and 1 cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 or 3 shallots, minced
• 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 2 strips bacon, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• Dash of thyme, or to taste
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 cup dry red wine, such as Burgundy
• 2 boxes veggie stock
• 2 cups water
• Noodles, rice or potatoes to serve over (opt)
• Garlic bread or baguette with butter for dipping (opt)

Directions:

1. Season ribs with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Coat with cornstarch. Heat oil in a large heavy pot (preferably enameled cast iron) over medium-high heat. Lightly brown ribs on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add mushrooms to pot. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; add cubed carrot to bowl.
3. Add shallots, celery, bacon, and chopped carrots to pot. Cook until caramelized, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste.
4. Return ribs with plate juices to pot. Add thyme and bay leaf. Raise heat to high. Add wine. Cook, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon, until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add stock and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until beef is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
5. Remove ribs. Separate meat from bones; discard. Cut meat into bite-size pieces; return to pot. Add reserved mushroom-carrot mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook until cubed carrots are tender. Season with salt. Ladle soup over bowls of noodles/rice/potatoes and serve with bread on the side.

Fruit and Veggie Wash

For Hard-skinned Fruits and Vegetables:

1. Fill a spray bottle with equal parts white vinegar and water.

2. Then, spray the solution onto your fruits and vegetables; rub it in/scrub it in with a vegetable scrubber; and rinse.

For Soft-skinned Fruits and Vegetables:

1. Fill a bowl with equal parts white vinegar and water.

2. Then, soak your fruits and vegetables in the solution for a minute or two, and rinse.

GF Fudgy Brownies

Soft, fudgy and chewy (or not, depending how long you cook them), these brownies will help any gluten-free person enjoy their chocolate cravings.

Ingredients:
6 T unsalted butter
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fine salt
12 oz (or less) mini semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
opt: up to 1 cup chopped, toasted nuts (pecans, hazelnuts or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350.  Line 8-in square baking pan with parchment paper.  whisk together dry ingredients.  In microwave safe bowl, zap butter and chocolate in 30-second increments until smooth, about 3 times. Stir in sugar and vanilla, then eggs one at a time until all combined.  Add dry mix and stir until all is smooth.  Stir in nuts if desired.  Pour into pan, bake about 35-45 minutes (longer at higher altitude), until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.  Let cool and cut into squares.  Store in airtight container or ziploc bag.

Adapted from: Everyday food

GF Waffles

Delicious, light and fluffy. A saturday staple.  The frozen banana helps thicken it up and adds a nice hit of potassium.  It will seem runnier than "normal" waffle batter, but the trick is to keep the waffle iron super hot and they'll crisp up very nicely.

Ingredients:

1 cup    brown rice flour

1/2 cup potato starch

1/4 cup tapioca flour

2 tsp     baking powder

1 tsp     salt

1 tsp     sugar

1/4 cup oil

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup whole milk

1 frozen banana, defrosted

cinnamon (to taste)

opt: blueberries

Mix all with stick blender.  Spray waffle iron with pam.  Drop by 1/4 cups into piping-hot waffle iron.  Add blueberries if desired.  Top off with a little more batter and quickly close waffle iron.  Cook 5 minutes et voila!

Berry Jam

I've long since wanted to learn to can - without all the muss and fuss. Seemed difficult - and messy - and a lot of work, so you'd need a lot of produce. Somehow I've never found the time, or energy, or inclination, when I can just buy $4 jam at the store. But going shopping yesterday, my favorite jam was gone (this is two months in a row), and everything else had corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup in it as well. Over the holidays Mom mentioned this recipe. Berries were on sale yesterday, so I thought I'd try it. Do you have a favorite recipe (or several) for fruit preserves? If so, I’d love to hear about it! Please use the comment section.

Berry Jam
Yield: about 1 jar. Cooks overnight!

Ingredients:
1 cup berries, packed tight
1 cup sugar (I've also seen the ratio of 2 fruit:1 sugar, might vary that next time)
Opt: Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Mash berries. Combine fruit and sugar, and cook on stovetop until reaches a boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes or so, until thickens a little.
2. Cover and let sit overnight on cooktop.
3. In morning, return to boil. Simmer another 5 minutes.
4. Let cool. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Time Variation: If need same day, simmer 25-30 minutes, being careful that the bottom doesn't scorch.

Fruit Variation: Peach Vanilla Bean Jam. Use 3 lbs peaches, 3 1/2 cups sugar, 1-2 split vanilla beans, seeds scraped, and the juice of 1 lemon. Simmer until fruit is caramelized (could take 1-2 hours). Can and preserve or store in refrigerator.

Source: Mom. Fruit Variation: Annie's Eats.

Christmas Favorites

Here's a list of some of our favorite holiday cookies. More to come in the future!

Favorite Gingerbread Cookies

The secret, I believe, is the lemon icing. Yum!

Yield: 50 cookies or so (depending on the size of the trees, or whether you choose cutouts instead).

Ingredients

• For The Cookies:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses

• For The Icing:

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • Sanding or coarse sugar (optional)

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer or a large bowl (with a hand mixer), beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about three minutes.
2. Add the egg and molasses and beat until blended, scraping down sides as necessary.
3. Place a sifter or sieve over the bowl, and add the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves to the sifter. Sift onto the wet ingredients. Sprinkle over the salt, then beat just until combined.
4. Form into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour, or up to three days. Keeps well wrapped in plastic wrap, in a ziploc bag, until ready to use.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Remove disc from refrigerator, and roll to even thickness. Cut and bake 10-12 minutes.

Photo courtesy of and recipe adapted slightly from: Everyday Food December 2010