Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is probably my favorite cookie recipe. It has caramel bits, shredded coconut, nuts, and of course dark chocolate chips! YUMMMMM I usually make this around the holidays, otherwise I would eat them all year round.

INGREDIENTS
1  cup  (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2  cups  firmly packed brown sugar
2  large eggs
1  teaspoon  GF vanilla
2 1/2  cups  GF Flour (Bob's Redmill brand)
1  teaspoon  baking soda
1/2  teaspoon  sea salt
1/2  cup  unsweetened shredded coconut 
1  cup  semisweet chocolate chips (12 oz.)
1  cup  chopped pecans
1/2 cup Hershy's Heath English Toffee Bits


WHAT TO DO
1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

2. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir or beat into butter mixture until well incorporated. Stir in coconut, chocolate, pecans, and toffee.

3. Drop dough in 2-tablespoon (1/8-cup) portions, 2 inches apart, onto buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.

4. Bake in a 400° oven until cookies are lightly browned and no longer wet in the center (break one open to check), 6 to 8 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.

5. With a wide spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool. If hot cookies start to break, slide a thin spatula under them to release; let stand on pan to firm up, 2 to 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.


TIP
Gluten free baking products react a little different when cooking and cooked. They don't rise as much as traditional all purpose flour. These cookies are best the first couple of days, then they get dried out and break apart easily. So here's your excuse to chomp on them asap. Enjoy!

Ginger Steamed Fish with Ginger Soy Sauce

I was looking for a recipe similar to what I had when I was back on Guam for vacation. I had a fish that was steamed with a soy sauce glaze. It was very delicate and light, but oh so good. I found something similar and I think even better!

I found the original recipe from www.EatingWell.com, but made some minor changes. I also served this dish with stir fry veggies with the same ingredients for the sauce.

INGREDIENTS
6 (5 oz.) portions striped bass, halibut or any flaky white fish
6 1/4-inch-thick slices peeled fresh ginger

Sauce
1/4 cup minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup gluten-free reduced-sodium soy sauce
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

WHAT TO DO

To prepare fish: Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a pot large enough to hold a two-tier bamboo steamer. (If you don’t have a steamer, improvise by setting mugs upside down in a large pot and resting a large heatproof plate on top.) Put a heatproof plate in each of the steamer baskets. Place 3 portions of fish on each plate with a slice of fresh ginger on top. Stack the baskets, cover and set over the boiling water. Steam the fish for 7 minutes per inch of thickness.

To prepare sauce: Meanwhile, combine minced ginger, garlic and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Heat grapeseed (or canola) oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger mixture and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add sesame oil; allow the mixture to get hot. Add soy sauce (be careful, it will splatter a bit) and cook for 1 minute more.

Transfer the fish to a deep platter. Discard the ginger slices. Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with scallions. Serve with stir fried veggies.

Nutrition

Per serving: 310 calories; 16 g fat ( 1 g sat , 6 g mono ); 45 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 31 g protein; 1 g fiber; 444 mg sodium; 674 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (74% daily value), Magnesium (31% dv), Potassium (20% dv), very good source of omega-3s
TIP: 
Fish only needs a short amount of time to steam and cook. Be careful not to overcook the fish.

Salmon Poke

I never used to like raw fish, but this recipe changed my mind. It's delicious and keeps you coming back for more. If you get really fresh fish, this dish tastes NOTHING like fish! It's great for an appetizer and even better with beer! Almost forgot to mention that fish is a great source of protein and omega fatty acids (brain food)!!

INGREDIENTS
1 lb.  fresh sushi grade Salmon, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 tsp course sea salt
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 stalk green onions, chopped
1/4 cup Ono seaweed
1 small cucumber, diced


WHAT TO DO
Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate for a couple of hours to make the flavors incorporate, or if you're like me, just eat it right away and......enjoy!

TIP: 
You can use any type of fresh grade sushi fish.

Spicy Turkey Stew

This stew that can be whipped up really quick for those cold nights! It took us about 30 minutes from start to finish!!


















INGREDIENTS
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
2 (4 ounce) cans canned green chile peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 tablespoon ground white pepper
3 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
5 cups chicken broth

Condiments (optional)
Cilantro
Lemon


WHAT TO DO
In a large pot over medium heat, add the onions and garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add the turkey and saute for about 5 minutes until turkey is well browned. Add the chile peppers, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, paprika, and white pepper and saute for another 5 minutes.

Add two cans of the beans and the chicken broth to the pot. Take the third can of beans and puree them in a food processor.  Add this to the pot. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with lemon and cilantro as condiments.

TIP: 
This stew will taste even better the next day, when it has a chance for the flavors to merry together!

Gluten-Free Sweet Pastry Crust

I've been looking for a descent pie crust recipe and I think this does it. As usual, I use Gluten Free (GF) products because I'm gluten sensitive. You can easily change the GF flour for regular All Purpose Flour.

I apologize, I got this recipe online and can't seem to find the website where I got it from. If anyone knows, please let me know so I know who to give credit to. Although, I did alter the recipe a bit.


Makes 2 crusts
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups Gluten-Free Flour (Bob's Red Mills All Purpose Gluten Free Flour)
1/3 cup Arrowroot
1/2 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum (Bob's Red Mills)
8 Tablespoons Butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

WHAT TO DO
In a mixing bowl stir together the flour, xanthan gum, arrowroot and set aside. In a food processor or another mixing bowl, add the sugar and butter and mix until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined. Separate the dough into two portions. Flatten portions into discs, wrap in cellophane and keep in the fridge for at least 1 hour to cool and harden.

TIP: 
I use these crust for sweet or savory recipes, like apple pies and chicken pot pies.

Korean Chicken Bowl

This recipe is inspired by Korean Beef Rice Bowl from www.SteamyKitchen.com. I chose to use chicken because I was lazy to drive to the store and buy the beef the recipe calls for. Besides, the chicken was already in my freezer. It worked out great! My husband seemed to like it.

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp Gluten-Free Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 Tbsp sugar
1 lb chicken, cut up into 1/2" cubes
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup shredded carrots
l small zucchini, diced
2 handfuls of spinach
1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds

WHAT TO DO
Mix all the first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl, large enough to hold the chicken too. Once mixed, add the chicken. There should be just enough marinade to coat the meat.

In a wok over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once heated, add the chicken mixture. Mix and cook for a few minutes until almost cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Then add the carrots and zucchini. Cook for another minute and then add the spinach. Mix the spinach until almost all wilted, about another minute. Add the sesame seeds and you're all done! Serve over steamed rice.

TIP: Make sure to cut the meat evenly. You want to cook everything fast and almost at the same time, so small bite sized meats are ideal.

Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe is great for winter nights. It does take some time to prepare, so to save time, I usually prepare the pie crusts ahead of time and use a rotisserie chicken bought from the supermarket. It's all worth it because you'll be warm for a long while after eating this delectable pie.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup green peas
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrot, diced
1/2 cup melted butter
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup Gluten-Free all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
salt & pepper to taste
4 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
pie crusts for 6" disposable aluminum pie tins

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°F. Saute the onion, celery, carrots, peas, and bay leaves in butter for 10 minutes. Add flour to sauteed mixture, stirring well. Cook one minute stirring constantly. Mix broth and milk and add to mixture slowly. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Stir in salt and pepper to taste; add cooked chicken and stir well. Remove the bay leaves and pour into 6" aluminum disposable pie tins. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly and heated through.

Tip: Make a double batch and store in air tight freezer bags for a 'Make Ahead' dish. When I'm ready for a pie, I just pull one out of the freezer and pop it frozen into a 375°F oven for 50 min. to an hour or until golden and bubbly.