Well the wait is over, and tonight is the Artists' Gala at the new Alberta Art Gallery. Tomorrow morning VIPs and government officials will cut the ribbon and Edmontonians collective culture level will go up a couple of notches. For my friend, she will finally be able to catch up on some badly needed sleep. I've volunteered to help out tonight, so I've decided to bake her another little treat
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umm, ok... I hope you guys like chocolate
Today I made a stop at the bakery supply store to stock up on the chocolate chips I use for nearly every chocolate recipe I make. Callebaut Dark Chocolate Callets are silky smooth when they melt, have a wonderful taste of real dark chocolate with a beautiful, almost floral hint of real bourbon vanilla. mmmmmm... delicious!
I arrived, however, to find that they have changed the packaging of
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I arrived, however, to find that they have changed the packaging of
Chocolate Sorbet- Vegan and Dairy-Free
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| Rich chocolate sorbet- without dairy. Pass the spoon. |
Two trends are sneaking in to recipe searches this week. The first? Super bowl recipes. You know, guy-style chicken chili and Crock-Pot crowd pleasers. Party food for the Big Game. Guacamole and hummus. Nachos. The second trend is a search closer to my own heart and its tender sensibilities. You may have already guessed it. Because you, Wonderful Reader, are smart, savvy and, well. Let's just gush a minute with appreciation. You are downright fabulous (with impeccable taste and discernment, I might add).
The second big trend is a search for romantic recipes and Valentine's Day inspiration. You're not surprised, are you? (See, I knew you were brilliant).
I'd much rather conjure up chocolate recipes than beans and burgers. Sexy food is more interesting than AstroTurf and lines of scrimmage and backfields in motion. And what the Hail Mary is a down, anyway? First down, fourth down. All these downs and off sides. It makes my head spin.
Recipe Test Night
My sister recently sent me a cookie recipe that she thought I might like. She doesn't cook or bake very often since she moved to Southern California, a bad week of storms and heavy rain have caused her Canadian hibernating genes to kick into high gear and dust off the measuring cups. This was one of the many things she made last week, and I thought today was the perfect day to give them a try.
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Coffee & Dessert... In One!
The other night, hubby and I decided to go out for dinner - a little "date night" to break our usual week-night routine. Well, a new pizzeria opened up in our neighbourhood, so we thought we should give it a try. Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria offers a very different dining experience than we are used to on this side of the Atlantic, and in that way, it conjures up wonderful memories of meals
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On a Cold Sunday Morning
Well, the unseasonably "warm" January weather has passed and winter has returned. Sure, the trees look pretty, all covered in hoar frost, but we're back to layering no fewer than 9 different articles of clothing (yes, I counted) just to get the dogs out for a walk so they don't drive us insane for the rest of the day. Well, on a frosty Sunday morning like this, French Toast is the perfect way
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Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf
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| Quinoa pilaf with mushrooms, scallions and bell peppers. |
New Queen on the Block
In between bouts of rain and nostalgia (I prickle using the word nostalgia, to be honest; it smacks of sentimentality, not a trait I cultivate or suffer gladly, but I'll get to that later) I've been craving quinoa
like there's no tomorrow, as if I'm living in my own post-apocalyptic genre movie
, foraging for nuts and berries on a desert highway in my fashionably shredded mud spattered get-up complete with goggles and chain link bracelets, wishing I had the taut burnished thighs of Tina Turner
instead of my own wobbly, pale set of limbs.Yeah. I'm talking voracious.
Read more + get the recipe >>
For a Friend in Need...
A dear friend of mine has a fantastic new job at the brand-spanking new Art Gallery of Alberta - one of the most spectacular buildings to be erected in Edmonton in years. I envy her. She gets to go to work every day in this amazing place, which is art itself, and look at art, and be around art and on her coffee break she can just go wander around and look at the Degas bronze, or theKarsch
Who needs a chocolate fix?
While it has been unseasonably warm for January in Edmonton, winter is far from over and the urge to curl up on the sofa with a good book and a warm gooey treat is still strong. If I'm short on time or energy, the gooey treat of choice has to be my brownies. They are ridiculously quick and easy to make - you don't even need a mixer! Just a few simple ingredients, a bowl and a stirring implement
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Gluten-Free Chili - Our Favorite Recipe
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Our favorite gluten-free chili- hearty winter comfort. |
FADE IN:
INT. 5TH FLOOR APARTMENT - DAY
A chilly winter light slices into a SANTA MONICA apartment and illuminates every cobweb. (Obviously, a certain individual has been neglecting house work again). Said individual sighs audibly. Glances sideways into the mirror hanging above the kitchen sink cluttered with coffee spoons, grilled cornbread crumbs and half-filled tea mugs. She could never pass for Martha Stewart. Not in a million years.
DISHEVELED GLUTEN-FREE GODDESS
Good gravy. Look at all the dust balls.
STEVE (HUSBAND)
So what. What's a dust bunny or two?
(glancing up from his laptop)
I’ll vacuum later. Or next Tuesday.
DISHEVELED GLUTEN-FREE GODDESS
My hero.
(dragging out the Crock Pot from under the sink)
My hero.
(dragging out the Crock Pot from under the sink)
This calls for chili.
FADE TO BLACK
Mulligatawny Soup with Jasmine Rice
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| Warm up with a bowl of this delicious mulligatawny soup. |
Soup weather has arrived in Southern California. The sky is flannel gray and thick with rain. The streets below are slick and shiny wet. Monday morning traffic sounds are hushed and distant. It is even a bit chilly- for L.A. standards. I am wrapped in a sweater. And I am craving mulligatawny- one of my favorite spicy soups. As luck or fate or Plan B foresight would have it, I had enough ingredients on hand to make my favorite soup for lunch today. A simpler, easier version of my well worn favorite recipe for Vegetarian Mulligatawny. I skipped the cabbage and cauliflower and canned tomatoes this time. And upped the carrots for a fresh tasting, healthy soup.
Read more + get the recipe >>
Sweet Potato Biscuits
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| Tender pull-apart biscuits that are gluten-free and vegan. |
It's January, people. It's still winter. Some folks are shoveling snow. Enough already with the bunny food. Dump the word cleanse from your vocabulary.
Have a biscuit.
Have a biscuit.
You can whip up all the low calorie high fiber cleansing smoothies you want if they help you feel virtuous and powerful and fresh as a daisy. I've got nothing against smoothies. I'm a fan of creamy breakfasts, actually. And I love antioxidants as much as the next gluten-free soul (bring on the blueberries, Buster). But I chafe at the word diet. And should. And so I resist the collective push to declare my commitment with a list of New Year's Resolutions for a Better Me.
If I did make a list, though? It might look something like this.
Top Ten Gluten-Free Goals for the New Year
1. Make more biscuits. I'm serious. Warm, fall apart, tender, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits. Life is too short to live without biscuits.
2. Drink more Champagne. It's silly to wait for a special occasion. Every day deserves Champagne.
3. Walk more. And I don't mean power walk. I don't mean buying a pedometer. I mean walk as in stroll. Amble. Look at the sky. People watch. Notice the way the late afternoon sun resembles the color of honey.
4. Play around with some donut recipes. Start with those old fashioned blueberry cake donuts that have a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg.
5. Listen to more music. Discover new artists.
6. Dream up a fabulous gluten-free bialy. Just chant: Yes, I can.
7. Go on more picnics. See goal #2.
8. Take more photos. For fun.
9. Stop feeling guilty for (fill in the blank). Just do it. I said so.
10. Breathe, Baby, breathe. Everyone's doing the best they can to get through the day. And those of us with celiac? We're doing double.
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| Sweet potato biscuits are fab with soup. |
Sweet Potato Biscuits Recipe
Make this dough lickity split with a sturdy stand mixer or do it the old fashioned way- with an elbow grease powered wooden spoon.
Ingredients:
In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk them together:
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
(not potato flour)1/4 cup millet flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
Pinch nutmeg, to taste (don't put in too much!)
Add in:
3 tablespoons Spectrum Organic Shortening
1 cup canned sweet potato or finely mashed cooked sweet potato
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
whisked with 2 tablespoons warm water, till frothy
Add in:
3 tablespoons Spectrum Organic Shortening
1 cup canned sweet potato or finely mashed cooked sweet potato
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
whisked with 2 tablespoons warm water, till frothyBeat to combine. The dough will be smooth and sticky.
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Prepare a muffin pan (if the pan is non-stick, no need to do anything). You'll be using 9 of the cups.
Spoon the biscuit dough into nine muffin cups. Shape the tops with wet fingers, if you like (I left mine like drop biscuits, a little rough and bumpy).
Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or so- until firm and slightly golden. A wooden pick inserted into the center will emerge clean and the bottoms will be golden and firm. If in doubt, bake for another 3 minutes.
Pop the biscuits out of the muffin pan.
Indulge while they are still warm. Slather with maple butter, apricot jam, whipped honey...
Makes 9 biscuits.
Note:
I tried freezing a few and reheating them in the microwave. They were not nearly as good. This is one of those recipes you make and enjoy. Live in the now.
All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.
Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.
More gluten-free sweet potato biscuit recipes from food bloggers:
Sweet Potato Biscuits - Gluten-Free at Gluten A Go-Go
Classic Bisquick based biscuits you can tweak to make gluten-free (use a gluten-free baking and pancake mix):
A New Year
Well well, I just checked that my last post was on June!! sorry blog followers, I hope you didn't lose complete hope in me. Life has been crazy around here and I have been super lazy too, I must confess. So, new year, new hopes, new resolutions (I don't believe in that resolution thing, though), more blog posting, less baking because my husband wants to lose some weight, less stress (hopefully), more time to take care of my self.........just a tiny bit more, and most importantly: good health and happiness. I believe that happiness comes when we feel satisfied with whatever God blesses us with, and always be thankful. 2009 was a "OK" year for me, ups and downs but I am thankful for everything that had happened that past year. I am thankful that my family is healthy. Thankful for being around my kids, seeing them growing and happy. Thankful for everything, good and not so good.
I am also very happy to get my first photobook. I was so excited when I saw it. An entire book made out of.....my pastry creations!!! Not be confused : THIS IS NOT A COOKBOOK, it is a photo album put in a form of a book. I just love it! It has my personal favorites, and people's favorites too. Who knows, may be next year at this time I would be writing about my cookbook! what do you think, would you be interested in a SweetAlmond cookbook? would you buy it? (honest question I know). No seriously, If I write a cookbook it would be done with love, a passion put into words and pictures that go straight to people's hearts, eyes and tummies of course. Whenever they open my book, I want people to feel the urge to bake, and be super happy with the result: look and taste wise, nothing else would matter....truly!
I started this year with one of my absolute favorite desserts: Tiramisu. I did not make it as a special dessert for the New Year, we actually don't do anything special on that day. I just had mascarpone cheese for couple days in the fridge and some "free time". I also had this idea of making Tiramisu in chocolate cups for some time in my mind. Plus, I have those printed "SweetAlmond" ribbons which have been waiting for so long to be wrapped around something!! The problem is that I can't stick them everywhere otherwise my photo stream will all look the same!!
This is my favorite recipe, made it over and over and never been disappointed. It is not too sweet, which I like. You can assemble this dessert in one big dish or what I personally prefer, make it as individual servings. In this particular one I built cups out of chocolate and followed the same assembling process. As you know, Tiramisu is best eaten the next day, but a few hours in the fridge would be enough if you can't wait.
16 oz Mascarpone cheese, room temperature.
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 to 1 1/2 cups freshly brewed coffee, cooled.
Lady fingers
cocoa powder and shaved chocolate for garnish
Preparation
1- Combine the egg yolks, sugar and water and cook over a double boiler whisking continuously (you can either use a whisk or a hand held mixer) until thick and light in color. This may take from 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2- In another bowl whisk the cheese to soften its consistency. Add the cooled egg mixture and whisk until well combined.
3- Whip the heavy cream to soft peak and gently fold it into the cheese mixture.
4- Start buliding the Tiramisu: dip the lady fingers in the coffee on both sides. Be careful not to dip them for too long otherwise they'll be too soggy. Start arranging a layer of ladyfingers then cheese mixture and so on. The last layer should be cheese. Sprinkle the top with cocoa powder and /or chocolate shavings and refregirate for a minimum of 3 hours.
Do not forget these important points:
1- bring your mascarpone cheese to room temperature before using.
2- After cooking the egg yolks let them cool down slightly before you add them to the cheese.
3- Do not use HOT coffee to dip the lady fingers in and do not dip them for too long.
4- You have to wait atleast 3 hours before consuming the Tiramisu.
5- Eat with moderation.
Note: for a fluffier tiramisu, you can add two egg whites beaten to soft peak with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Add them to the cheese before adding the egg yolks mixture. Follow the rest of the steps.
This is my favorite recipe, made it over and over and never been disappointed. It is not too sweet, which I like. You can assemble this dessert in one big dish or what I personally prefer, make it as individual servings. In this particular one I built cups out of chocolate and followed the same assembling process. As you know, Tiramisu is best eaten the next day, but a few hours in the fridge would be enough if you can't wait.
16 oz Mascarpone cheese, room temperature.
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 to 1 1/2 cups freshly brewed coffee, cooled.
Lady fingers
cocoa powder and shaved chocolate for garnish
Preparation
1- Combine the egg yolks, sugar and water and cook over a double boiler whisking continuously (you can either use a whisk or a hand held mixer) until thick and light in color. This may take from 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2- In another bowl whisk the cheese to soften its consistency. Add the cooled egg mixture and whisk until well combined.
3- Whip the heavy cream to soft peak and gently fold it into the cheese mixture.
4- Start buliding the Tiramisu: dip the lady fingers in the coffee on both sides. Be careful not to dip them for too long otherwise they'll be too soggy. Start arranging a layer of ladyfingers then cheese mixture and so on. The last layer should be cheese. Sprinkle the top with cocoa powder and /or chocolate shavings and refregirate for a minimum of 3 hours.
Do not forget these important points:
1- bring your mascarpone cheese to room temperature before using.
2- After cooking the egg yolks let them cool down slightly before you add them to the cheese.
3- Do not use HOT coffee to dip the lady fingers in and do not dip them for too long.
4- You have to wait atleast 3 hours before consuming the Tiramisu.
5- Eat with moderation.
Note: for a fluffier tiramisu, you can add two egg whites beaten to soft peak with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Add them to the cheese before adding the egg yolks mixture. Follow the rest of the steps.