• Home
• About
• Recipes
• Out and About
• Link Love
• Archives
• Support Group & Events

Archives for August 2009

Glorious Fruit Easily

Yep, glorious fruit easily—gfe! You didn’t know there were so many definitions of this acronym, did you? Well, honestly, neither did I, but it came to mind for the creation I made today to help my parents celebrate their wedding anniversary. Made of fruit, this creation was indeed glorious and it came together easily. Of course, it’s also gfe the other way, too—gluten free easily.

I like to participate in Diane’s Friday Foodie Fix over at her blog, The Whole Gang, whenever I can. This week, the secret ingredient is cantaloupe. I enjoy cantaloupe, but I usually only eat it two ways—either cut into slices or cut into chunks as part of a fruit salad. There are tons of wonderful fruit salad recipes, so that was an option for an entry. But, then looking through one of those coupon packages that come in the mail, I saw an ad and coupon for Edible Arrangements. If you are not familiar with Edible Arrangements, they are what they sound like. They are “flower” arrangements made of many pieces of fruit (some dipped in chocolate) artfully arranged as a lovely bouquet. To be honest, when I first saw one of these arrangements, I thought it was a rather silly thing. I wasn’t “in” to eating much fruit back then. However, last year, I received one of the arrangements after an illness. Mr. GFE and I just loved it. It was really attractive for one thing. More importantly though, all the fruit was so fresh; every piece was the perfect ripeness. Mr. GFE thought the chocolate-covered strawberries were wonderful. I thought the chocolate-covered bananas were especially good. (Please note I have no affiliation with Edible Arrangements. I’m just sharing my one personal experience.)

So I started thinking I might make such a creation for Mom and Dad, with cantaloupes, which is a common ingredient in such fruit arrangements, for Diane’s Friday Foodie Fix. I had actually dissected last year’s arrangement when we had finished eating all the fruit. I am always big on re-using whatever I can. I had already recycled the deep ceramic container for a flower arrangement for my mother-in-law. I’d also passed on the nifty “no-spill” box for transporting the arrangement to an overnight guest at our Valentine’s Day party. (Her husband had her Valentine’s bouquet delivered to the party—excellent move on his part … some major brownie points on that one.) When I had removed all the skewers (plastic, but wooden would work) when taking apart the remains of the arrangement, I had discovered that the base was actually a head of cabbage topped by some kale! I thought that was so neat for an edible arrangement. And, of course, since I’ve been making the green smoothies, those are two ingredients I always have in the refrigerator. I also found this video on Edible Arrangements from a Food Network show. It tells all about the company and their practices and shows quite a bit on how their arrangements are made. Their operation is quite impressive, really.

I was going for a fairly simple creation that didn’t require scooping out dozens of melon balls or anything like that. I also wasn’t looking to spend a fortune. (In that regard, although the Edible Arrangements can seem pricey, they are probably a real bargain for all you get and NOT having to make them yourself.) I had bananas and apples on hand, but picked up a honeydew melon, a cantaloupe, some strawberries, red seedless grapes, and some chocolate for dipping. I chose a deep, heavy pottery bowl as my container. Then I cut off just part of the head of cabbage to best fit the bowl and inserted it. At this point, it would have been good to add the kale to cover the cabbage before inserting any skewers, but I didn’t think of that and added it at the end of my work, sort of scrunching it in between all the skewers. Then I melted the chocolate and dipped the strawberries and banana slices (that I’d already placed on the skewers). I set these skewers in tall glasses to harden. I also dipped two apple slices in chocolate, but tried one and decided I didn’t like that combination enough to use any more apple slices. The honeydew melon proved to be pretty ripe and I didn’t think it would hold up well, so I only used a few pieces. (I scooped out the rest into a freezer container for a later recipe.) At the last minute, I decided to use cucumber slices, as all of my family loves cucumbers and I had one on hand. Not a fruit, of course, but they added nice color and had a lollipop/flower look, too.

After about a half hour of arranging the loaded skewers, I was pretty pleased with the outcome. It was not on the caliber of an Edible Arrangement, but it was colorful, healthy, and fun. I’m even entering it as another submission for Kim’s Go Ahead Honey It’s Gluten Free! Chill Out theme because these juicy pieces of fruit are cold and refreshing. (I personally verified this fact as I was sampling the pieces leftover from my cutting as I went.)

Creating such a fruit centerpiece would be quite a fun project to do with children, too … as long as you don’t get hung up on perfection. A few other notes … I was quite happy I’d gotten the grapes because stacked on the skewers they provided a nice look on their own, but I also used them to cap off any skewers on which the fruit slid down. I used some of the plain strawberries this way, too. I also didn’t hesitate to stack some combinations, like chocolate-covered bananas and chocolate-covered strawberries.

To go with this gfe creation, I found the perfect card in my card box. (I have a special box of cards for all occasions. I buy cards I love throughout the year and just add them to the card box. Some cards can be used for any recipient; others are bought with certain people and occasions in mind.) This card was sappy. I don’t often give sappy cards, and when I do they have to be for just the right person. I believe a good laugh is usually much better—last year I gave Mom and Dad a giant Roy Rogers and Dale Evans card that said something about still “being in the saddle together after all these years”—they laughed so hard when they opened it and kept it on display for months! (Dad and I had met Roy Rogers many years ago, so we’d had to reminisce about that at the time, too.) Somehow, for my parents’ 54th anniversary, this sappy card seemed just right though. With a photo of a gorgeous bouquet of flowers (a photo of actual flowers this time), it read:

LOVE …

Through the laughter
through the tears
LOVE lasts
through the years.

The strength of your love inspires us all.

We’d already given my parents a gift earlier, but they were delighted by the creative fruit arrangement. They immediately pulled out a few skewers and enjoyed a variety of fruit goodies. Mom loved the card saying, “Ah, that’s sweet.” Dad, always a jokester when it comes to mushy cards, said, “You don’t know the half of it!” Ha ha, but I’m sure he’s right. Their 54 years of marriage is exactly twice the number of years that Mr. GFE and I have been married. WOW–when you look at their years together frm that perspective, their anniversary is really impressive! I love you, Mom and Dad! Happy Anniversary!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Snickerdoodle (or Should It Be Coco-doodle or Snicker-nut?) Ice Cream

One of my favorite bloggers, Cathy of Noble Pig, posted a recipe for Snickerdoodle ice cream recently—one she had adapted from Recipe Girl. Snickerdoodles have always been one of my very favorite cookies, so imagining that flavor in a bowl of ice cream was quite a sweet little fantasy. Reading Cathy’s version and looking at all her photos inspired me to go out and get a new ice cream maker immediately. Well, actually, reading everyone else’s wonderful ice cream recipes the last couple of months had already inspired me, but it was Cathy’s recipe and a looming deadline that pushed me to action. You see … I’d already decided that my entry for the August Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! CHILL OUT theme would be ice cream. CHILL OUT is the clever and so-o-o-o appropriate theme chosen by this month’s host—delightful and energetic Kim Hopkins over at The Food Allergy Coach. What better way to chill out on these 90-degree days than a nice bowl of cold, freshly made ice cream?

Before I move on, let me just say that I really love how everyone is carrying on this great gluten-free blog carnival that Naomi Devlin (Straight into Bed Cakefree and Dried) started early in 2008. There have been so many terrific bloggers (including the wonderful Naomi herself) who have hosted since then—with some really enjoyable themes and the best recipes. You can find the links to all the previous carnivals on Naomi’s site and, in case you missed it, you can find last month’s GAHIGF roundup, Make Me A Happy Camper, right here at gfe. If you’re in a cooking/baking rut and looking for some new ideas, check the posts out for gluten-free recipes (many are free of other allergens as well), stellar photos, and some entertaining reading material, too.

Back to the Snickerdoodle ice cream (sorry, I know you can’t wait!) … If you eat dairy, I’m sure Cathy’s recipe is fantastic as is, but I wanted to make a dairy-free version. I’ve been trying to eat more dairy free and we have lots of gfe readers who are also dairy free. Plus, I was hosting my support group meeting last night and several members eat dairy free in addition to being gluten free. My initial thought was to just replace the whipping cream and half and half in Cathy’s recipe with coconut milk. I knew it had to be full-fat coconut milk to give the same type of body/thickness that true dairy would offer. (I’ve never been much into “Lite” versions of anything anyway.) But, I wasn’t sure about the amount of coconut milk. I winged it using 3 cups versus the 3 ½ cups of dairy ingredients used in the original. Luckily, that amount seemed just right with the final ice cream coming out with a great consistency, and you could probably even get by on slightly less if you were low on coconut milk.

Let me tell you, this ice cream is truly luscious. You get the taste of Snickerdoodles with the added richness of coconut. The dairy was not missed at all. Everyone just loved this ice cream—it disappeared quickly! It was either eaten by itself or as a topping for the scrumptious homemade berry crisp that our dear Jennifer brought. Oh, and you can call this ice cream whatever you like … here are two more possibilities, or perhaps you can come up with one on our own for your own version. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodle /Coco-doodle/ Snicker-nut Ice Cream (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
(Click here for a print version of this recipe. )

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I love Penzey’s Extra Fancy)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups full-fat coconut milk, chilled (I used 2 cans)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. Stir. Add 3 cups full-fat coconut milk and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and mix until smooth. (A hand mixer works fine.)

Pour the cold mixture immediately into ready ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Mine was ready in 30 minutes. (Check at 20 minutes though in case yours freezes more quickly.)

Scoop ice cream into a freezer safe-container. Freeze.

Adapted from Cathy at Noble Pig

Stay tuned for more variations and additional gluten-free and dairy-free ice cream recipes. Gluten-free ice cream is pretty easy to find at any grocery store, but not all stores carry dairy-free ice cream. And, if they do, there still might be other factors (e.g., cost, taste, other ingredients that you don’t tolerate like soy) that would encourage you to make your own. Remember that coconut milk can usually be purchased more economically at Asian markets. I do want to try this recipe again using honey instead of sugar, or at least part honey. Oh, and Mr. GFE thought this recipe would be wonderful with some rum added to it for a frozen drink. LOL Yes, I think he’s probably very right on that point! And, I’ve already got peaches in the freezer for another adaptation of an ice cream recipe that a reader, Sandy, graciously shared in comments recently. Last, my friend’s husband, the maker of the excellent lemon basil ice cream that I mentioned recently and definitely an ice cream guru, has also shared some of his ice cream tips with me and I’ll be applying those to gluten-free, dairy-free ice cream recipes. Oh, the fun … now why didn’t I buy this ice cream maker back in early summer?

Oh, don’t forget to check out my recent post on Tom and Ali’s Green Smoothies and share a comment about a food you’ve learned to love  to enter the giveaway for  their book, The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook (rated 5 stars on Amazon!). All giveaway entries must be in by Monday, August 31, midnight EST. Last, I’ll update my post with the link to Kim’s blog when all the Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! CHILL OUT entries are up on her site at the end of the month. (Note:  There’s still time to enter the GAHIGF! CHILL OUT blog carnival, too, if you’d like. Check out Kim’s post on the carnival rules.) But, right now, you can see Kim’s own entry here. It’s definitely chill! And, it looks so delicious, plus it’s gfe, because it’s gluten free naturally/easily—love that!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

The Fix Is In–3-Minute Chocolate Cake

This post is linked to Friday Foodie Fix–Chocolate and Friday Foodie Fix–Agave.

There’s a recipe that’s all over the web. You have probably seen it. It’s the one where you make chocolate cake in a mug in the microwave … it puffs up over the sides of the mug and bakes in 3 minutes! I’m not sure of the original source of this recipe. I first saw it probably a year or more ago as a gluten-containing recipe on a forum and converted it to gluten free by simply replacing the flour with gluten-free flour. Because I’m not one who likes recipes overflowing out of containers, instead I make it in a bowl (9 inches wide and 4 inches deep), which ensures a flat, round cake. I then cut it into four equal pieces. I’ve made the 3-minute chocolate cake according to the gluten-free version of the original recipe numerous times, and it’s a good cake. It works equally well as a quick chocolate fix  for you and your family or as a simple dessert for guests, maybe with ice cream or fresh fruit. But, to be honest, the basic version doesn’t knock my socks off (and I really like my socks knocked off), so, I’ve been experimenting with variations of late.

When we were planning our latest girlfriends’ dinner this past week, the menu came together as prosciutto-wrapped figs, slow cooker pesto chicken with sweet potatoes (from Stephanie of A Year of Slow Cooking), and lemon basil ice cream. It was my friend’s husband’s lemon basil ice cream that  made that me think of the 3-minute chocolate cake. We were going for a “no-fuss” dinner. Not only would 3-minute chocolate cake meet that requirement, but it would also be a little complementary taste of chocolate. (I often wish that you could just get a teeny tiny dessert in restaurants, because all I really want is a few bites. I think the pleasure factor goes down after those first few bites.) I’d also get to demonstrate making this recipe for my friends. Making it wouldn’t heat up the kitchen and I could serve it while it was still warm. I really enjoy warm pies and cakes with ice cream. Thinking of high-end “flourless” restaurant desserts, I made a version using Honeyville blanched almond flour and full-fat coconut milk. All agreed the results were excellent. Both gluten free and dairy free, I’d be willing to wager that it tasted much better than the gluten version. There was absolutely no deprivation involved. The lemon basil ice cream was quite a pleasant surprise, too. The lemon flavor was light and the basil really added something … hard to describe, but almost a crispness factor. The combination of the chocolate cake and this ice cream was just the right ending to a very nice meal.

~Here’s the original recipe and all the variations I’ve made to date with descriptions and photos.

Original 3-Minute Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free)

4 tbsp gluten-free flour (your choice; a basic gluten-free flour mix works fine—I use my Asian white rice flour and cornstarch mix*)
4 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
1 large egg
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp oil (your choice; I like extra virgin olive oil best)

In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour, sugar, and cocoa. Add egg, milk, and oil. Mix well.

Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Let sit in the microwave for a few minutes more as the cake will still be rising and baking.

After cooling a bit, cut cake into four serving size pieces and ease out of bowl with a rubber spatula.

*It consists of three parts Asian white rice flour (much more finely ground that typical white rice flour) and two parts cornstarch. I make 5 lbs of this mix at a time. I use three 1-lb bags of Asian white rice flour and two 1-lb boxes of Argo cornstarch. Mix well, but gently in a very large bowl and then transfer to airtight storage containers (like Tupperware).

~The following version is the one I made for our girlfriends’ dinner. With lots of friends who avoid gluten-free flour mixes that contain rice flour and others that need to eat dairy-free, using almond flour and full-fat coconut milk works well. With the fat of the coconut milk, I was able to reduce the oil amount from the original recipe (and you may even be able to reduce it a little bit more if you like).

3-Minute Almond Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

4 tbsp almond flour (Honeyville blanched almond flour works well; Bob’s Red Mill almond flour does not work)
4 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
1 large egg
3 tbsp coconut milk
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour, sugar, and cocoa. Add egg, coconut milk, and oil. Mix well.

Microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Let sit in the microwave for a few minutes more as the cake will still be rising and baking. After cooling a bit, cut cake into four serving size pieces and ease out of bowl with a rubber spatula.

~Some folks really like using maple syrup, an unrefined sugar, as a sweetener. Because maple syrup is obviously liquid (versus granulated sugar), I was able to skip the milk and use less oil. This cake is very good. It’s not too sweet and just a tad drier than the other versions. The taste reminds me of the Texas Sheet Cake recipe if you’ve ever made that one. (I’m sure you could even make a small batch of the Texas Sheet Cake frosting or something similar to your liking to spread or drizzle over this cake.)

3-Minute Maple Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free)

4 tbsp gluten-free flour
4 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp cocoa
1 large egg
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour, maple syrup, and cocoa. Add egg and oil. Mix well.

Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Let sit in the microwave for a few minutes more as the cake will still be rising and baking.

After cooling a bit, cut cake into four serving size pieces and ease out of bowl with a rubber spatula.

~Since I am the queen of baking bananas (and, no, I haven’t counted how many are in my freezer at the current moment, but several less since I’ve been experimenting with this recipe LOL), I had to make a banana version. With our love of our bees’ honey (and 4 gallons harvested recently), I also wanted to use honey in the recipe. I had recently made a regular-sized flourless chocolate banana honey walnut cake (adapted from Elana’s flourless chocolate banana cake) that got rave reviews, so I employed the same methods for the 3-minute cake version. Oh, that version is nice. It comes out slightly thinner than the other versions, but you won’t care one bit. The combination of chocolate, bananas, honey, and walnuts is rich and flavorful—hard to beat. It would even be a great choice for breakfast in my opinion. And, uh, it’s quite good warm, and perhaps not fully set up even, with lemon basil ice cream on top. (Note:  I had hoped this version would be suitable for our gfe readers who are on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), but I just learned that the SCD does not include cocoa or chocolate in any form. Perhaps an SCD-knowledgeable reader can offer some ideas on adding chocolate flavor that is SCD compliant.)

3-Minute Flourless Chocolate Banana Honey Walnut Cake (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free)

1/3 cup mashed banana
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp cocoa
1 large egg
4 tbsp finely chopped walnuts
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

In a medium-sized bowl, mix banana, honey, and cocoa. Add egg, walnuts, and oil. Mix well.

Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Let sit in the microwave for a few minutes more as the cake will still be rising and baking.

After cooling a bit, cut cake into four serving size pieces and ease out of bowl with a rubber spatula and serve.

~Are you an agave fan? I’m not sure agave agrees with me, but I made this version below with agave and was quite pleased with the taste and appearance. With the liquid of the agave nectar and the full-fat coconut milk, I was able to reduce the amount of oil. Those of you who use agave nectar frequently may tweak this recipe even more per your personal taste … perhaps reducing the agave amount a bit.

3-Minute Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, and Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake

4 tbsp gluten-free flour
2 tbsp cocoa
4 tbsp agave nectar
1 large egg
3 tbsp coconut milk
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour and cocoa. Add agave nectar, egg, coconut milk, and oil. Mix well.

Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Let sit in the microwave for a few minutes more as the cake will still be rising and baking.

After cooling a bit, cut cake into four serving size pieces and ease out of bowl with a rubber spatula and serve.

~Okay, let me share my new favorite variation. Mr. GFE just flew back home from a scuba diving trip. He ended up flying first class to and fro (lucky duck!), so he brought two “airplane” bottles of Bailey’s Irish Cream home to me. (He also brought the miniature salt and pepper shakers. He thought they’d be great for camping. LOL) Ah, Bailey’s … new inspiration! Trying an Irish Cream variation of the 3-minute cake next just seemed like the best way to use one of those bottles. (Note: Bailey’s states that they can not say their Irish Cream is gluten free because the whiskey used to make it contains gluten before distillation. However, distilled alcohol has been proven to be gluten free. I’ve had no issues with Bailey’s Irish Cream, but I advise that you only drink Irish Cream that you feel comfortable drinking. You can read more here and here.) My plan was to use almond flour, substitute the Irish Cream for the milk, and keep other ingredients and amounts the same as the basic 3-minute cake recipe. However, looking at the mixture after adding one tablespoon of oil, I decided that no more oil was needed and, luckily, I was right. Oh, this is quite the heavenly little cake!

3-Minute Almond Irish Cream Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free)

4 tbsp almond flour (Honeyville Blanched; Bob’s Red Mill almond flour does not work)
4 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
1 large egg
3 tbsp gluten-free Irish Cream liqueur (or small “airplane” bottle)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour, sugar, and cocoa. Add egg, Irish Cream, and oil. Mix well.

Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Let sit in the microwave for a few minutes more as the cake will still be rising and baking.

After cooling a bit, cut cake into four serving size pieces and ease out of bowl with a rubber spatula and serve.

Note that all of these cakes and the individual servings have what I like to call an “artisan” look to them. Not too perfect … no two alike. If you feel the need, you can top with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream. I think the sky’s the limit on how many variations you can make of these to satisfy your personal tastes. I’ve also added ¼ cup of coconut and ¼ cup mini chocolate chips to the basic recipe before and was very pleased with the results. Next, I think I’ll try Almond Orange 3-Minute Chocolate Cake … just substituting Grand Marnier for the Irish Cream. And, then I could try a 3-minute version of my Banana Kahlua Coconut Cake. How about a 3-minute yellow cake or pound cake? Then there’s the Nutella consideration. Nutella, egg, flour (or flourless), and coconut milk maybe. Or, how about frosting your basic 3-minute chocolate cake or individual servings with Nutella like Anali did her chocolate cake the other day—easy deliciousness. And, hey, what about a peanut butter version? Or peanut butter and Nutella—the cake version of these? Oh, my goodness, the possibilities are endless. Let’s have fun with this!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Next Page »

• gfe's Recent Posts

  • Zesty Marinated Pork Chops for Go Ahead Honey
  • Slow Cooker Potato-Zucchini Soup
  • Guest Post: Dana (Home*School*Home), My New Gluten-Free Life
  • Lemon-Lime Coconut Basil Ice & All That’s Nice
  • Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger for August … I’m Hosting!
  • 7 Things About Me (Tied to Food & Drink)
• 
  
  
  
  

• gfe's Tip Sheets

  • 20+ Reasons You Should Get Tested For Gluten Issues (PDF)
  • 50+ GF Foods You Can Eat Today (PDF)
  • 50+ gfe Sweet Treats (PDF)
  • 50+ Meals That Are gfe (PDF)
  • The gfe Pantry (PDF)
  • Top 20 Things You Should Know About Gluten (PDF)

• Recent Photos

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

• gfe's Archives

  Select Month August 2010  (11) July 2010  (14) June 2010  (14) May 2010  (9) April 2010  (9) March 2010  (20) February 2010  (18) January 2010  (8) December 2009  (12) November 2009  (16) October 2009  (7) September 2009  (8) August 2009  (6) July 2009  (5) June 2009  (6) May 2009  (8) April 2009  (8) March 2009  (5) February 2009  (4) January 2009  (8) December 2008  (1)

  View complete archives

• gfe's Most Popular Posts

  • Crustless, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie 90 comment(s)
  • Flourless, Gluten-Free Pizza 91 comment(s)
  • Flourless Chocolate Banana Honey Walnut Cake 80 comment(s)
  • Passion for Peanut Butter Cookies 64 comment(s)
  • Flourless Chocolate Cake 39 comment(s)
  • Flourless Oatmeal Cookies 39 comment(s)
  • Mom and Apple Pie 65 comment(s)
  • Garlic Cheese Biscuits (Gluten Free) 59 comment(s)
  • Recipes 0 comment(s)
  • Better than Sliced Bread 50 comment(s)
• 

  

  
  Shop for Artisan Food Gifts on Foodzie
  
  
  Note: I may receive a small commission when you purchase a product or service I recommend here on gfe. (Your cost remains the same.)
• © Shirley Braden and Gluten Free Easily. Do not reproduce without written permission from the author.