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WHAT'S COOKING

7 Days with 21 Drops

POSTED ON May 16th, 2012 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Inspiration

by Jacqueline Raposo -

“21st Century Survival” sounds like a great name for a feature film or bass-heavy
pop song. Or a warrior cry for when traffic is bad, your kid has a rough day or a deadline needs to be met too soon. In the case of 21 Drops, an aromatherapy line
that targets the 21 most common health ailments, it means a trio of oils that help to de-stress, uplift and send us off to sleep.

Sounds great, right? A little roll of an oil and – poof – transcendence! I chose to test
the line during a particularly rough week of tax prep, writing deadlines, issue recipe shoots and more.

In the box:
Release tension with #11 De-stress
Buoy your spirits with #12 Uplift
Ease into dreaming with #18 Sleep

#11 De-Stress: Blended from frankincense resin oil, lavender flower oil, ylang
ylang flower oil and German chamomile flower oil to stead nerves, relieve tension
and reduce stress on the limbic system.

#12 Uplift: Blended from rose flower oil, lavender flower oil, helichrysum flower oil and German chamomile flower oil to help relieve depression, lift the spirit and offer emotional support. This blend is about managing the blues.

#18 Sleep: Blended from sandalwood wood oil, ylang ylang flower oil, palmarosa grass oil and vetiver root oil to sedate, soothe and quiet. The oils in this blend work
on the nervous system to hush a racing, anxious mind and settle states of
restlessness and agitation.

——————–

Monday
The package came into my office and, boy, is it beautiful.  “De-stress”, “Uplift” and “Sleep”.  Definitely could use a little “uplifting” as I settle into my day of frantically getting my taxes done.  Being a freelancer means that both income and expenses
are everywhere, and once again I didn’t work them throughout the year as I’d promised myself I’d do last April.  I roll on the oil, and immediately life gets a bit
better: first I smell rose, so soft and light, which makes me think of warm summer afternoons and beachside walks.  Then German chamomile hits – one of my favorite scents. Instantly, I’m feeling both more connected to the earth and ready to rock this tax thing.

3pm: Tallying the numbers is rather humiliating.  “De-Stress” it is.  I rub it generously on my wrists, neck and temples. Ylang-ylang hits first, all romantic and making me
feel pretty.  Then more of that German Chamomile I love so much, with a tiny hint of Frankincense.  I can take on my taxes.  One question, though: can I write off an ex-boyfriend, failed recipes and poor wardrobe choices as bad investments?

Tuesday
Last night I slept like a rock.  Not sure if it was the mind-numbing 10 hours at my
desk staring at numbers and questioning every ingredient and meal out or the so-
bad-maybe-it’s-good? episode of Smash that sent me snoozing, but I like to think it
was the #18 blend – Sleep – and the pre-bed meditation it inspired. Pungent with sandlewood, more of that sweet ylang ylang and the mysterious allure of palmarosa and vetiver, I breathed in slowly and stretched out on my floor before getting a much-needed 8 hours.

Overall success? Yes.

Wednesday
Another day at a computer and I’m rotating between “De-stress” and “Uplift”: aren’t the two closely intertwined?  While no burden is magically lifted from my shoulders, I do notice that, if anything, I am aware of every breath I take and, because of that, breathe more deeply. The magic of essential oils or my knowledge of what I am reporting on? Who cares – it helps.

Thursday
I’m definitely digging “Uplift” most of all – there’s something about the combination of rose and German chamomile that both makes me realize the world is not going to end if I don’t get this piece done in the next ten minutes and that maybe I should go make a cup of tea and take five.  Back at my desk, glasses on, I’m typing away with a much more uplifted spirit.  The ylang ylang sitting underneath from my earlier application of “De-stress” is fading a tad, and productivity is trumping the desire to sit with my tea and flip through all the gluten-free drama around Miley Cyrus.

Friday
I’m up way too early for a trek to Brooklyn and the Easy Eats kitchen, shooting with Silvana for our newest issue all day. I love cooking alongside Silvana – that woman’s got an awesome energy. But the long shoot day and subsequent dragging of gluten-free cookbooks back up to north Manhattan has me sporting some more “Uplift”, just for an extra boost. Do I go out like a city-going thirty-something? Nope, I take a hot bath, slather on some “Sleep” and cuddle with my dog. Feels right.

Saturday
As Saturdays often are, I’m magically calm and at peace with the world. I keep “Uplift” around, but now just because I’m really loving the smell.

Sunday
Another day, another chance to find balance. And for the most part I succeed… until 10am, when a flat tire on my way to visit the folks in Connecticut has me waiting for AAA for an hour. Luckily I’ve got my dog, a big thing of seltzer and NPR to keep me company. I choose “De-Stress” in this moment, turning off the radio and rolling down the windows to take some deep, silent breaths as I calculate that, once again, the world is not going to end because of a flat tire. And, believe it or not, it doesn’t.

——————–

Conclusions
A lot of us who have gluten sensitivities suffer from many other stresses and triggers – other food allergies, blood-sugar problems, lack of proper sleep. Carving our way in a gluten-full world brings its own complications, too. A chef I interviewed who has rheumatoid arthritis pointed out that it may take a gallon of ginger to feel a full therapeutic affect. But if drinking a glass of ginger tea with honey in the morning brings his focus to where he needs to be for the day, he’s going to drink that glass of ginger tea in the morning. It’s where we put our attention and intention that matters.

Point being, these oils did not magically take away any stress, or knock me out at night. What they did do, sitting at my desk or lined up in my purse, was give me a few moments of recognition during the day. The scents did take me from wherever I was – my desk, the subway, a crowded street, a studio, a broken-down car – and give me a few moments of being somewhere else. Somewhere that was quiet, and calm, and where I could put my attention to where I needed it.

A 21st Century Survival Kit, indeed.

For more information on how aromatherapy works
and how to purchase, head to 21 Drops.

Create Your Mezze Table with La Granada

POSTED ON May 15th, 2012 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Snacking

While waiting for the main course to be passed out at a BBQ, we usually search for something subtle to calm our rumbling stomachs. What we nibble on before the
grill is fired up can very well determine the direction in which the next course will
take. But it seems the same jars of dip are passed around each year. The same
brand, the same taste and the same amount of insane calories you try to avoid but can’t seem to get away from. So when we received La Granada’s All Natural Pomegranate and Extra Virgin Olive Oil-based dips, we were immediately excited to savor something so unique.

Forget spinach dip and canned salsa this season. The Pimmaduori Sicatti greets you with an undeniable sun-dried tomato and roasted red pepper scent. Smokey, sweet and savory come through from the kalamata olives, balsamic vinegar and parsley
it’s all marinated in. La Granada brings you restaurant quality taste in an 8 ounce package. It goes great with shredded cheese and seasoned ground turkey for the ultimate nacho platter. Give it a try spooned into a taco shell instead of the usual
pico de gallo.

Sun-dried tomatoes getting their
unique flavor

For the even more refined palate, give the Escalivada summer vegetable dip a try. Bringing the flavors of Spanish Tapas to your next party, it is loaded with grilled eggplant, red and green peppers, tomatoes and onions followed by a splash of pomegranate. I would recommend spooning onto chicken breast after grilling or baking for a light sandwich.

La Granada’s line contains no preservatives or additives with a good source of antioxidants, making these dips a great alternative for those looking for something exotic, mouthwatering and healthy.

Head to La Granada for the health benefits of all the ingredients, recipes and party-essential suggestions.

——————-

Kymberlee Fajardo is a freelance food culture writer & photographer currently residing in Northern New Jersey with her soon-to-be husband, Chef Tim. A former NYC culinary school graduate and line cook, she uses her professional culinary training to create guilt free dishes using fresh seasonal ingredients. Follow Kym’s weight loss journey paired with healthy recipes and fitness tips on her blog Free Spirit Eater. Or reach out to her via Twitter or Facebook.

Cupcake Wars Winning Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes + Contest

POSTED ON May 12th, 2012 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Eats News

We’re super-excited for Kyra Bussanich’s appearance on “Cupcake Champions” coming up on the Food Network. As awareness of gluten intolerance rises, it’s even more important to have representatives out there in the gluten-full world letting everyone know that living gluten free can be delicious, satisfying and fun!

Our interview yesterday with Kyra revealed challenges she’s overcome and what
she’s most excited about with the upcoming series. Today, she’s sharing with our
Easy Eats readers the recipe that crowned her Cupcake Champion on her second appearance.  And to make today even sweeter, she’s teaming up with Easy Eats to bring you a very fun giveaway.

Now, this recipe is definitely as far from a boxed cake mix (which we love too!) as
you can get, but it’s also accessible even if you’re not a pastry chef or television star.
We want to see how you make it and who you make it for and how many smiles it inspires. So, every Easy Eats fan who makes this recipe and shares a picture with us on Facebook or Twitter will be entered in a super-sweet gift package
drawing, including:

A collection of gluten-free cookbooks from Easy Eats
A shipment of sweets straight from Kyra’s Crave kitchen
A Crave Bake Shop T-shirt (you specify the size)

To Enter:
Just make Kyra’s winning Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes and drop a note with a photo onto our Facebook or Twitter pages (don’t forget to tag both Easy Eats and Crave Bake Shop). Photos can be as fun and fancy as you like or quickly snapped
with a camera-phone; we just want to see how much you love them!

Post at any time through 6pm on Monday, May 21st (the day after Kyra’s episode)!

Want a second chance?
Drop us a note about what you loved / what made you laugh / what made you
shake in your shoes during Kyra’s “Cupcake Champions” appearance on Sunday,
May 20th at 8pm EST, and you’ll get a second drop in the winning bucket!

Have fun – good luck – eat easy!

Cupcake Wars Winning Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

Vanilla Cake filled with Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream,
Topped with Dark Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream
Copyright 2011 by Kyra Bussanich

Components:

Vanilla Cake (recipe follows)
Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream (Recipe follows)
Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows)

Recipe Prep Time: 65 minutes
Recipe Cook Time: 35 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 7 minutes
Ease of preparation: Intermediate
Yields 24 filled and frosted cucpakes (and some pastry cream left over!)

Vanilla Cupcakes:

1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 cup tapioca starch
1 cup potato starch
2/3 cup white rice flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/2 cups whole milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, beat the butter with a paddle attachment until the butter is light in color and fluffy, about five minutes. Take your time with this step! Add the sugar to the butter and continue beating until the sugar is uniformly incorporated into the butter and the mixture is very creamy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then restart the mixer on low speed.

Crack the eggs into a small container and add 1 egg at a time, waiting until it is fully incorporated in the butter mixture before adding the next egg. Once all the eggs have been added, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that all the butter is incorporated with the eggs.

In a small bowl or dish, measure out and mix together the tapioca starch, potato starch, white rice flour, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum. Add the tapioca mixture to the butter-sugar mix in three additions, alternating with the milk, incorporating each addition into the batter before moving to the next step. If needed, stop the mixer after each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then resume mixing on low. Do not over-mix or the resultant cupcakes will be tough and rubbery.

Evenly fill the cupcake pan cavities two thirds of the way full. Bake until the top of each cupcake is slightly springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 13-16 minutes.

Remove from the oven and immediately turn the cupcakes out of the pan onto a cooling rack. Let the cupcakes cool completely, and then frost with the Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream (recipe follows) and top with Dark Chocolate Italian Meringue Butter Cream (recipe follows).

Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream:

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
5 ounces egg yolks (yolks from about 7 large eggs)
2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch of sea salt

Line the inside of a bowl, casserole dish or baking pan with heat-proof plastic wrap and set aside, near the stovetop.

Measure the butter and salt into a small container and bring over near the stovetop. In a medium-sized metal bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the first quantity of sugar to combine thoroughly and prevent any lumps in the cornstarch, and then whisk in the egg yolks until smooth and creamy. Set the bowl with the yolks on top of the damp dishtowel (This will keep the bowl from spinning later as you whisk in the milk).

Pour the milk and the remaining sugar into a heavy saucepot and scald over medium heat until the milk starts to steam and tiny bubbles are apparent at the edge of the pot. Do not boil the milk! When the milk is steaming, remove from the heat. Whisking the yolk mixture vigorously while very slowly pouring the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture in a steady stream. Once all the milk is combined with the egg yolks, pour the entire contents of the bowl back into the sauce pot and return to medium-high heat.

Whisk constantly while the yolk mixture is heating to make sure that the pastry cream doesn’t form lumps while it cooks. Bring the pastry cream to a boil and, whisking constantly, continue to let it boil for 90 seconds. Remove the pastry cream from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla bean paste, and salt that you have set aside. Stir to combine and ensure the butter is completely melted into the pastry cream. Pour the pastry cream into the plastic wrap-lined bowl and immediately cover the top of the pastry cream with additional plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap covers the entire surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool, at least 30-60 minutes.

When you are ready to use the pastry cream, remove from the refrigerator and whisk in a large bowl until completely smooth and lump-free. Fill the piping bag fitted with a #803 round piping tip with the pastry cream and set aside until you need it.

Dark Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup water
Egg whites from 4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/16 teaspoon (pinch) fine sea salt

Measure the sugar and the 1/4 cup water into a heavy saucepan. Wipe down the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in additional water to ensure there are no sugar crystals on the sides of the pot. Heat the sugar over high heat until the sugar mixture reaches 250 degrees F about 15-20 minutes (use a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature).

While the sugar is cooking, beat the egg whites on medium speed in the mixing bowl of a stand mixture to the soft peak stage (whites will look foamy and white). Be careful not to overwhip the whites (if the egg whites start to look clumpy, then they’ve been overwhipped. If this happens, toss them out and start again! If the whites are beating faster than the sugar is cooking, turn down the mixer speed. You can always turn up the speed if you need to!) Add the cream of tartar and continue whipping. While the egg whites are whipping on medium speed, gently pour the hot sugar syrup down the side of the mixing bowl. Turn the speed up to high and whip until the mixing bowl no longer feels warm to the touch, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at 30 second intervals, stirring well in between each interval, until the chocolate is completely melted. Once the sugar-egg white meringue is no longer warm to the touch, turn the mixer speed back to medium and add the butter in small chunks until it is completely incorporated.

Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla bean paste and sea salt. Turn the mixer back on medium-low speed until the vanilla paste has mixed entirely through the buttercream.

Spoon a small amount (about 1/2 cup) of the buttercream into the melted dark chocolate and stir to combine. Add the chocolate-butter mixture back to the buttercream in the mixing bowl and whip thoroughly on high speed, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the chocolate is combined.

Fit an 18-inch plastic piping bag with an 847 star tip and twist the bag right by the tip to prevent the buttercream from leaking out. While you grasp the piping bag right above the star tip with your hand, fold the top of the piping bag over your hand and spoon the butter cream into the piping bag.

Putting it all together:

Using an apple corer or knife, core out the center of each cooled cupcake.

Fill each cupcake with the Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream and frost the top of each cupcake with the Dark Chocolate Italian Meringue buttercream.

A Gluten-Free Cupcake War on Food Network!

POSTED ON May 11th, 2012 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Inspiration

Pastry Chef Kyra Bussanich knows cupcakes. Particularly gluten-free cupcakes,
though her customers and the judges of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars swear they can’t detect the lack of gluten. At her Crave Bake Shop in Lake Oswego, Oregon,
Kyra bakes up dozens of flavors, ranging from the traditional (Black and White, Birthday Cake, Chocolate Hazelnut) to the edgy (Venetian Crepe, Raspberry Lemonade, Spicy Hot Chocolate) to the insanely imaginative (Lemongrass Basil, Persian Love Cake, Passionfruit Baked Alaska).

Her current menu is enough to school any professional baker, but back in 2011 Kyra didn’t even have a storefront; she was taking phone and online orders only. Still, her creations caught the attention of the panel on Cupcake Wars, qualifying her for their “Tree Lighting” episode in the 2nd season. Kyra didn’t win that competition, but came back to battle three other runner-ups in “The Closer” episode, where her Boston
Cream Pie Cupcakes blew away the judges and landed her the top spot.

Now Kyra’s back once again, battling fifteen other champions in “Cupcake Champions” (which premieres Sunday, May 13th) on the Food Network. Kyra will be rocking out against three competitors on the May 20th episode.

Taking some time out of her busy schedule, Kyra caught us up on her journey from being a gluten-full eater to a national champion and what we can expect from her challenge, “Madagascar 3.” She also shared with us her winning recipe, which we’ll
be featuring tomorrow along with a sweet giveaway from Crave Bake Shop and Easy Eats! It’s a good one, so don’t forget to stop back and get the scoop.

And tune in to the Food Network for “Cupcake Champions” and watch our
gluten-free gladiator battle it out on Sunday, May 20th at 8pm EST!

You went on a gluten-free diet following an auto-immune disorder.
What was it and what do you remember being most prominent about those early days of adapting your diet?

I was diagnosed when I was 20 with Crohn’s Disease and had doctors telling me I should try a gluten-free diet. I’ve always been a big dessert girl so it was really, really tough. This was eight years ago when products out there were not so easy to find. I
ate a lot of fruit. And I’d be kind of a downer at parties; I’d look at the table mournfully knowing that I couldn’t eat any of it. But I was feeling so much better that I was not going to go back to gluten!

You then went to Le Cordon Bleu patisserie school despite not being
able to eat much of what you were learning to create. In a time when many gluten-free recipe creators and owners are not
trained chefs,
what would you say the advantage was of attending school?

The thing about Cordon Bleu is that it taught me the function of ingredients: I know what role eggs play and gluten, sugar, etc. When I’m formulating recipes, I know that
if I take out a protein of some form I have to add another one. It’s made ratios easier because of that knowledge. That extends to flour and starch substitutions – I know a
lot of people use one blend ratio for their flours but I don’t. You don’t have a one-stop flour for the gluten world – there’s one for bread, and another for cake, etc. – so if I know what level of protein I need in my flour blend, I’m going to mix that to match it.

What can we do to bring some of that education home?

Dorie Greenspan and Rose Levy Beranbaum have fantastic books that the home baker could read and save the $60,000 that culinary school costs!

Your bakery has an incredible variety of flavors that go far beyond basic cake and butter cream. How do you come up with your combinations of flavor / texture / visual aesthetic / various techniques?

I wish I had a really great scientific answer, but for me a lot of it is by feel. I get inspiration from everywhere. I walk through a flower garden and think, “Oh that’s a really pretty flower, I should come up with a cupcake that looks like that,” or I’m watching Chopped and think of what they have in that basket and how I can incorporate those flavors into a pie.

You were highly complimented on your first Cupcake Wars appearance, “The Tree Lighting,” with judges Candace Nelson and Florian Belanger both praising your flavors, execution and the overall undetectability of the cupcake’s lack of gluten. Were you nervous about the attention and extra scrutiny you might receive as a gluten-free competitor?

I wasn’t nervous about the extra attention, I was just nervous about appearing in the first place! My first fear was that I was going to get up there and the judges were going to be “this is a gluten-free cupcake and I can tell.” I have a lot of people who can have gluten who tell me that they’re some of the best cupcakes they’ve ever had, but it’s different when you have three judges just a foot away from you.

And I think having the Cordon Bleu education really helped me on Cupcake Wars because there were things we were taught – you don’t use food coloring to make something blue or artificial flavors etc. – that gave me a leg up. Florian is also very old-school that way, and I think they appreciated that.

You didn’t win that first competition, but did you change up your game-plan going into “The Closer” competition?

Yes. Not that the judges made a comment about it but I was thinking about the decorations I had made for the Tree Lighting episode. I realized for the second round I didn’t want to make fondant decorations; yes, they’re edible, but no one really wants to eat them other than kids. So I was going to try to do a bunch of other techniques that would impress the judges – especially Florian – and would be more edible. We did do one fondant, but we also did dark and white chocolate and bubble sugar, and we tempered the chocolate, which I think the judges appreciated that we did given the short time frame.

Anything go wrong that threw you off your game? If so, how did you come back from it?

At the end of our second round, I was pretty much in tears because of my chocolate butter cream. We kinda rushed the process; we added the chocolate to the buttercream while it was still too warm and it kind of melted the buttercream. But when we put the police badge on it and you couldn’t really tell! So I thought, “I’m not going to point it out to the judges.” That’s kind of my M.O.; if something doesn’t work out, spin it another way. And if they point it out, then explain it to them – “this is what I intended and it didn’t work out so this is how I fixed it last minute!”

What was something new about the upcoming “Madagascar 3” competition that you hadn’t faced before?

They threw a twist at us and it threw us off our game a bit… my assistant particularly. Both of us are perfectionists. We want things to not only be right, but perfect. When you’re dealing with gluten-free baking any twists are not just stressful, they’re extra intense.

Television – and the Cupcake Wars show specifically – has been a rather open-minded show in regards to specialty diet bakers. Any advice for someone gearing up for such a competition?

Focus on texture and taste. Don’t use bean flour because the judges will be able to taste it unless it’s a bean cupcake with that as the inspiration

Anything you’re particularly excited about the “Madagascar 3″ competition?

I really like the theme. I’ve seen the first two Madagascar movies and this is for the premiere party for the third.  So I was familiar with that characters – I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t know it and thought it was a movie about a penguin or something! It’s a fun theme, and the twist is fun (once I got over the panic). It’s going to be a great series.

———-

Don’t forget: Come back tomorrow for Kyra’s recipe and contest. And tune in to ”Cupcake Champions” on Sunday, May 20th at 8pm EST!

 

“Complete Gluten-Free Diet and Nutrition Guide”

POSTED ON May 10th, 2012 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Reading

By Emily Christenson -

When given the choice, I choose brownies. Eating gluten free, I’ve experimented
with baking many of the desserts that I enjoyed in their classic, wheat-filled
versions. I’ve made some less-than-perfect batches of my favorite treats, and I’m
always searching for that perfect one. The quality I’m looking for in a successful gluten-free recipe is for my gluten-eating family and friends to enjoy it just as much
as the original.

This brownie recipe passes the test.

I was thrilled when Easy Eats sent me the Complete Gluten-Free Diet and Nutrition Guide to review. This book would be a helpful addition to anyone new to the gluten-free lifestyle, especially those diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
It contains a great deal of well-researched information regarding gluten-free food safety, medical testing and how to meet nutrient requirements on a gluten-free diet. And, of course, there’s a plethora of healthy recipes to get a person started on enjoying their new way of eating.

This recipe calls for some ingredients I’d never thought to try in brownies, such as sunflower oil and unsweetened applesauce. I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. There’s much debate amongst chefs and home cooks on what defines the perfect brownie. I love a brownie that’s crunchy on top, rich and gooey in the middle. These brownies turned out deliciously moist, with a cake like crumb, and very chocolaty from the cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips in the batter. There’s
also the option of icing the top of the finished brownies with melted chocolate! But what I like best about this recipe is that my kids loved these little treats and declared them “the best”. I hope you enjoy this healthier, gluten-free
dessert as much as we did.

Chocolate Chip Brownies
Makes 16 squares (1 per serving)

If you love chocolate, you’re going to love these brownies. Enjoy them with your friends and family — no one will know they’re gluten-free!

1⁄4 cup / 60mL sorghum flour
1⁄4 cup / 60mL tapioca starch
1⁄4 cup / 60mL unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp / 5mL GF baking powder
1⁄4 tsp / 1mL salt
3⁄4 cup / 175mL granulated raw cane sugar
1⁄4 cup / 60mL sunflower oil
1⁄4 cup / 60mL unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1 tsp / 5mL vanilla extract
1⁄2 cup  / 125mL GF semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup / 250mL chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare an 8-inch (20 cm) square metal baking pan, lined with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch (5 cm) overhang.

In a small bowl, whisk together sorghum flour, tapioca starch, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil and applesauce. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts (if using). Spread evenly in prepared baking pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Using parchment paper as handles, transfer to a cutting board, then cut into squares.

Icing (optional)
1⁄2 cup / 125mL GF semisweet chocolate chips

While brownies are cooling on rack, place chocolate chips in a small saucepan. Place on the stovetop and let the heat from the oven melt the chocolate. Stir until smooth and spread over cooled brownies.

—————

Emily Christenson is a wife, mother and home chef living and cooking in Minneapolis, MN. When not happily creating delicious meals over a hot stove, you might find Ms. Christenson at a farmer’s market or food co-op, immersed in local food and culture.  Check out her food musings at www.mplsrealfoodlover.com or on Facebook.

Cooking for Vegan Friends with Manifest Vegan

POSTED ON May 9th, 2012 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Inspiration

By Autumn Giles -

As gluten-free folks, we can appreciate the feeling of being taken care of at the
table. The times when someone went out of their way to ask me questions about my diet and make sure I had something delicious to eat really stick with me. I’m betting you can relate. Even in the small, shared apartment kitchens of our twenties that
make the task of preparing a gluten-free meal even more arduous, I’ve deeply appreciated being well fed by friends.

So when it’s time for us to return the favor, wouldn’t we like to think that we’d know pretty well how to make our friends with special diets feel welcome? I’m thinking specifically about our vegan friends, that can often be thrown in the “hard to cook
for” pile along with us gluten-free folks. I went straight to an expert: gluten-free
vegan author and blogger Allyson Kramer of Manifest Vegan. Allyson is a committed vegan, who stuck by this choice even after being diagnosed with celiac disease. Her first book Great Gluten-free Vegan Eats is out June 1st, but a little birdie told me it’s available to order on Amazon now!

I chatted with Allyson and put together these tips for making great gluten-free
vegan meals that you and your friends can share:

It’s the little things: Allyson says, “If you really want to wow your vegan pals,
have a shaker of nutritional yeast to serve along with the food. Red Star brand can
be found in the natural foods section of many groceries.” You can also let them
know that you checked barnivore.com to make sure the libations they’re about to
enjoy are vegan friendly.

The sweet stuff: I love it when people who are cooking for me ask a lot of
questions first. It’s a good idea to ask your vegan friends questions too, like “are you opposed to eating honey or white sugar?” Allyson shared that “this is good to note especially when buying prepackaged goods like crackers, cookies, etc.”

Go with what you know: No need to step completely outside your comfort zone, rely on what you know and already have in your pantry. Allyson offered gluten-free pasta with a simple tomato sauce and sautéed mushrooms as an example of a
vegan dish that could be made with ingredients that are likely staples in gluten-free pantries.

Or go all out: Maybe you want to go big! Allyson suggests a white lasagna using cashew cream as a dairy stand-in. To make Allyson’s creamy cashew sauce, blend
3 cups soaked raw cashews and 1 ½ cups water until smooth and add salt to taste.
She recommends layering the lasagna with thinly sliced vegetables for “an
impressive main course that you could easily prepare ahead of time and have ready when your guests arrive.”

What I love about cooking meals that fall outside my usual culinary repertoire is that
I inevitably end up falling in love with an ingredient or method of preparation. I experimented once with a cashew cream, similar to what Allyson described, and
now it has a permanent spot on my kitchen playlist. How about you? What gluten-
free vegan foods do you already know and love?

——————–

Autumn Giles adores food and words. She shares the gluten-free food that she cooks and preserves on her blog Autumn Makes & Does. In fall 2011, Autumn started a bi-weekly podcast called Alphabet Soup. Alphabet Soup is about, you guessed it, food and words. Autumn loves connecting with new folks over food. Join the conversation on Twitter @autumnmakes and on the Autumn Makes & Does Facebook Page.

 

Stonewall Kitchen Pizza Crust Mix

POSTED ON May 8th, 2012 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Eats Kitchens, Quick & Easy


by Kymberlee Fajardo -

When steering away from gluten, one particular dish is met with sighs and disappointed looks: pizza.

Not every pizzeria offers a gluten-free version, and making pizza dough from
scratch can be a bit daunting. So when Easy Eats received a box of Gluten Free
Herbed Pizza Crust Mix
, we decided to test it out with a rustic pie.

The dough bakes at the ideal consistency; golden crisp on the outside with a soft, buttery-herb inside, and would make a tasty snack if cut into bread sticks and
dipped in marinara. Great for busy families who don’t have much time to wait
around for the delivery guy, you control the ingredients and calorie count while reaping the benefits of creating a kid-friendly recipe in your own kitchen.

Rustic Wild Salmon, White Asparagus & Sun-dried Tomato Sicilian Pizza
Serves 4-6

Topped with this recipe, each bite contains the semi-sweetness of caramelized veggies and sun-dried tomato spread, with the unmistakable taste of wild salmon all brought together by robust Asiago cheese. Simple, fresh and seasonal ingredients pair beautifully with the herb crust, it’s the kind of pie they should be selling at local eateries.

1 Box Stonewall Kitchen Gluten Free Herbed Pizza Crust Mix
½ shallot, thinly sliced
3 white asparagus spears, thinly sliced
½ bulb of baby fennel, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
Sun-dried tomato spread (enough to lightly coat pizza)
3 oz baked salmon, shredded
3 oz Asiago cheese, shredded

Pre-heat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Prepare dough as instructed on box in a 13×10 sheet pan, making sure to flip the dough half way through cooking; that is when you will add the remainder of ingredients.

While the crust cooks on the first side, in a small pan on medium heat, saute shallot, asparagus and fennel in olive oil until translucent. Flip the crust and cover the pizza dough with sun dried tomato spread as desired. Top with sautéed veggies, shredded salmon and Asiago. Bake for the remaining 12 minutes.

—————-

Kymberlee Fajardo is a freelance food culture writer & photographer currently residing in Northern New Jersey with her soon-to-be husband, Chef Tim. A former NYC culinary school graduate and line cook, she uses her professional culinary training to create guilt free dishes using fresh seasonal ingredients. Follow Kym’s weight loss journey paired with healthy recipes and fitness tips on her blog Free Spirit Eater. Or reach out to her via Twitter or Facebook.

Rudi’s Bakery Celebrates Celiac Awareness Month

POSTED ON May 7th, 2012 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Eats News

Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery Spreads the Bread by Going
Dollar for Dollar to Celebrate Celiac Awareness Month this May!

We’re big fans of Rudi’s gluten-free products in the Easy Eats kitchens, and are extremely excited for how they’re celebrating Celiac Awareness Month. Until May 31st, Rudi’s Gluten-Free fans can get and give some dough through Spread the Bread, a Facebook campaign with the goal of raising up to $30,000 for the leading celiac disease education and awareness organizations, including Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF), Celiac Sprue Association (CSA), Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG),
and the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA).

Rudi’s Gluten-Free Facebook fans are invited to select one of these four community partners to receive a $1 donation from Rudi’s Gluten-Free and then click for a downloadable coupon good for $1 off any Rudi’s Gluten-Free product!
To follow the fun, fans can track the amount pledged to each organization and help encourage family and friends to donate to their favorite organization. “These four amazing community partners help our gluten-free fans live life to the fullest,” said Doug Radi, vice president of marketing for Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery. “For more than 35 years, our team has believed there’s a better, brighter way to make bread, and
we launched Rudi’s Gluten-Free as a way to make sure our gluten-free fans weren’t
left out of the party. As we celebrate the goodness of a gluten-free life, we wanted
to toast those who are making it even easier to stay happy and healthy—and what
better way to do this than to give our fans the opportunity to support their favorite organization.”

The organizations benefiting from Spread the Bread this month include:

Celiac Disease Foundation: The Celiac Disease Foundation has been at the forefront
of evidence-based celiac disease education, awareness, advocacy and support services to the lay and health professional communities since 1990. Today, guided
by its distinguished Medical Advisory Board, and supported by Chapters and Connections throughout the United States, CDF is meeting the growing public health challenge of increased diagnosis of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity with a range of vital programs and services for the public, patients and health-care professionals.

Celiac Sprue Association: The Celiac Sprue Association is a member-based organization dedicated to improve the quality of life for individuals with celiac
disease and their families worldwide through research, education, and support. CSA has been advocating for the gluten-free community for more than 30 years.

Gluten Intolerance Group: The mission of the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America is to support persons with gluten intolerances, celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, and other gluten sensitivities, through consumer and industry
services and programs that positively promote healthy lives. GIG has been serving
the gluten-free community for 38 years.

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness: Through empowerment, education and advocacy, NFCA drives diagnoses of celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders and improves the quality of life for those on a lifelong gluten-free diet. The NFC A was established in 2003.

———-

For more information, visit www.rudisbakery.com
or follow Rudi’s Organic Bakery on Facebook and Twitter.

Quick & Easy: Coconut Pancakes with Honey and Berry Spread

POSTED ON May 5th, 2012 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Dining, Quick & Easy

Editor’s Note: We’re excited to launch our “Quick & Easy” recipe series,
where some of our favorite bloggers create some new recipes for us that can be made in a snap. Interested in creating an original recipe for us to feature?
Email us a link to your blog at blog@easyeats.com.

—————

By Emily Hanhan -

Here’s a little secret about myself; some of my favorite forms of dinner come in breakfast-like disguises. Growing up, the concept of “breakfast for dinner” was
always far more exciting than the resulting meal. As an adult, my love of biscuits,
eggs and bacon after dark grows strong.

And then there are pancakes. I don’t order flapjacks from a diner; I get no pleasure from cloying, soggy, over-sized pancakes. But smaller pancakes, cooked to a
caramel brown, made with a mix of grains and dressed with any variety of
condiments from my refrigerator… satisfaction in a snap. A delicious dinner for
four in a half hour, done!

Maybe pancakes are my comfort food, a safety zone for me. My kitchen is not
gluten free. I have no allergies. But I do love whole grains. You could call this my
“gateway recipe”; the road to comfortably creating gluten-free foods. This recipe is
a celebration of flours, marrying the flavors of four different grains. Coconut milk,
honey and berries contrast with the earthy flours, adding some floral sweetness to each bite. Wholesome enough to pass for dinner and tasty enough to share at
brunch, these are pancakes for all!

Coconut Pancakes with Honey and Berry Spread
Yield: Makes 10-12 pancakes

2 oz cornstarch
1.25 oz buckwheat
1.25 oz millet
1.25 oz sorghum
1.25 oz teff
1 oz ground flaxseed
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
8 oz coconut milk
2 Tbsp vinegar
¼ tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 oz melted unsalted butter, coconut oil or neutral oil

In a large bowl, combine all dry goods [the first nine ingredients]. Whisk to aerate the flours and combine thoroughly. In a small bowl, combine the coconut milk, vinegar, vanilla extract and eggs. Beat well, making sure that the eggs break up and combine with the milk. Add the wet coconut milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until the batter is combined, making sure to scrape the bottom of your bowl for flour. Add the butter or oil to the batter, stirring thoroughly again. The fat will act like it doesn’t want to mix in, but a few more swift stirs should take care of it.

Place your cast-iron skillet on medium heat for a few minutes to preheat. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, use the heaviest skillet you have. At the same time, turn your oven on to 225 degrees. Once the pan is warm, grease liberally with butter, bacon grease or oil.

Scoop or pour 1/4 cup portions of batter into the pan. Let cook for a few minutes and once you start to see bubbles on the surface of the pancakes, flip. Cook for a few more minutes. Remove the pancakes from the pan, place on a baking pan and put the pan in the oven. Cook the remaining pancakes and keep warm in the oven.

Honey & Berries Spread
2 oz honey
2 oz berry jam or puree

While a batch of pancakes are cooking, make this spread! I recommend trying this with an immersion blender or a small food processor. Combine the honey and jam or fruit puree. Blend well, breaking up all bits of fruit, whipping the honey, and creating a homogenized spread. It may be exceedingly sticky, but it’s delicious.

Plate the pancakes, slathering the honey & berries spread between each warm pancake. You should have some coconut milk left from the can. Drizzle a bit of the milk on top of your stack for a final kiss of coconut.

————–

Emily Hanhan is obsessed with making all things edible from scratch. She writes about that and other food-related topics at Nomnivorous and is the co-founder of Whiskey & Salt Supper Club. She is addicted to amateur cooking competitions, bake sales and any chance to feed a crowd. Oh, and you can find marshmallows and other treats for sale at Sweet Tooth Labs.

Bubbly and Sweet Easy Sipping

POSTED ON May 4th, 2012 BY Jacqueline FILED UNDER Easy Sipping

Here at Easy Eats, we like to think of most things in regards to food. Good food.
Gluten-free food, obviously.

So for our Easy Sipping post this week, we took to the Vinitaly Tour wine event
focusing on the question, “what would I want to sip alongside a decadent dessert?”

While we found some incredibly robust reds (we’ll be featuring two in upcoming weeks) and some fruit-forward, tart whites, what won our palates when musing on dessert were the bubblies: a sparkling rosé, a Brut, a Prosecco and a Talento that were all dynamic and interesting but subtle enough as to not overpower a rich
sweet.

Most of these bottles are sold all over the United States and abroad at extremely affordable prices. To find them in your area, click to their websites. And for what we dreamed of pairing them with, head into the Easy Eats recipe vault.

————–

Manzoni Moscato “Petalo Rosa”

Rosés can sometimes seem cloyingly sweet – like a wine-cooler grown only a tad
more mature. We found this bottle to be quote grown-up and classy; very crisp, only lightly sweet, with a golden caramel scent and sparkling body. The Manzoni Moscato grape is a combination of Moscato D’amburgo and Raboso Piave grapes, invented in the 1930s. Full of fruit with a somewhat citrusy finish, it’s created in the traditional Italian method of carbonation similar to Prosecco.

We immediately thought of an airy vanilla cake, pungent with spices such as nutmeg and clove.

Sip it with: A Cherbourg Bakery Cream Puff sprinkled with nutmeg.

—————

Rotari Brut Talento Trento

A 100% Chardonnay boasting 30,000 bubbles, this Talento (“talented”) bottle is aged 28 months on yeast, resulting in an incredibly bubbly pour that will not flatten out before you devour it. Dry and quite simple, it can take on many strong dessert flavors without either giving sway or overpowering, the exact bottle you want to finish a rich meal. We’d especially recommend it complimented by something nutty.

Sip it with: Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with Hazelnuts and Cardamom Whipped Cream

—————

Bellenda Rose Brut

A combination of Pinot Nero and Raboso grapes hailing from northern Italy, this very dry sparkling rosé is a stellar pick for those with mild palates who prefer their wines a tad gentle. Teeming with a crisp berry, it would make a stellar accompaniment to an after-dinner cheese plate.

Sip it with: Lemon Cheesecake Cups

—————

Franciacorta Brut

Mostly Chardonnay grapes with contributions from Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero, this Brut was both dry and rich, complex in character with a sweet start and a dry finish. Made in the Champagne style, it’s fermented once in stainless steel and then again in the bottle for 36 months. The result had us dreaming of smokey chocolate and a table setting with only two flutes.

Sip it With: Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce

————–

All photos by Brent Herrig
Do not reprint without permission

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