Raspberry Buckle

We got a new oven this week. Our last one broke so bad it was cheaper to just get a new one. The best part, we just got a new fridge the beginning of June. Anyway, between being out of commission for the last few weeks and the broken oven I have been having the shakes about baking. So when we picked our raspberries yesterday I decided to find a recipe I could make in my gas oven. When I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook I thought it was perfect and seemed easy enough to adapt to Gluten Free. I added the non-GF recipe at the bottom. Having never cooked with gas it ended up a little over cooked, but it was delicious. I made a GF one and regular and I think I preferred the texture of the GF one to the regular, go figure! I also halved the original recipe since it is only for one person and cooked it in a loaf pan. Double and cook in an 8x8x2 or 9x9x2 for the original recipe.

Raspberry Buckle
1 C GF flour*
1 3/4 tsp baking powder*
1/2 tsp xanthan gum*
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 C shortening
3/8 C sugar (6 T)
1 egg*
1/4 C milk
1/8 tsp vanilla
1 c fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 C GF flour*
pinch Xanthan gum*
1/4 C sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter or margarine

1. Grease the bottom and 1/2" up the sides of an 8x4 loaf pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In another mixing bowl beat the shortening for 30 seconds and add the 3/8 C sugar beating on med to high until until light and fluffy.

3. Add egg and beat well. Combine milk and vanilla. Add milk mixture and dry mixture to batter, alternating between the two and beating until smooth after each addition.
4. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

5. Sprinkle with raspberries. Combine the 1/2 C flour, a sprinkle of xanthan gum (if using), and cinnamon. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
6. Sprinkle mixture over raspberries.
7. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes** or until golden brown. Best served warm.
Makes 4 servings

*NON-GF VERSION: Use regular flour, omit xanthan gum, use 1 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1 egg.
**45-60 minutes for 8x8x2/9x9x2 pan.

Cheese Stuffed Hamburgers

I love grilling! Or more precisely, I love food that is grilled. The last few weeks I haven't done much but care for baby, read and watch TV while recovering from my C-section. One day I was watching The Food Network and they featured a hamburger contest. When I saw the hamburgers with cheese in them, they looked so good I had to try it and it was yummy, although I still need to perfect my technique. NOTE: the bun above is not GF, we were out so my daughter just ate it plain. Sometimes we put it on her bread, but our oven has been broken and I haven't made it to the store to get her some bread.

Cheese Stuffed Hamburgers
2 lbs hamburger
Steak Seasoning (opt.)
1/3 C diced or grated cheese, divided into 5 portions

Before I divided the cheese, my husband and I had pepper jack, and the kids cheddar.

1. Divide the hamburger into 4 -5 equal portions.* Lay the cheese in the center of the burger.

2. Gently fold the burger around the cheese, fully encasing the cheese inside. If there are any cracks or if the wall of the burger is too thin, the cheese will leak out while cooking (this is the part I am perfecting).
3. Spread about 1 Tbsp vegetable oil on a plate and place burgers on the plate turning them so both sides are coated in oil.
4. Grill until done.

*Another method to encase the cheese is to divide the hamburger into 8 equal portions and then "sandwich" the cheese between two portions of meat for 4 burgers.

Quick Sauteed Mushrooms

I love sauteed mushrooms and often order them at restaurants. That said, I don't often have fresh mushrooms around, when I want sauteed ones I cheat and use a can of mushrooms. While not exactly the same, it is delicious! I like to eat them on hamburgers and as a side.

Quick Sauteed Mushrooms

1 Tbsp butter
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Dash of onion salt
Dash of garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1. In a small skillet, melt butter over med heat.
2. Add remaining ingredients and saute for about 3-4 minutes.

Sauteed Squash & Onions

I love summer because of all the fresh fruits & veggies from our garden. One dish I really look forward to is sauteed squash & onions. My mom use to make it for us growing up. Often she would toss in breadcrumbs as well, but since going gluten free, I don't do that often. If I do, I take out some for my daughter before adding the crumbs. It is a pretty simple recipe but delicious!

Sauteed Squash & Onions

2 Tbsp butter or oil
1 zucchini, halved & thinly sliced
1 crook-neck squash, halved/quartered & thinly sliced
1 sm onion, halved & thinly sliced
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet melt butter over med-high heat.
2. Add squash & onions, and salt & pepper
3. Saute until squash is cooked through and onions are translucent.

Divine Chocolate Pudding

I haven't been posting for a while, because, frankly, I haven't been cooking. I had my baby last week and ended up with a C-section so I was too tired before and after others have been cooking for me. That said, on Monday it was my turn to choose a treat for our Family Night and I wanted Chocolate Pudding. My mom found this recipe for pudding in the Lion House Desserts cookbook that sounded delicious! Oddly enough it didn't use eggs and we thought we should try it. The cookbook is a collection of recipes used at The Lion House, a restaurant in downtown Salt Lake. Everything I have tried in it has been divine and this proved to be no exception. The original recipe was for vanilla pudding, but mom changed it to chocolate. She added the maximum amount of cocoa & sugar listed and it was really rich. If you like less chocolatey flavor add the smaller amount of cocoa & sugar


Divine Chocolate Pudding
2 C milk (2 % is best or evap +skim, or whole fat coconut milk)
1/3 T butter
1/3-1/2 C granulated sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4-1/3 C cocoa
1 tsp vanilla

1. Heat milk and butter in a heavy pan until very hot. Stir often so it doesn't burn
2. Meanwhile, mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cocoa in a bowl and add 1/2 C of the hot milk. Stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Slowly add the mixture back into the remaining milk, stirring constantly.
3. Continue stirring until the pudding thickens and is smooth, it will take about 3 minute. Cover and cook 5 more minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
5. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap is touching the entire top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming.
6. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.
Makes 4 C of pudding or fills 1 9" pie.

Lasagna Casserole

I love lasagna, I, however, hate making it and trying to get the noodles just right. I realize it isn't that big of a deal, but at the time it always seems daunting. Anyway, our spinach is starting to go crazy, meaning we REALLY have to eat it. I am going to freeze some, but having fresh spinach makes me think of lasagna so I decided to make more of a casserole instead of a full blown lasagna and it turned out just as yummy. I am not a ricotta fan so I always use cottage cheese, but I imagine you could use ricotta just as easy.

Lasagna Casserole
2 lb dry spiral noodles
1 24-oz container cottage cheese
1 C fresh spinach, coarsely diced
2 Tbsp fresh basil or 2 tsp dried
1/2 C parmesan Cheese, grated
2 jars of spaghetti sauce*
1 lb Mozzarella Cheese, grated

1. Cook noodles according to package directions and drain.
2. While the pasta is cooking, in a medium bowl combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, spinach, and basil.
3. Grease a 9x13 pan or line with foil and grease.
4. Layer 1/2 C sauce then 1/3 cooked pasta, then 1/2 cottage cheese mixture and then a couple handfuls of mozzarella cheese. Repeat with 1/3 pasta, sauce, remaining cottage cheese mixture and a couple handfuls of cheese. Then layer remaining pasta, sauce and mozzarella cheese.5. Grease one side of tin foil large enough to cover casserole dish. Cover dish tightly and bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 more.

* or your own equivalent

Crunchy Granola

A year ago my husband and I visited Scotland and Ireland. We spent 3 days in Belfast and during that time we stayed at a hotel that served breakfast. Because we were cheap we chose the cold breakfast each morning. I expected cold cereal, instead it was basic granola with choices of dried fruit, nuts, seeds, etc. I loved it. Since then I have been trying to recreate the granola with no luck. Last January my sister sent me this recipe from a recipe swap at church. It sounded so yummy, but I hadn't gotten around to making it until today and I'm not sure I made enough. I can't stop eating it, and it reminds me so much of the granola back in Belfast, it isn't sweet like most granolas and it is pretty healthy so I don't feel too guilty eating a lot. It is easily the best granola I've ever had. If you like sweet granola add honey to the butter/syrup mixture before you pour it over the rest of the ingredients. I am thinking of having it over ice cream as a lunch/afternoon snack.

NOTE: This uses oatmeal, which need to be certified GF for those with GF issues, even if they are GF some people still have problems with oatmeal.

Crunchy Granola
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
¾ cup sliced or slivered almonds
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp flax seed
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil or 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup pure maple syrup (preferably Grade A Dark Amber)
1 cup dried fruits (cranberries, cherries, apricots, dates, figs, and/or raisins) (optional -- but recommended, I used cranberries & dates)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Either butter or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl combine the rolled oats, nuts, seeds, flax seed, ground cinnamon, and salt.

3. In a small bowl, stir together the oil (or melted butter), and maple syrup. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and toss together, making sure all the dry ingredients are coated with the liquid. Spread onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 30 - 45 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally so the mixture browns evenly. (The browner the granola gets (without burning) the crunchier the granola will be.) Place on a wire rack to cool. You will notice that the granola may still be sticky when it is removed from the oven but it will become crisp and dry as it cools. Make sure to break up any large clumps of granola while the mixture is still warm. Once the granola has completely cooled, add dried fruit and store in an airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator. It will keep for several weeks.