Broccoli cheese casserole

This one is for Cheryl

6 eggs
6 Tbsp flour
8-10 ox shredded cheddar cheese
10 oz frozen broccoli
8 oz cottage cheese
3/4 stick butter
salt and pepper to taste

beat eggs, add in cheese, mix in broccoli

bake in 2  quart casserole dish at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes


Notes and modifications:

You need to keep the quantity of cheese the same, but I've varied what kind of cheese.  It was definitely on purpose and not because I needed to use up dribs and drabs of what was left in the fridge.  ;-)

Simple Sesame Cookies

As you can see, I like them a little toasty

I'm putting this recipe up here for my friend, Jen.
I took these to her the last time we visited, as an example of a gluten free, dairy free, egg free, vegan, cookie that was really, really, good, and when she liked them I promised her the recipe.

Sorry it took so long Jen!



These are basically a short bread cookie w/ nuts and seeds added



Simple Sesame Cookies

2 cups softened butter or margarine*
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 cups flour *
1 cup sesame seeds
2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 sliced or chopped almonds

Cream butter (or margarine) until light
Add sugar gradually
Beat until fluffy
Add flour, mix
Stir in sesame seeds, coconut and almonds

Roll dough into logs*
Freeze until very firm
Slice into ~1/4" cookies
Lay on unreleased cookie sheet (will spread a little)
Bake at 300 degrees ( or 280 degrees for convection oven) for 25-30 minutes

Take off pan while still warm to cool on rack or paper towl

These will crisp on cooling, shouldn't be allowed to brown (unless you like it a little extra toasty)



Notes and Modifications

* flour can be all purpose wheat, whole wheat pastry, or gluten free

My favorite gluten free flour for 1:1 replacement is Better Batter Flour.  It's nutritionally as bad as white flour but, for anything except yeast breads, it's hands down the best tasting best textured replacement.  So long as it's not an every day thing, I think it's safe not to worry about the lack of nutrition and fiber.

* My favorite butter replacement for cookies is Earth Balance margarine

*I like to shape the rolls so that when you cut them they are rectangles, but this batch was made by Fire Lord, and anything I didn't have to make myself is perfect just the way it is.

I haven't tried switching out the nuts and seeds, but I think it might be interesting to try to make pecan sandies using this recipe as a base

April's version of Deb's friend Stacy's Sweet Potato Casserole

That's how it goes doesn't it?  Sharing recipes is a little like sharing folk songs, things get changed as we pass them on.   My version is a little bigger than Deb's, and a little less sweet, but the idea is still the same.  Total deliciousness.

Sweet Potato Casserole

3.5-4 lbs canned yams or sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter
4 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all together and pour into ~9x13 pan

Topping

1/2 cup butter (cold)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 chopped pecans

mix or cut w/ pastry blender sprinkle on sweet potato mixture

Bake at 350 for ~ 50-60 minutes.

Top should be crispy, but not very browned.


Notes and Modifications:

You can half the recipe if you don't have many people to fill.  But think about it, because the leftovers make a pretty good breakfast. 

I've substituted coconut oil for half the butter and it was just as yummy.

We're gluten free here, so I used Better Batter Flour instead of wheat flour. 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Sometimes I just need a chocolate cake.  Especially if it's my birthday.

Since going gluten free I've discovered a flour I like (Better Batter) and I can make just about any regular recipe using that flour.

But, when you want a really rich decadent chocolate cake, a flourless chocolate cake can't be beat. 
So, here's a recipe I've been using for a couple of years, taken from the internet, but tweaked until it's just right for me.

Flourless Chocolate Cake
Put in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring each time until it's smooth and creamy:

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter (or coconut oil if you're dairy free)


Meanwhile beat 3 eggs (sorry, this just can't be made egg free)
 beat into the eggs:
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Mix chocolate/butter mixture into egg mixture.


Line bottom of a small spring form pan, or small cake pan (~8" or less) with parchment paper
Pour cake batter into lined pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Let cool, use dull blade to detach edges of cake and pop it out of the pan.


 Notes and Modifications:

If I'm feelling a little guilty about all this decadence I sometimes mix in 1-3 tablespoons flax seed, doesn't change the taste, just adds a bit of texture

A double boiler can be used if you don't have a microwave

This is lovely as is, but you if you want a fancier cake or an even bigger indulgence, you can put chocolate ganache  on top.

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter (or coconut oil, or cream)
adjust fat/cream to get texture you want
(optional 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, rum, or other flavor)

Put in microwave-safe bowl, heat in microwave 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring after each time until smooth.  Pour on top of cooled cake, smooth, put in fridge so ganache firms up.  Serve at room temperature

Greek Salad Dressing

This one is for Tia, so she can have it anytime, on anything.

Greek Salad Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
5 T  red wine vinegar
2 T lemon juice
1 T oregano
2-4 garlic cloves
1-2 t soy lecithin
salt and pepper to taste

I put it all in a blender.  The lecithin helps thicken it, and keeps it from separating so easily.

We like it on Greek salad, but it's also nice on sauteed veggies,  pasta, etc..

A Frozen Treat on a Frozen Day

Brrr!  It's literally freezing here.  I'm talking negative numbers. -22 F when I got up this morning, it was up to -6 when I left to run our morning errands at 10 am.

You'd think it'd be a good time to cook and bake, and you'd be right, but it's also apparently a good time to make gelato.  We've been having this treat at least once a week for a couple of weeks now.  Perhaps it's because we never get our fill.  This recipe makes just a quart, which is barely enough to give everyone in our family of 5 a small bowlful.  Perhaps it's because it's just down right yummy, and easy enough to make often, even if you're 9 years old, like Hot Dog.



Basic Gelato Recipe

3 eggs
1/2 cup cream
2 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
dash of salt
2 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk the 3 eggs in a pot until homogeneous
Add milk and cream, whisk again
Add sugar and salt, whisk again

Heat on medium or medium low heat whisking occasionally until thick and starting to bubble.  Cool in fridge (or outside on a freezing day) for 2 + hours (or a couple of days, if like me you get busy and forget about it)

When cool add vanilla, whisk one last time, and freeze in ice cream maker according to manufactures instructions.


Notes and Modifications

The other thing that's been making this addictive is that I finally learned how best to add chocolate chips - heat the oven on low (~200 F) put a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet and put ~1/2 cup of chocolate chips on the wax paper and set in warm oven until chocolate is soft and gooey.  Pull it out and scrape liquid chocolate into the cold gelato, whisk, then freeze according to instructions.  The chocolate hardens in ribbons that are lovely in the finished product.

You can vary the flavor - use almond extract, mint extract, orange extract etc... instead of vanilla
I want to try chocolate sometime, oooh, or maybe chocolate orange w/ bits of orange zest in it.   Yea, that would be good.  If I could ever not make the basic chocolate chip that we all keep craving.

Super Easy Pizza Dough

Easiest Pizza Dough Ever

1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon bread machine yeast
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (kosher if you have it)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)


Throw it all in the bread machine on the dough cycle.  You don't have to wait for the whole cycle, when it gets to the "rise" mode you can take it out and shape it.

Pre-heat oven to 500

Roll thin (~1/4")  and top as desired.

Notes and modifications:

One trick we learned is to bake it with just the sauce on it for ~3 min. then put the cheese  and other toppings on and finish it.  That cooks the crust a little bit more.
Also I like to sprinkle some extra pizza spice on the sauce, and minced garlic on top of the cheese.