Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

Every time I walk into the restaurant Cafe Zupas my heart skips a beat wishing I could try the Cauliflower soup.  I settle for the gluten free Tuscan Bean & Vegetable, which is very good, but oh how I wish they were all gluten free.  I've been on the hunt for Cauliflower soup recipe and have tried a few that were not so good, but I've finally found one that is delish!  This recipe is adapted from the Chef in Training blog and you can find the original recipe here.  My family likes a little texture in our soup, so I don't blend it toward the end.  That's why you can see a little celery in the photo.  The directions for both ways are listed below.

You can find my recipe for the breadsticks here.

3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup featherlight flour, or another all-purpose GF flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pint half and half
1/2 cup milk
3 1/2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

In a large saucepan add butter, onion and celery and saute for about 10 minutes, until very soft.  Add flour and stir until flour is heated about a minute.  Slowly add half and half, milk, water and bouillon cubes, stirring constantly.  Add chopped cauliflower and heat to a boil, stirring often.  Reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender.

Here is where you make a choice; texture or smooth?

     Texture:  If you like a little texture in your soup, whisk the soup to break the cauliflower into  
                    smaller pieces.

     Smooth:  If you like the soup smooth, place soup into a blender and blend.  Then return soup to the
                    saucepan and heat until hot, stirring occasionally.

Remove saucepan from heat and stir in mustard and cheese until melted and smooth.  Top with shredded cheese for garnish.

Kung Pao Chicken

This recipe is awesome!  It satisfies my cravings for Chinese food!  Some homemade Chinese food recipes seem complicated and time consuming, but this one is not.  I've adapted this recipe from Blog Chef.  You can find the original recipe here.

I'm more of a mild girl than a spicy one.  I was hesitant with the red pepper flakes wondering if it would be too spicy for all of my kids, but it was just about right.  It was spicy, but not crazy spicy.  My kids all loved it.  If you're a super mild person you could add a little less.

This recipe will serve about 6.  Note to self:  When I make this again I'm going to need more chicken to feed my family.  I'll add another 6 tenders, or use chicken breasts.  I'll probably keep everything else the same, but use 1/2 cup peanuts instead.

12 - 13 chicken tenders (cut into 1" pieces)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup GF soy sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
3 green onions, chopped (use all of it!)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts

Prepare chicken by cutting it into 1 inch pieces, and place in a bowl.   Make sure it is fresh, or completely defrosted.  Add cornstarch to chicken and toss to coat.

Heat sesame oil in a large saute pan or wok over medium heat.  Add chicken and stir-fry 5 - 7 minutes or until no longer pink inside.  Remove chicken from pan.

While chicken is cooking, in another small bowl make the sauce by combining rice vinegar, soy sauce and sugar.  Mix well.  (I like to use La Choy Lite soy sauce.)

Add green onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and powdered ginger to the pan and stir fry for 15 seconds.  Add the sauce and stir together.  Return the chicken to the pan and coat with the sauce.  Stir in roasted peanuts.  Heat thoroughly.  Top with additional green onions if desired and serve over rice.

Copycat P. F. Changs Lettuce Wraps

One of my favorite things at P. F. Changs is their lettuce wraps!  This recipe is quick and easy to make and it tastes just like it!  To save time you can use prepared fresh garlic and ginger.  The brand of Chili Garlic Sauce I use is Lee Kum Kee.  The original recipe calls for 1/2 can of water chestnuts, but if you like a little more crunch you can add the whole can.  Also, if you like it hotter, add more chili garlic sauce.  I've doubled this recipe and it works great!     

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb ground chicken breast
1/2 medium onion, minced
salt & pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 inch nob fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 1/2 tablespoons GF soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 - 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
dash of fresh pepper
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 - 1, 8-ounce can water chestnuts
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
iceberg lettuce

Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Add ground chicken and onion.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring often to break up the meat.  When chicken is nearly done, add the minced garlic and the ginger.  Cook until chicken is no longer pink.

While chicken is cooking, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, honey, and rice vinegar in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 20 seconds and stir until smooth. When the chicken is cooked, pour the sauce into the skillet and stir to combine.

Add chili garlic sauce according to the level of heat you like.  (I like about 1 teaspoon.). Add green onion, water chestnuts, and peanuts into the skillet.  Cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and the water chestnuts are heated through.  Serve with iceberg lettuce and rice.  

Pumpkin Cheesecake

This cheesecake is pumpkin goodness!  Yum!  It's like pumpkin pie, but better!  It's adapted from Paul Deens recipe that you can find here.  The crust is especially good and I think I'll use this crust for all my cheesecake recipes.  The brown sugar gives it more of a graham cracker crust flavor!  I put a little salt in the crust because the shortbread cookies are lacking a little I think.

Crust:
1 (7 ounce) pkg Schar Shortbread cookies
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup almond flour
3 heaping packed tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 stick (1/2 cup) melted salted butter

Filling:
3 (8 ounce) pkgs cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg  yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
2 tablespoons GF flour blend
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350º.  Place shortbread cookies in a ziploc bag.  Using a rolling pin smash the bag of cookies into fine crumbs.  Pour crumbs into a 9-inch springform pan.  Add almond flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon to the crumbs and mix well.  Pour melted butter over the mixture and stir until combined.  Press down flat into the pan and set aside.

In a stand mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add sugar and pumpkin and mix until combined.  Add eggs one and a time, beating until each is incorporated before adding the next.  Add the rest of the ingredients and beat together until well combined.  Pour onto crust and spread out evenly.

Bake at 350º for 1 hour.  Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Hungarian Goolash

I'm currently the Relief Society Emergency Preparedness specialist in my LDS ward.  One goal I have is to help women come up with meals that they can have on hand in case of emergency.

I've started putting together some meal ideas that I can have on hand for a 3 month supply of food.   This one is perfect for it!  It is a quick meal I can put together with the food in my pantry, plus ground beef.  The recipe calls for 1 lb of hamburger which is what I will usually use, because I have a freezer full of ground beef.  Although, I am in the process of finding some canned beef that is gluten free that I can have in my food storage.  This would be a good recipe to use it with.

This recipe reminds me of the days as a young wife, prior to Celiac disease when I would cook "Hamburger Helper" after a long day at school.  I have to say this is WAY better than my memories of "Hamburger Helper," but the same idea.  Plus, my kids love it!

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, minced or 2 tablespoons dehydrated onion flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup water
1 cube GF beef bouillon cube
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons featherlight flour
3 cups dry GF pasta

Cook pasta, according to directions.  In a large skillet, brown hamburger, onions, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add water, bouillon, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt, paprika, dry mustard,  and cayenne pepper.  Simmer about 10 minutes.  Mix flour and water.  Stir into beef mixture, and simmer until thickened.  Drain pasta and combine everything!

Swedish Pancakes

My Grandma got this recipe from a Swedish woman.  It was always a family favorite in my home growing up.  I've since adapted it to make it gluten free, and it's delicious!  We eat Swedish Pancakes all year long, but it's also the favored Christmas morning breakfast dish!

2013 update:
I make these crepes all the time, but this morning I learned something new about them.  I was trying to be ultra prepared and measured out the ingredients ahead of time.  I put the xanthan gum with the flour and mixed it up prior to adding it to the egg mixture.  BIG MISTAKE!  Because of the nature of xanthan gum, the more you mix it, the thicker it gets.  With this recipe it makes it way too thick.  So the bottom line is:  Add the xanthan gum after you've added the milks, sugar, salt and flour.  Mix it a little, then add the water.  If it gets too thick, add a little more water until it's a thin consistency.  If it's too thin, mix it a little bit more and it will thicken up.

8 eggs
1 cup milk
1 can evaporated milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
3 cups featherlight flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 cup water


Beat eggs completely.  Keep the mixer going on a slow speed the entire time you're adding ingredients.  (I use a Bosch and keep it on a 1.) Beating constantly add milk, evaporated milk, sugar, and salt.  Add flour.  Then add xanthan gum.  Add 1 cup water.  Turn off mixer and pour the batter into a large pitcher to make it easier to pour each pancake into the pan.  Cook on hot, buttered griddle or in frying pan, spreading thinly over surface to make a large, thin pancake.  You may need to play with the temperature that you cook it on.  I cook it at about medium high.  Serve with butter and maple syrup.

We also love Swedish Pancakes as a dessert with fresh berries and whipped cream or ice cream!  Other toppings we like are nutella, bananas, chocolate syrup, etc.  Be creative!

Peach Freezer Jam

So you've got to try this!  This jam is pretty much fresh peach pie in a jar.  Yum!  I love it!  It's super simple and has less sugar than many jams.  When you use clear jel you're able to really cut back on the sugar.  You can buy clear jel from alpinefoodstorage.com.

10 cups mashed peaches
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup light karo syrup
2 teaspoons almond extract
4 cups sugar
2/3 cup clear jel

Prepare fresh peaches by peeling and removing the seed.  Mash peaches with a potato masher.  Don't blend, because you want small chunks.  Add lemon juice, karo syrup and almond extract.  In a separate bowl add the sugar and clear jel.  Stir together until combined, and sugar is dissolved.

Pour into pint or half-pint jars and keep in freezer.

Pear Almond Muffins

These muffins just might be my all time favorite!  They are moist and flavorful!  Yum!  They have a lot of ingredients, but don't let it fool you.  They are really quick to mix up!

2 medium pears, peeled, cored and cubed (about 1/2 inch)
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup featherlight flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup almond flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 375º.  Peel, core and cube pears and place in a microwave safe bowl.  Add lemon juice and the 2 teaspoons sugar.  Microwave on high for 4 minutes, until pears are very soft.  Smash the pears with a potato masher, but leave small chunks.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, add flours, sugar, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt.  Mix until combined.  In another bowl, beat eggs with a fork and add melted butter, milk, yogurt, vanilla and almond extract.  Add wet ingredients and pears to dry ingredients.  Stir until combined.

Fill greased, or paper-lined muffin cups about 3/4 full.  Bake at 375º for 16 - 17 minutes.  Makes about 18 muffins.

Creamy Rice Pudding

I LOVE this rice pudding!  I like it hot.  I like it cold.  I like it with or without toppings.  It's just delicious in every way!  It's super easy because it uses leftover rice.  When I'm cooking rice for dinner, I make extra and make rice pudding later. 

3 cups cooked rice
3 cups milk
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan combine the rice, 3 cups milk, sugar and salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring often with a whisk.  Cook until thick and creamy, 10 - 15 minutes.  

In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a fork and stir in 1 cup milk.  Gradually whisk the milk/egg mixture into the saucepan.  Bring back to a low boil and cook 2 - 3 more minutes, stirring constantly.  

Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.  Serve warm or cold.  Eat it plain, or top with cinnamon sugar, nuts, fruit, or chocolate.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

This is probably is most delicious gluten free chocolate cake recipe EVER!  I know that's quite a statement but you truly have to try it to believe it!  My sister introduced this recipe to me and WOW it's yummy!  The peanut butter cup inside and peanut butter frosting is to die for!  Just a warning:  it's sweet and rich - and ohhhh we love it!  I would totally make the homemade buttermilk with whipping cream!  I think it really makes a difference!

1 3/4 cup featherlight flour
1 scant teaspoon xanthan gum
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (1 tablespoon vinegar, almost 1 cup heavy whipping cream)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup hot water
24 Mini Reece's Peanut Butter cups (You'll need more for the top of the cupcake!)

Start by making the homemade buttermilk.  Put 1 tablespoon vinegar in a 1 cup measuring cup, then fill the rest of the cup with heavy whipping cream.  Let it sit for at least 5 minutes.

Combine dry ingredients in your mixer.  In a small bowl add buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla, and mix with a fork.  Turn the mixer on low speed and gradually add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.  Stop and scrape down the bowl.  Return to low speed and gradually beat in hot water.  Mixture will be very thin.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.  Bake at 350º for 10 minutes.  While baking, remove foil from 24 peanut butter cups.  After the 10 minutes, open the oven and pull the rack out so you can place peanut butter cups in the center of the batter.  Push down until flush with batter.  Slide back in the oven and bake for another 8 - 10 minutes.  As it bakes, the batter will puff up around the peanut butter cups.   Test the side of the cupcake (where there is no peanut butter cup) to see if cupcake is done.

Cool on wire racks.  When completely cool, frost the cupcakes with the peanut butter frosting, using a large star piping tip.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 1/3 cups creamy peanut butter
2 cubes butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
12 Mini Reece's Peanut Butter cups

Cream peanut butter and butter together.  Gradually add powdered sugar.  Whip on high speed until light and fluffy.  Transfer icing into a piping bag with a large star piping tip.  Pipe around the cooled cupcake, working towards the center.  Top with half a mini Reece's Peanut butter cup.