Coconut Flour Waffles

I already love my new waffle maker. I also love these waffles. Coconut flour doesn't taste like coconut, it's just a light and sweet gluten free flour alternative. They're also very high in protein and low in carbs. Just magic!

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1.5 teaspoons oil (I used veggie)
1.5 teaspoons of vanilla
3/8 teaspoon baking soda
3/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1.5 teaspoons honey
3 tablespoons coconut flour

Preheat the waffle maker. Mix together all of these ingredients. Spray the waffle maker with nonstick cooking spray. Then add the batter and cook your waffles!

I served with blueberry sauce - I just threw some frozen blueberries into a saucepan with some apricot jelly and some honey. Healthier than maple syrup :-)

I also made some eggs and bacon, per Doug's request, since he needed to recharge from snow blowing the driveway! We also both needed some fuel before spending the snow day snowshoeing around Brookline! Hooray for a post Christmas blizzard!

Creamy Parmesan Risotto

I love a good, simple risotto. This is just the ticket. Contrary to common kitchen lore, you do not need to stir risotto constantly. You just need to stir constantly for the first few minutes after the rice is added in order to convince it to become creamy. 

Ingredients: 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1.5 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups low sodium (g-free!) chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Heat the chicken broth over low heat in a covered saucepan. When you add it to the rice (gradually) later, it needs to be warm. Make sure it's covered so it doesn't reduce. 


Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, around 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until it's coated with butter and begins to turn translucent, around 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, still stirring constantly, until all the liquid is absorbed, around 3 - 5 minutes. Begin adding 1/2 cup of the warm chicken broth, making sure to let the rice absorb the broth before adding more. This is where you can stop stirring constantly. Pay attention and stir frequently, but you no longer need to hover (and I bet your arm is getting a little tired). The whole process should take around 20 - 25 minutes. When you're done adding all of the chicken broth, turn off the heat, add the remaining butter, salt, pepper and Parmesan. Stir to combine, and serve! 

Gorgonzola and Porcini Risotto

So, I have to admit - I don't really like mushrooms. However, I had the most fabulous meal at cousin Laura's wedding back in September at the Chatham Bars Inn - which included mushroom risotto! This was fantastic, I thought I was coming around on the fungus family!

False. I think this risotto was especially mushroomy. Perhaps the stuff back at CBI was milder. Anyway, Doug and my mother raved about it (and my mom took the leftovers home, since we were heading out to PA and wouldn't get to them) so I figure it's a good recipe for all you mushroom fans. This recipe was featured on Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis back in 2008. She called for 4 cups of chicken stock, but I found the rice to be not quite done. 2 additional cups did the trick.

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken stock (my go-to gluten free chicken stock is available at Trader Joe's)
1.5 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
3 tablespoons butter (I found this didn't cover the rice completely, so I added a little more, so perhaps it was closer to 4 tablespoons)
1 medium diced white onion
1.5 cups Arborio rice (rice is naturally g-free, as long as it's not "messed with" at all with spices or whatnot)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan
3/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola - some blue cheeses are aged on bread, though this is becoming less common. Just make sure you're buying GF cheese. All Trader Joe cheese is GF, FYI.
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

I had some trouble finding dried porcini mushrooms. This could have been because I was shopping so close to Christmas. I ended up buying these from Whole Foods:



Bring the stock to a boil with the porcini mushrooms in a covered saucepan.


Turn off the heat and let the mushrooms seep in the broth for around a half an hour, until the mushrooms are tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms. Bring the chicken broth back to a simmer (covered), since the broth must be warm when added to the rice.

In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the butter until melted. Add the onion and mushrooms and let cook for around five minutes.


Add the rice and stir to completely cover with butter (this is where I added a little more).


Add the wine, and stir constantly until the wine is absorbed (around 3 minutes). Add the warm chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time, letting each additional absorb into the rice before adding more.


This whole process will take around 20 - 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and add in the salt, pepper, chives, parmesan and gorgonzola.

A note about adding the broth - figure out which of your ladles holds approximately a half a cup. It will make this process much easier!

My final product, snuggling up to a piece of steak!

Merry Christmas!

Our first Christmas was a romantic dinner for two, since the rest of our week would be so crazy. We made dinner together, drank some wine and opened presents. I made some mushroom risotto (I'll post the recipe later), and Doug grilled some filets. Of course, he had to wipe the snow off the grill first! I served the sweet onion marmalade I made earlier with the steak, and it was very good. Take note that a little goes a very long way. I had been surprised at how little it made - but turns out it will last for a very long time! Good thing, since it's supposed to get better with time!


Doug's plate. He insisted that I take the photo with a nice background. So enjoy the view of our tree!

For the first time, Doug and I did stockings! I won't bore you with all of our gifts, but I had two I had to share! First, my first GF cook book:


I can't wait to try out some recipes!

Also, this might be more embarrassing than funny, but I find it adorable. I wear fuzzy pink crocs as my slippers (I PROMISE I don't leave the house with them), and somehow Doug found a matching ornament:


And a shot on the tree:


He ALSO got me a waffle maker, and I'm looking forward to making GF coconut flour waffles Meredith found on Comfy Belly (and of course posting the recipe as well).

The next night, we did another early Christmas with my mom at my sisters house before heading to PA to visit with the Sherwood crew. I made an additional plain risotto for those non mushroom people. Again, I'll post the recipe separately. But here are my risottos (risotti?):


The entire meal was g-free and delicious! Thanks to mom for an awesome tenderloin!

Meredith made a gluten free apple brown sugar cheesecake. I'll have to get the recipe from her ( but I have to make it before I post it!), since it was fantastic. The crust relies on gluten free ginger snaps, which are available at most grocery stores.

Before:


And after :-)


One more shot to leave you with from the first half of Christmas - my cutie pie little nephew, ready for his first Christmas!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

You seriously can't even tell these are gluten free. Grace made these for my sisters BTT baby shower back in August, and Doug has been bugging me ever since to make them! I was glad I finally caved, I forgot how good they are! Luckily, Grace was happy to share the recipe.

2 cups peanut butter - use the real stuff! Teddie's or Smuckers all natural are my go-to peanut butters.
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 bag of chocolate chips

Mix them all together, roll into one inch balls, smoosh them onto greased cookie sheets and cook at 350 degrees for around ten minutes. Delicious!

My FAVORITE chocolate chips:

60% bittersweet Ghirardelli chips. They're big and dark - I love them.

Here is my batter:


And my final product, wrapped and ready to go. I wanted to thank a friend for doing some free work on my skis, and this was just the way! I could have made regular cookies, but these GF cookies meant I could have a few myself :-)

I'm in the holiday spirit!

Though not food related, I had to share my holiday spirit! I love our tree, stockings and wrapped presents (aren't they pretty? There are more on the other side) so much I almost don't want to start unwrapping and giving them away! But a picture lasts forever.

Also, an early gift I had to share:


Some girls get excited over flowers from their boyfriends. I get excited over the perfect cherry red La Creuset tea kettle. Thanks, Doug!

Sweet Onion Marmalade

Woohoo! I am back!

Let's get right to it. Here is some sweet onion marmalade, which I'm super excited to serve with some steak over the holidays. I tried a little out of the jar and its fabulous, especially for an onion lover like me.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 medium onion (any kind, even red, though I used yellow)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 rosemary sprigs
2/3 cup brown sugar (get a new box/bag if yours is all dried up in your cupboard!)
1/3 cup dry white wine (I used Hogue Sauvignon Blanc, since it's what was in my fridge)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar (I was originally concerned that this had gluten, but alas! It's made from grapes, excellent news!)

In a heavy frying pan or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Thinly slice the onion and add to the hot oil. Let caramelize - takes 20 - 30 minutes at least (more, if you have the time...the more you cook, the more they'll brown) until they're changed colors and are a light brownish color.

Add the salt, pepper, rosemary sprigs and bay leaves. Let cook for another 20 - 30 minutes. Here is my pot at this point:



Add in the sugar, wines and vinegar.



Bring to a boil, stirring consistently, and then bring back down to a simmer. Let cook for another 20 - 30 minutes until it reduces to your desired consistency. Remember it will thicken a bit more as it cools. Here is my jar of sweet onion marmalade. I was surprised at how little it made, hence the clementine next to it for comparison purposes, but I think a little will go a long way.



It's good for up to 2 - 3 months, and is supposed to get better with time. I will have to make more, since this batch will get eaten right up :-)

Stay tuned for how it tastes with the steak we're grilling for our first (of five...lots of families to visit with) holiday dinners!