Flourless chocolate cake

I've made this cake a few times now and been really impressed. I made an almond chocolate ganache (Chocolate, pure almond extract, cream, and butter) to put on top and then added strawberries. It was great! This recipe would be fabulous with fresh raspberries or a homemade raspberry sauce over-top. Its incredibly rich and dense so I'd recommend that you would cut your slices very thin! Enjoy!! :-)

• 4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for sprinkling

preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper and butter paper.

Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.

Dust cake with additional cocoa powder and serve with sorbet if desired. (Cake keeps, after being cooled completely, in an airtight container, 1 week.)

(I found the recipe here)

Favorite new snack

We are huge popcorn lovers over here. One of our favorite new ways to eat popcorn is thanks to my friend Johanna.

We start by making homemade kettle corn

Pour oil into your pan. Put two kernels in and when the oil is hot enough you will hear your kernels pop and then add in 2/3 cup of your kernels and 2/3 cup of sugar. Shake the entire time popcorn is cooking so as not to let the sugar burn or clump together.

Right after your kettle corn has finished popping pour into a bowl and immediately top with salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and chili powder. Yum!!

Orange Chicken

Ever since we cut gluten out of my husband and daughters diets, we have greatly missed Chinese food. Most soy sauce has wheat in it and other things, like orange chicken and egg rolls are also deep fried and wheat filled. Last week I scoured the internet and found this fabulous gluten free, baked orange chicken recipe. I modified it a bit and it was a HUGE hit!

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2" cubes (I used cage free)
1/2 cup flour (or organic rice flour to be GF)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice (I squeezed two fresh oranges in)
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce (I used gf garlic soy sauce)
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons green onion (didn't have any so I omitted this)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Heat oven to 350. In a shallow dish combine the flour, garlic powder and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in flour mixture and coat evenly.

Melt butter and pour into a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine water, fresh orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, orange zest and whisk over medium heat for a few minutes. Then stir in brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and green onion.

After chicken has baked the 30 minutes, turn each piece over and pour 1/2 sauce mixture evenly over chicken. Bake another 30 to 40 minutes basting frequently.

Serve chicken over rice with extra sauce on the side.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie bars known to Man

No, seriously. They are the best chocolate chip cookie bars ever.And Im not just talking gluten free. In a very gluten filled world, these would take a prize! I got the recipe from another blogger and she has both the vegan and gluten free recipes on there. I used the gluten free version and turned them into bars. I'm the only one who has tried them so far but I'm sure my family will chow them down once they are up from nap and home from work. (If I don't before that)

If you and your family eat a gluten free diet, you know that baked goods are hard to come by. They are mostly dry, metallic tasting, gritty and gross! Give these a try, I'm guessing you have missed a good cookie!

http://silkiecook.blogspot.com/2010/03/vegan-double-chocolate-chip-cookie-with.html

(Oh and the only thing I omitted was the cocoa powder- I just forgot it! :-))

Gluten free Easy Pot Pie

My cousin Heather gave me this recipe and I modified it to make it gluten free and we absolutely LOVE it! We gobble it all up in one meal and my husband requested last night after he realized there were no leftovers that I double the batch or make two next time. Its so yummy! :-) And very easy. I based it off this recipe.

I start by boiling my chicken. Its quick, easy and falls right apart after a 20 minutes or so. Then I shred it.

Put it in a casserole dish. While the chicken is cooking I make a homemade cream of chicken sauce. I use a bit of butter, cornstarch, cream, garlic, salt and pepper, and chicken stock. I mix the chicken, sauce and loads of veggies. Then I mix up the egg, milk and gluten free Bisquick and pour over top. Definitely a winter comfort meal that my family goes wild for!

Buffalo Chicken Mini Burgers

We are making these again and thought they were good enough that I should share the recipe!

Dice 1 celery stalk finely
Dice 1 onion finely

Add in a bowl together

Chop one handful of fresh parsley and add to bowl
mix in 1 egg and 1 lb of ground chicken
Add sea salt and pepper to taste
Add 1 Tbsp of Tapioca flour to help mold together (you probably could use regular flour, this just happens to be a gluten free recipe)

Mix will still be soft
In a skillet that has hot EVOO and hot EV coconut oil put in mini burgers. I did about 2 TBSP worth of meat together. Mixture made about 18 mini burgers.
Top with Franks red hot sauce


We ate them with lettuce surrounding them and just plain. So good!

I think tonight we will pair them with salad and maybe sweet potatoes?