Gluten-free pizza

In my quest to eat more healthy, I found this pizza recipe on comfybelly.com.  The crust is made from almond flour and Parmesan cheese. I didn't have a 11 x 7 inch tart pan that is called for in the recipe, instead I used a regular size pan and just made sure when I spread the dough out it was only 11 x 7 inches.   Make sure you cook the crust so it's golden color. If you under bake the crust, your pizza will be soggy. I added mushrooms, onions and ground turkey. This recipe will never replace a real tasting pizza made with flour and yeast, but it's a great substitute. (I used a picture from the comfybelly site until I can get my own picture posted).

Pizza Tart

Tart Crust Ingredients (used to fill an 11 inches x 7 inches tart pan)

• 1 cup of almond flour
• 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons of water
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano

Tart Filling Ingredients

• 3/4 cup of thick pizza sauce (tomato sauce seasoned with herbs and olive oil)
• 3/4 cup of your favorite pizza cheese for the top (grated)
• about 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil, oregano, and garlic powder sprinkled on top
• I used some ground turkey, onions and mushrooms on the top

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Add the almond flour, cheese, basil, oregano and water to a food processor or blender, and process for several seconds, or until it starts to crumble or clump together a bit. It should be soft and sticky. If not, add a bit more water.
3. Cut out parchment paper to place on bottom of pan. 
4. Scoop or pour the crumble crust mixture into your tart pan.
5. Spread the mixture out evenly, and then use your fingers to press the tart into the shape of the pan.
6. Bake the tart for about 12 minutes, or until it is just starting to turn yellow on top and on the edges.
7. Take the tart out of the oven and spread the pizza sauce evenly across the crust. Then add the grated cheese, and finally sprinkle the oregano, basil and garlic powder on top.
8. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
9. Place the tart back in the oven, and bake for about 12 minutes, or until the cheese is just starting to brown.
10. Cool, slice, and store any leftovers in the refrigerator for another day. Reheat slices at 350 degrees F for about 7 minutes.

Stuffed zuchini

Meat, Tomato, and Mozzarella Stuffed Zucchini Cups 
(Makes 6-8 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

2 large zucchini or yellow squash, about 12 inches long
2 tsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil (may need more, depending on your pan)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 green pepper, finely chopped
2 T finely minced fresh garlic
1 lb. ground beef (10% fat or less)
12 oz. ground turkey (10% fat or less)
(use any combination of ground meat you'd like, but use low-fat ground meat for the South Beach Diet.)
1-2 tsp. Spike seasoning (optional but recommended)
2 C flavorful tomato-basil pasta sauce
2 cups low-fat mozzarella or other mild white cheese (I used low-fat blend of six cheeses called Italian blend.)

Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Chop onion and green pepper. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a non-stick pan, then saute onion and pepper for 3-4 minutes, until just starting to soften. Add minced garlic and saute about 1 minute more, being careful not to brown the garlic. Remove the onion, pepper, and garlic mixture to a bowl.

Add 2 tsp. more olive oil to the pan. Crumble in the ground beef and ground turkey, season with Spike seasoning, and cook over medium heat until the meat is well browned. Tilt pan to see if there is any extra fat, and remove with a spoon if there is, then stir cooked vegetables and garlic back into the meat. Add tomato sauce and simmer until the mixture has thickened and liquid has cooked off, about 10 minutes, then turn off heat.

While meat cools, cut zucchini into 2 inch thick slices, discarding ends. Use a sharp spoon or melon baller to hollow out a cup in each zucchini slice, leaving just over 1/4 inch of zucchini flesh. Be careful not to get too close to the skin or the cups will leak liquid when they cook.

Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray and stand up zucchini cups, open end up. Stir 1 1/2 cups grated cheese into the cooled meat mixture (it doesn't need to be completely cool), then spoon the meat-cheese mixture into zucchini cups, pressing down with the spoon and mounding it up a little over the top of the zucchini.

Bake zucchini cups for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and use remaining cheese to top each one with a generous pinch of cheese. Put back in oven and bake 10-15 minutes more, until zucchini is slightly soft when pierced with a fork and cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Homemade ricotta cheese

This recipe comes from the book, "Homemade Cheese" by Janel Hurst

This recipe is for a whole-milk ricotta which originates from Italy. It is rich and creamy. Since this cheese keeps in the refrigerator for one week, I usually will usually cut the recipe down 1/2. Ricotta is used in lasagna and other pasta dishes. Add a sweeter to make a perfect filling for crepes.

Ingredients:

1 gallon whole cow milk

1/2 cup apple-cider vinegar

1 Tbl non-iodized salt

Place milk in a large cooking pot over medium-low heat. Stir often to avoid any scorching. Bring the milk up to 190 degrees and remove from heat. Stir and add the vinegar. Tiny bits of curd will form. Pour the curds into a cheesecloth lined colander. Drain for about 30 minutes. Add the salt, working it gently into the curds. If you want a creamier texture, stir in 2-3 tablespoons of cream.

Cinnamon Bun Muffins using coconut flour

I found this on the healthy recipe site, http://comfybelly.com/

CINNAMON BUN MUFFINS (USING COCONUT FLOUR)

Muffin Ingredients (makes about 8 muffins)

• 1/2 cup of coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup of yogurt
• 1/2 cup of honey (or other sweetener)

Cinnamon Topping Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons of honey (or other sweetener)
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted (ghee or coconut oil will work too)
• 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts (optional; or other nut)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For the muffins, combine all the dry in ingredients and blend well.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a mixer to blend (get rid of any clumps of flour), or blend well by hand.
4. Fill muffin or cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way with batter.
5. Drip the cinnamon topping over the top of each muffin. Some of it will sink into the muffin batter. You can use a toothpick to poke the topping into the batter, to get more of the topping to spread into the batter.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
7. Cool and enjoy! Store for a few days at room temperature (covered) or keep in the refrigerator for a week or so.

Chocolate chip banana cake

This recipe comes from the cookbook " The gluten-free almond flour cookbook".  This cake is so good, that even my non gluten- free friends loved  it. Perfect recipe to use over-ripe bananas.  If you want a simple banana cake, eliminate the chocolate.

Ingredients:

3 cups blanched almond flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1/4 cup agave nectar

3 large eggs

1 tbl vanilla extract

1 cup  coarsely chopped dark chocolate

1 cup (2-3) mashed very ripe bananas

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch cake pan with grapeseed oil and dust with almond floor.

In large bowl, combine the almond four, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, agave nectar, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Fold in the chocolate and bananas. Scoop the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cook in the pan for 1 hour, then serve. 

Grain free

This recipe comes from http://www.ticklemysweettooth.com/blog/?p=267. Candice is a professional baker who loves to make low carb foods. This is one of her recipes. If you're following a grain-free diet, this is a great addition to your recipe box. I'm printing the recipe exactly as written on her blog. Next time I will add a little onion or some bacon. This is a recipe that you can add flavors to enhance the sandwich. 

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter(plus 1-3 teaspoons for frying)

2 Tablespoons water

2 large eggs

2 Tablespoons Coconut Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

dash of salt

dash of garlic powder(optional)

1 oz cheddar cheese, cut in thin slice/slices(or whatever cheese you want to use)

Instructions:

Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in microwave. Mix in your water and eggs using a fork.
Add coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and garlic salt(if using). Mix until completly smooth.

Pour into a small square plastic, microwave safe, dish. Cook on high in microwave for about 2 minutes, until fully cooked. Let cool a few minutes then flip out and slice length wise in half.

Melt 1-3 teaspoons of butter in a frying pan. when half is melted I kind of dip the bottom slice of ‘bread’ in it then place on counter for a second. Then when rest of butter is melted I place top of bread face down, layer on cheese, then place top other slice on(butter dipped side facing up).
Fry until golden brown and cheese is melted.

Nutritional information for whole recipe(1 sandwich) and using 1.5 teaspoons butter for frying:

Energy    474 kcal
Carbohydrate, Total 10.63 g
Sugars, total     1.93 g
Fiber, total dietary     6.08 g
Protein    22.74 g
Total lipid (fat)    37.75 g
NET CARBS: 4.55 g

Cevapcici - serbien meat dish

These three recipes were found in the Milwaukee Journal in December of 2010. 

Erica's CevapciciMakes about 2 pounds or 20 small cevapcici

1 pound finely ground beef

½ pound finely ground pork

½ pound finely ground lamb

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon baking soda

Finely chopped onions

In large bowl, thoroughly mix together all ingredients except onions with your hands. Shape mixture into small cylinders about 1 inch in diameter and 2 inches long.

Grill over medium heat about 8 minutes on each side or until well done. Serve with finely chopped onions on a roll.

Susan's Cevapcici (Cevaps)Makes 6 servings

2 ¼ pounds ground pork

1 ½ pound lean ground beef

¾ pound ground lamb

2 egg whites

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper

¾ teaspoon paprika

Finely chopped onions for garnish

Preheat a grill to medium-low.

In a large bowl, combine meats and egg white. Add garlic, salt, baking soda, black pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika. Mix well using your hands, and form into finger-length sausages about ¾ inch thick.

Lightly oil the grilling surface. Grill sausages until cooked through, turning as needed, about 4 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the middle. (Place sausages carefully on grill so they don't slip through.)

To serve: Place cevapcici on a serving platter that has been lined with chopped onions.

David and Mladen's CevapciciMakes about 4 pounds

3 pounds ground beef (use 85% lean; see note)

1 pound finely ground lean lamb (use butt)

1 tablespoon salt

½ tablespoons black pepper

½ tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon seltzer water (must have CO2)

2 to 3 small cloves garlic (do not mince)

2 medium onions, cut into discs

Pita or flat bread

Chopped onion

In a nonreactive dish (plastic, ceramic, stainless steel), mix meats together with salt, pepper, baking soda and seltzer. Cover mixture with crushed garlic and onion disks. Wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 12 hours; however, 24 hours is best.

When ready to prepare, remove from refrigerate two hours before grilling.

Remove all the onion and garlic and discard. Mix meats again to incorporate flavors.

Roll up cevapcici by hand. They should be between ½ and ¾ inch in diameter and 2 ½ to 3 inches long. Formed cevapcici should be tight and uniform in thickness. You should get 18 to 20 cevapcici per pound of meat.

Let rest at least 30 minutes

To prepare: Heat grill to between medium and medium-high. Grill until cevapcici is firm and bounces a little off the grill plate when dropped from about 8 to 12 inches.

Roll frequently. No traces of well-done or crispy bits should be on cevapcici.

Put pieces of pita or flat bread over the meat for just a minute or two to warm before removing from the grill.

Serve 5 to 10 cevapcici per person with the bread, onions or kajmak. Kajmak is a mixture of feta and cream cheeses beaten with butter until fluffy.

Note: Beef that is 80% lean can be used, but be careful when grilling, as you can get flames.

Hungarian goulash

I found this recipe on Saveur website. "The recipe for this hearty, savory soup comes from Katalin Bánfalvi, author Carolyn Bánfalvi's mother-in-law, who lives in the village of Bõny, in northwestern Hungary. Hungarian sweet paprika confers a singularly deep, rich color and flavor." What I liked about this goulash is that it used potatoes instead of noodles which makes this a gluten-free meal. 

4 tbsp. sunflower or canola oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 1⁄2 lbs. beef chuck, trimmed 
   and cut into 1⁄2" cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground 
   black pepper, to taste
1⁄4 cup sweet paprika
2 tsp. dried marjoram
2 tsp. caraway seeds
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, cut into 1⁄2" cubes
2 medium parsnips, cut into 1⁄2" cubes
1 1⁄2 lbs. medium new potatoes, peeled 
   and cut into 1⁄2" cubes
1 tomato, cored and chopped
1 Italian frying pepper, chopped

1. Heat oil in a 5-qt. dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, stirring only once or twice, until the meat is lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in paprika, marjoram, caraway, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add carrots, parsnips, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Simmer, covered, until the beef is nearly tender, about 40 minutes.

2. Add potatoes and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and peppers; cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with rye bread, if you like.

SERVES 4 – 6

Slow cooker round steak

This is an easy meal to make in the morning before work and come home to a meal ready to serve. It was tender and tasty in a rich tasting gravy with vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 2 pounds boneless round steak
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 3/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Place the potatoes, onion, and carrots in slow cooker. Cut steak into six pieces, then place the meat on top of vegetables. In a mixing bowl, combine the soup mix, soup, and water; pour over beef.
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 7 to 10 hours.

Healthier General Tso’s Chicken

Lately Tim has been ordering General  Tso's Chicken when we go out for Asian food. I found a recipe for this dish on Martha Stewart's site and modified it to be more healthy. Normally the chicken is coated in the egg white/cornstarch mixture and deep fried till golden brown. This version is pan fried in a drizzle of oil until crisp and tender.

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups snow peas, trimmed and halved diagonally
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons low salt soy sauce
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Chicken and Coating:

• 2 large egg whites
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound chicken, cut into bite-size pieces

1. For sauce: Mix together water and cornstarch until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Set aside.
2. For chicken: Whisk together egg whites, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Stir in chicken.
3. To cook: Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add a small amount of oil. Add half of chicken to pan,
dripping off excess coating. Cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan, add more oil if necessary and repeat with remaining chicken. Set the chicken aside.
4. Add sauce to skillet and cook until snow peas are tender and sauce is thickened. Add chicken (and any
collected juices) to skillet. Toss to coat.
5. Serve with rice.
Serves: 4

Grain free almond bread

Here is the recipe for the almond bread which is a healthy alternative to gluten-free bread. Unfortunately it is only 2 inches high.  It keeps well wrapped up in the refrigerator. Hope you like it. 

Almond Bread

4 1/2 cups almond meal
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
5 eggs
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1.) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2.) In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
3.) In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and add the remaining wet ingredients. 
4.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix thoroughly.
5.) Transfer the mixture to a 5x9-inch standard loaf pan, lightly oiled (a spray oil makes it easy).
6.) Bake for 60+ minutes or until a skewer/knife inserted in the bread comes out clean.  I cook my for only 50 minutes. 
7.) Cool and slice.

Another great dessert that doesn't use dairy, flour or sugar. If you're carb counting, the results are at the end of the recipe. Enjoy this healthy alternative versus a cake that uses flour.

The best part about this cake is that it's totally budget-friendly. It's basically beans, eggs, and cocoa. That gives you no excuse to not try it, ya hear?
Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake
Adapted from a recipe at LowCarbFriends

Makes a 9" one layer cake

Ingredients:
1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans
OR 1 1/2 cup cooked beans, any color
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter OR unrefined coconut oil
3/4 cup erythritol + 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract

OR 1/2 cup honey + 1 teaspoon pure stevia extract

OR 1 1/4 cup Splenda (using Splenda is not recommended)
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon water (omit if using honey)

Mint Chocolate variation:
2 teaspoons mint extract (in place of 2 teaspoons vanilla)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9" cake pan with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray, or just grease it with a thin layer of butter. Dust cocoa all over the inside of the pan, tapping to evenly distribute. Cut a round of parchment paper and line the bottom of the pan, then spray the parchment lightly.

Drain and rinse beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, stevia (if using) and salt into blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps! Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat butter with sweetener (erythritol or honey) until light and fluffy. Add remaining two eggs, beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder and water (if using), and beat the batter on high for one minute, until smooth. Scrape batter into pan and smooth the top. Grip pan firmly by the edges and rap it on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done with the top is rounded and firm to the touch. After 10 minutes, turn out cake from pan, and flip over again on to a cooling rack. Let cool until cake reaches room temperature, then cover in plastic wrap or with cake dome (I use an overturned plastic chip bowl). For BEST flavor, let cake sit over night. I promise this cake will not have a hint of beaniness after letting it sit for eight hours! If you are stacking this cake, level the top with a long serrated knife, shaving off layers until it is flat and even. Frost immediately before serving
~57.6g net carbs for the whole cake using erythritol/stevia.
~5.7g net carbs per 1/10th
~125.6g net carbs for the whole cake using honey/stevia.
~12.56g net carbs per 1/10th

Vanilla bean cake - gluten free

Great recipe from http://www.thespunkycoconut.com

Vanilla Bean Cake:

Add to food processor:

2 cups cooked white beans, room temperature, so they don't cook the eggs (I made mine myself by soaking dry white beans overnight. In the morning I rinsed them well, and cooked them.)

6 eggs

3/4 tsp vanilla liquid stevia (do not measure over the batter, just in case it spills out)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup honey

Puree well.

Add:

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

1/3 cup coconut flour, sifted

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp baking powder (Grain-free Baking Powder Recipe)

Puree well.

Pour into springform pan, lined with unbleached parchment paper on the bottom, and greased all around.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. (I like to check to see if it's done by inserting a knife into the middle. If it's comes out mostly clean, it's done.) Bake for about 22 minutes for cupcakes.

Frosting:

Melt over double boiler:

1.5 bars of 3.2 oz dark chocolate (about 3/4 cup of chocolate chips)

3/4 cup coconut milk

When the chocolate has just barely melted, remove from heat.

Add:

2 tbsp honey

10 drops liquid stevia

2 to 4 tbsp coconut flour, sifted.

Refrigerate until the frosting has cooled, about 15 minutes. (You know it's ready when it is the texture of frosting.)

When the cake has cooled fully, top the cake with the frosting.

Apple walnut dressing - gluten free

I found this recipe on one of my gluten-free sites. When I printed it out to use on a different date, I forgot which site I found it on.  I'm sorry, at this time, I can't give credit to the author. Tim and I enjoyed this bread free alternative to regular stuffing. 

Apple Walnut Dressing

4 tablespoons butter
1 crisp, tart apple
2 large stalks celery
1 medium onion
1 cup shelled walnuts
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
3/4 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

Start the butter melting in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.

Quarter the apple and trim out the core, whack each quarter into two pieces (making eighths), and drop them in your food processor with the S-blade in place. Whack each stalk of celery into 4-5 big chunks, and throw them in, too. Quarter the onion, peel, and throw it in, and then dump in the walnuts. Pulse the food processor until everything’s a medium consistency.

Dump this mixture, along with the mushrooms, into the butter in the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and saute everything for a minute or two, stirring. Then cover it, and let it cook for 10 minutes, uncovering every 3 minutes or so to stir the whole thing again.

Stir in the salt and poultry seasoning, let it cook for another minute or two, and serve.

6-8 servings. Assuming 6, each will have 9 grams of carbohydrate and 3 grams of fiber, for a usable carb count of 6 grams.

Wild Rice and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

I love squash. And so I’ve been loading up on many varieties at the farmers’ market. Recently, I came across a great recipe for Wild Rice and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash. I found the recipe online atLunds and Byerlys, a Minneapolis specialty gourmet grocery chain. I modified the recipe a bit since I didn’t have the recommended Lunds and Byerlys special seasonings on hand. I think it still turned out great and the bowls looked beautiful. The meal was delicious, filling, and also seemed quite healthy. Always a bonus.

Ingredients

1 (1 lb.) acorn squash, halved, seeds removed

1 tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. bulk Italian sausage

2 tsp. Italian herb seasoning

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 tsp. minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1 cup cooked wild rice

1 1/2 cups shredded provolone and mozzarella, divided

Directions

Arrange squash halves cut side down in 13X9 microwavable baking dish; add ¼ cup water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, using multiple sheets if necessary. With a knife, make 4 steam vents in plastic wrap. Microwave (HIGH) until tender (15-20 minutes).

While squash is cooking, heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Sauté sausage, Italian herb seasoning, red pepper, onion and garlic until sausage is no longer pink and onions are tender (8-10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in spinach, wild rice and 1 cup provolone/mozzarella.

When squash is tender, carefully remove plastic wrap, starting from side farthest from you. Using tongs, transfer cooked squash to cutting board; discard water.

Place a tablespoon of butter in bottoms of each squash half. Mound sausage mixture into halves. Return to 13X9 dish, cover with foil and bake in preheated 350F oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese over tops, return to oven and bake until cheese melts (5-8 minutes).

Amount: 4 servings

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry Soup

From Kristin:

This is another one of the great soup recipes I discovered this fall. The recipe also comes from the Madison CSA cookbook. I love how hearty winter squash is paired with Asian ingredients to create a velvety soup with warm, mellow flavors. The taste reminds me of my favorite Thai dishes like Tom Ka Gai soup and Squash Curry. I’ve discovered there’s nothing more comforting than curling up with a big bowl of this soup on a crisp, fall day.

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry Soup (From Deb Boehm, Deb and Lola’s Restaurant; Makes 4 servings)

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped lemongrass
2 citrus/kaffir lime leaves
1/2 cup bottled fish sauce
sugar to taste (start with 1 tablespoon)
juice of 1/2 lime

Heat oil in saucepan; add onions and garlic. Saute until lightly browned. Add stock, squash, and jalapeno; simmer until squash is tender, 10-15 minutes. Add coconut milk, lemongrass, lime leaves, fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer (do not boil) 10-12 minutes. Puree and strain through fine mesh strainer. Add lime juice and adjust to taste with sugar and lime juice. Makes 4 servings.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Balls

Quick gluten-free dessert.

Ingredients:


1 (8 oz) package cream cheese,softened
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup finely chopped nuts, toasted (I used walnuts)

With an electric mixer at medium speed beat together all ingredients except nuts until creamy and well mixed. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Shape chilled mixture into small balls (about 1 tablespoon each). Roll balls in nuts. Serve well chilled.

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake

This is a great gluten free dessert. I've served it a couple of times to friends and they had no idea it was made with garbanzo beans and no flour.
                                                                                                                                                                       


INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
4 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting



DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake pan. 2. Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth. If you have a powerful microwave, reduce the power to 50 percent. 3. Combine the beans and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the sugar and the baking powder, and pulse to blend. Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. 4. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Fleisher's Chicken rub

This recipes is from the book, The butcher's guide to well raised meat by Joshua and Jessica Applestone.

This is also a great spice for ribs, roasts, chops and fish.

Makes 2 cups

1/3 cup coarse salt
1/3 cup dried sage
1/3 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion flakes
1/4 cup paprika
3 T dried thyme
3 T freshly ground pepper
3 T dried oregano
1 T cayenne

In a large bowl, mix the ingredients. Rub the dried herbs between your palms to crush them as you add to the mixture. This rub will keep in an airtight container for 6 months. Shake or mix well before using.

Wheat free biscotti

This recipe is from Wheatbellyblog.com



Ingredients:

2 cups almond meal
½ cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup cocoa powder (undutched)
½ cup dark chocolate chips
Sweetener equivalent to ½ cup sugar
½ cup ricotta cheese, room temperature (replace with coconut milk if lactose intolerant)
4 tablespoons butter, melted (replace with coconut oil if lactose intolerant)
2 large eggs
¼ cup milk, unsweetened almond milk, or soy milk
¼ cup almond, peanut, or sunflower seed butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Mix almond meal, walnuts, sweetener, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips in bowl. Mix in ricotta, butter, eggs, milk, and nut butter and blend by hand thoroughly.

Pour mix onto baking pan lined with parchment paper or greased with coconut oil or other oil. Shape into loaf approximately 1 inch deep and 3½ to 4 inches in width. Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove loaf and allow to cool 15 minutes. Slice into approximately ¾-inch widths and lay each biscotto on its side on baking pan. Put back in oven for 10 minutes.

Remove pan and flip biscotti over. Place back in oven and bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove and cool.

Optional: For a little dark chocolate “icing”:

Melt 3-4 oz semisweet or dark chocolate in microwave (in 15 second increments until melted) or in metal bowl placed in heated water. Stir in 1-2 teaspoons butter.

Dip each biscotti into melted chocolate mix or drizzle chocolate mixture over top of each biscotto.

Mr. B's Crab Cakes

I found this recipe in the Milwaukee's Lifestyle Magazine, January 2011 edition. I"m a big fan of all the Bartolotta restaurants in the Milwaukee area. Each restaurant is on the top 30 best restaurants in the metro Milwaukee area. So when I saw this recipe, I knew it had to be good, and it was.

The Bartolotta crab cake recipe didn't include a recipe for a sauce to dip the crab cakes into so we had to do some research and experiment with some sauces. Tim and I made 5 different sauces. Out of those 5, two we thought complimented the crab cakes better than the others. We've included those recipes in this posting.

Crab cakes can be served as an appetizer or as a main meal. When we tried this recipe, we used it as a main meal. We served it with a coleslaw, spicy baked sweet potato fries and a bowl of clam chowder.



Mr. B’s Crab Cakes
1 pound lump crab meat
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Place crab meat in medium bowl (check for shells). Combine the rest of the ingredients, except bread crumbs, in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour mixture over crab meat. Add bread crumbs by sprinkling over this mixture. Gently combine. Form into cakes. Dust with bread crumbs to help prevent sticking during cooking. Lightly sauté in olive oil or butter until golden brown and hot all the way through. Finish in the oven if necessary. Makes seven-to-eight 3-ounce cakes.

Mustard Sauce

1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp butter or margarine
1 minced shallot
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 oz white wine
1/4 tsp kosher salt

In a sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic to the oil and fry till the shallots are tender. Add wine to the shallots and allow it to thicken for about 25-30 seconds. Add mustard and salt to the saucepan and bring to a boil for about 1/2 a minute. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter into the sauce. Serve with crab cakes.

Remoulade dipping sauce

1/4 cub mayonnaise
1/4 hot pepper sauce (Franks)
1 tbsp dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Whisk with a hand blender and serve with crab cakes. You can adjust the ingredients according to your own taste.