Caramel - Coconut Heaven (Gluten Free)

This afternoon, in the frenzy of gearing up for Christmas, I busied myself in the kitchen making two incredibly delicious things: coconut macaroons and salted caramel sauce. The first is surprisingly easy. The second goodie is a bit more difficult, but SO worth it. The salted caramel sauce is that good. And I'm skipping dinner since I sampled WAY TOO MANY of my products. WAY TOO MUCH!!

 Salted caramel sauce in heatproof glass jars. Ready to be refrigerated for up to one month.

 Salted Caramel Sauce drizzled on top of a homemade coconut macaroon. Perfection.

Salted caramel macaroon on the left and (on the right) a macaroon topped with bittersweet chocolate and salted caramel. The test kitchen favored the cookie with only the caramel sauce. However, all interested parties loved the chocolate/caramel one as well.


THE RECIPES!

Coconut Macaroons (from Dec. issue of Food and Wine magazine)

One 14-oz. bag of Baker's sweetened coconut
One 14-oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with two sheets of parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut and the condensed milk with the vanilla. In the bowl for your stand mixer, beat the egg whites and salt on high until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Scoop tablespoon-sized mounds of the mixture onto the baking sheets, spreading cookies one inch apart. Bake sheets in the upper and lower one-third of the oven for 25 minutes, switching sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking. When cooking time ends, place sheets on racks and let cookies cool completely. Macaroons can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

OPTIONAL: melt 4 oz. of bittersweet chocolate. Either dip cooled cookies into chocolate or drizzle over the top.

OPTIONAL: Make salted caramel sauce. Drizzle over the top of macaroons. This is my family's favorite choice. See recipe below.


Salted Caramel Sauce

3/4 heavy whipping cream
1/4 light corn syrup (Karo's)
1-1/4 cup of white sugar
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (the flaky fleur de sel found at gourmet shops)

In a microwave-safe cup (like Pyrex), pour the cream and corn syrup. In a wide, medium saucepan (I used my All-Clad copper core saute pan) spread the sugar in an even layer. Cook over medium heat WITHOUT STIRRING until it begins to turn light brown (caramelize). Swirl the pan (DO NOT STIR) to incorporate the caramelized sugar. At this point, microwave the cream/corn syrup mixture for 2 minutes on high power. Continue cooking the sugar until it turns a medium amber color (caramel will have formed, about four minutes). Remove from heat and CAREFULLY add the cream to the mixture, stirring with a long-handled spoon. Use a long-handled spoon as the hot caramel can jump up and burn your hand when the cream is added.

Return the caramel to low heat and add the butter and salt, stirring until any hard pieces of sugar are melted. Transfer the caramel to a heatproof glass and let cool. Can be refrigerated for one month. Reheat before using.

Gluten-Free Pantry Essentials

Jojo asked me to write about pantry essentials and kitchen equipment for eating gluten free! And I am happy to oblige because 1.) I am well educated on this topic and 2.) it will give me a break from Christmas preparations that make my head spin.

One key to eating healthy, gluten-free is: STAY AWAY from prepared foods. They are high in calories and are not the best for your health or your waist-line. The experienced gluten-free cook makes almost everything from scratch. I do buy Udi's Breads because they are superior in taste to the breadmaker gluten-free variety. They are also lighter and have less calories.

And Duke's Mayonnaise is great in a pinch ;)

I also buy prepared pie shells from Whole Foods. They have figured out the "science" behind a good crust. No other manufacturer can touch their quality. I've tried the boxed, gluten-free kinds at home, and they failed. So go with Whole Foods.

Now let's start with pantry essentials:

Canned Diced or Whole Tomatoes -- The only canned vegetable/fruit I have in the pantry is canned tomatoes. These can be used to cook spaghetti sauce, okra and zucchini dishes, beans, soups, etc. Tomatoes are the basis of a number of good family dishes, and I find myself reaching for them time and time again. My favorite brands are Muir Glen and Pomi; both are gluten-free and organic. Along these lines, I also have plenty of tomato paste and tomato sauce on hand. I use these primarily as a base for my Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce and to top/bind together meatloaf.

Fresh Fruits and Fresh Vegetables -- As many of you know, I have farm-fresh fruit, veggies and meats delivered weekly from a local consortium of farmers and ranchers. I base my weekly meals on the goodies that are in my bin every Friday. I don't ever buy canned fruits or veggies -- eating whole foods is KEY to living gluten free. And it's a whole lot healthier (and much, much lower in sodium) than canned counterparts. I always have onions (love the sweet 1015s), broccoli, squash (winter and summer), green beans, asparagus (in season), carrots, celery, romaine or green leaf lettuce, green onions (use the green ends for chives), strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, raspberries, pears, apples, lemons, oranges, limes and sometimes kiwis. This is just a sampling -- I usually go with what's in season.

Fresh Potatoes -- I would rather die than eat potatoes out of a box. Always, always, always have a few russets, yukons or new potatoes on hand for oven-fried or mashed potatoes. I also have delicious organic garnet yams from Central Market. I am a southerner and I love my sweet potatoes (yams). I use them for baking, mashing or incorporating into a pie.

Pam's Other Essentials:

• Lowfat milk (1% or 2%)
• Whipping cream
• Sour Cream
• Lowfat Greek Yogurt
• Buttermilk
• Butter (Salted and Unsalted -- the latter is best used when using for cooking)
• Cream Cheese (spreadable and in the blocks)
• Cheddar Cheese (Extra Sharp) in a block -- I like to freshly grate it
• Bleu Cheese crumbled
• Feta Cheese crumbled
• Mozzarella string cheese
• About 7 different kinds of mustard
• High-Fructose-Free Ketchup (made by H-E-B)
• Duke's Mayonnaise (the only mayo to use if not making homemade)
• Assorted Fruit Preserves
• Pacific Free Range Organic Chicken Broth
• Udi's GF Bagels
• Udi's GF White Bread
• Udi's GF Multi-Grain Bread
• Minute Maid Orange Juice
• Gluten-Free Spaghetti or Linguine (Dried)
• Imperial Pure Cane Sugar 
• Brown Sugar
• Domino Confectioner Sugar
• Pecans (Texas is famous for its pecans!)
• Coconut milk (I make a lot of Indian dishes and coconut cakes!)
• Bob's Red Mill Quick Cooking Oatmeal (GF)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Expeller Pressed Canola Oil
• Joe T. Garcia's salsa mild and medium
• Milagro Corn Tortillas (available at HEB, Central Market)
• Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix (the best)
• Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
• White Jasmine Rice
• Brown Basmati Rice & Brown Short-Grain Rice
• Mango Chutney
• Baker's Sweetened Coconut
• Maple Syrup
• Karo Light Corn Syrup (for candy-making)
• Karo Dark Corn Syrup (for pecan pies)
• Milagro Tortilla Chips (all God's children gotta have a snack!)
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Xanthan Gum (essential to GF baking)
• Guar Gum (" " ")
• Authentic Foods Superfine Brown Rice Flour
• " " Tapioca Starch
• " " Potato Starch
• Arrowhead Mills Organic Yellow Corn Grits
• Bob's Red Mill GF Stone Ground Cornmeal
• Sea Salk Coarse and Finely Ground
• Black Pepper in Grinder
• Cayenne Pepper 
• Pimentos
• Horseradish in a jar
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
• Tabasco Sauce
• Cajun Pepper Sauce

This is a good start. And I'll be sure to include recipes in the future that include these pantry essentials. I didn't include spices in this list. I will in an upcoming post.

Because I love to make cakes for my family, I always have my flour mixture on hand. I'll write about this in a future installment and include my amazing recipe for coconut cake!

Happy cooking!

Cranberry-Three Pepper Jelly (Gluten-Free)

I must apologize for my extended absence. I blame my blog negligence on home improvement. For the past three months, various subcontractors have been taking apart and rebuilding our bedrooms and bathrooms. Month three was particularly messy, and although things are going well and looking very nice, my internet activity has taken a back seat. Hopefully, all will be finished in January.

There is a chill in the air, it's slightly overcast, and Thanksgiving is next Thursday! That means it's time to cook! The electricians and drywall guys have left for lunch, so I am free to plug my iPhone into the dock and cook to my favorite tunes. Today, I made jelly...

I found this delicious recipe in the November 2011 issue of Bon Appetit. The author said it was perfect for adding to turkey sandwiches. However, I found that it is EQUALLY as delicious poured over cream cheese and enjoyed on a gluten-free Glutino plain cracker. YUM!!!!!

So this little bit of goodness can be served two ways: as an appetizer over cream cheese (with crackers), and as the perfect complement to a turkey sandwich. It's the perfect mix of "tartness and fiery spice!"

Cranberry-Three Pepper Jelly
Ingredients:

3 Red Bell Peppers, seeded and finely chopped

2 red jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped

1 cup sugar

1-1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes (I was out of flakes, so I used a two generous "shakes" of cayenne)

1/2 salt

1/4 c. liquid pectin (I use Ball's, available at Central Market/HEB)

1 T. fresh lemon juice

3 cups of fresh cranberries (or frozen and thawed) -- I use fresh ones.

Directions:

Mix the first five ingredients together in a heavy, wide pot (I use 5-quart Le Creuset) over medium heat.

ingredients before heating 

Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Then stir in the liquid pectin and lemon juice. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 

After sugar dissolves, mixture looks like this

Stir in 3 cups of fresh cranberries and simmer until cranberries burst and juices thicken, about 10-15 minutes longer. 

Cranberries added along with liquid pectin and lemon juice

My favorite liquid pectin

Thickened mixture

on top of cream cheese on a cracker!

 Transfer jelly to a jar, let cool and then cover.

This will keep in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. Makes about 2-1/2 cups. 

Sunday Evening pizza night and October fun!

We had a very relaxing Sunday. Lots of lounging around and baking. We sure needed a down day after the last few weeks and Sunday delivered.

Pizza making is going to become a Sunday tradition in our house again. We used to do it all the time! Have no idea why we stopped. With all the craziness around here with kid activities and such,  we had started ordering take out pizza (blek) and there is just no comparison to homemade.

I usually make my own crust (it is VERY easy and so worth it) but I had bought some crusts from the Schwann man a week or so ago and decided to give them a try. Have you heard of the Schwann man? He drives his little yellow van around town selling all kinds of yumminess door to door. I have certain things I buy from him (the ice cream is heavenly) and from time to time he will tell me to try something new and I am always game for that. He swore by the pizza crusts so I bought a pack of two. I love the Schwann man. He always is right.


I made one traditional pepperoni and one veggie. Both were excellent, but the veggie one was over the top good. I used a good jar of pizza sauce (Mama Marys Gourmet from HEB), some fresh mozzarella balls, sun dried tomatoes in oil (these just MADE the pizza....make sure you get them in oil, or make your own by soaking dried tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil...mmmm) and thinly sliced mushrooms. It was excellent. The crusts were soooo good. Just like homemade. You put the toppings on while the dough is still frozen, then bake. They came out perfect and were just as good as my homemade crusts. The Scwann man came yesterday evening and I bought 2 more packages of crusts (2 crusts per package) @ $7 per package. Cheaper than ordering out any day!!















For desert we made pumpkin shaped spritz cookies and decorated them.

 I am sooo in the Fall/Halloween mode.  I have deserts planned out for this month and they will be so fun to make.  Every year I have good intentions about making October a family fun month, but daily life always seems to get in the way. I used to do all this with my two oldest when they were young, but somehow adding 2 more to the mix made things busier. Who woulda guessed. ;*) One thing I don't want to do is slack off and miss the blessings of making holidays a blast for the 2 little ones. So this year I have the cookie cutters out, the recipes and ingredients ready and we are enjoying the pleasures of Fall and the fun that Halloween can bring.

More to come.....

Easy Gluten-Free Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli with Mustard Seeds and Horseradish

It's Tuesday, and I am finally feeling back to normal. But last night, I was still too tired to stage a big production in the kitchen. So thank goodness for gluten-free pasta -- and broccoli, which is always on hand, and always easy to dress-up.

Start with some 100% corn pasta -- I used this fettucine by Sam Mills, available at Central Market/H.E.B.

 

Then  select the perfect jar of gluten-free pasta sauce. There are so many to choose from -- the HEB House Brand with Vodka is my favorite. But they were out of that, so I tried this Rao's Homemade with Vodka Sauce. It was delicious!! These jars provide plenty of sauce for four people. So double if you need to.

The last step is to saute slices of gluten-free chicken sausage. I like Pederson's Mild Italian chicken sausage. It is not only GF, but also low in fat and great tasting. Like the other items, I picked it up at Central Market. And I use one sausage per person, do double if you need to. 

After sautéing the sausage, I add it to the already warm pasta sauce. Then pour the whole thing over the noodles that have been put into pasta bowls -- easy to make and ready to serve!

The crowning touch on the meal requires a teensy bit of effort, but it is sooooo worth it!!

Broccoli with Mustard Seeds and Horseradish

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 med - large broccoli crowns with the florets cut off

3 Tablespoons of Brown Mustard Seeds

1/2 stick of butter

1 Tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 Tablespoons of Prepared Horseradish

Steam the broccoli until it is cooked, but slightly crisp. Drain and pour broccoli into a large serving bowl. 

Then using a sauté saucepan (like mine by All-Clad) melt the butter and saute the mustard seeds until they begin to pop. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the horseradish and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then drizzle the sauce over broccoli and toss to coat. You will LOVE it, and my kids loved it, which is saying something! Horseradish is such a great addition to so many tasty dishes. 

 blurry broccoli!

The finished product. Eat well!

Best Gluten-Free Pimento Cheese

We love pimento cheese around our house. It's great on a stick of celery, between two slices of Udi's Gluten-Free White Sandwich Bread, or open-faced on bread and toasted under the broiler. And the best thing about this recipe is how EASY it is to make. You won't buy the cheap stuff in the tub again! And this recipe lasts in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks!

Pam's Perfect Pimento Cheese

4 cups of freshly grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese**
1/2 Texas sweet onion (or Vidalia/New Mexico variety) grated
1/4 c. homemade mayonnaise (see my earlier post)
1 (4 oz.) jar of pimentos, drained and finely chopped
Dash of Tabasco
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper


Combine grated cheese, grated onion and pimentos in a bowl. Stir well. Add pimentos and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper, and you're ready to go!

**you MUST grate it yourself -- pre-grated cheese doesn't make creamy pimento cheese

Easy beef stir fry (gluten-free too!)

This is another busy week. Between football, birthdays and surf contests I found a night to make a quick, fresh meal.

I think the key to cooking with a packed schedule is planning. Make sure you have all your ingredients together way in advance (HA-haaaaahahahahahaha, oh how I slay me). I actually bought only the foods I would need for the week and did not freeze any of the meats. Eat fresh!!

This was very simple. I am trying to eat clean (she says as a hand full of candy corn goes in her mouth) so I didn't add too much the the beef and veggies to season them.

Don't raw veggies look yummy?! Chop some red pepper, savoy cabbage, and some cilantro.

Next, stir fry some beef strips in olive oil until brown. To this I added some Rice Wine vinegar, ginger, and some 5 spice oriental seasoning.  Oh, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. And salt. All to taste.

Then you should add in your longer cooking veggies. I added broccoli and sugar snap peas. Mmmmm. Cook until these veggies are crisp tender. 

Now add in some red peppers. Use your imagination on the veggies.  The more veggies the better for you!  When the red pepper is tender, toss in some Savoy cabbage.  Cook until wilted.

Top with cilantro.....be heavy handed here.  Cilantro is just so yummy and adds a punch of yumminess to everything.  Serve over a bed of rice noodles and enjoy!

**Sister Pam says that this dish is GLUTEN FREE!!! Just don't add any soy sauce to this lovely creation!

Kitchen Tip: Spinach without the Grit

Last night I made some delicious spinach -- with just a little butter. I had two bunches of organic spinach from last week's co-op delivery. And it looked beautiful! But, of course, dirt clung to the stems and leaves. This used to be daunting to me -- I've cooked one too many gritty spinach dishes. But no more! And with this cooking tip from the good doctor, yes my husband does know a thing or two in the kitchen,  I'll share my secret to no-grit spinach.

First, do a preliminary wash of your spinach. Cut the stems off and wash again. Now here comes the key part: get a large bowl -- I use a giant plastic tupperware bowl that I bought 20 years ago. Fill it with salted water -- I dump about 1/4 c. of salt per 3 to 4 quarts of water. Stir to dissolve the salt. Then submerge your spinach. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then gather the spinach with your hands and rinse in the sink. If you look in the bottom of the bowl, you'll see all the dirt bits on the bottom! Yay salt (which makes it do that). Now pour out the salted water (and dirt) and rinse the bowl.

We're not done yet. Repeat the process with the salt and water in the big bowl with that same bunch of spinach. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then rinse. Now you're ready to cook the spinach however you desire. No grit, not too much fuss. Bon Appetit!

Maker's Sweet Potatoes

I've dubbed this sweet potato dish "Maker's Sweet Potatoes." Here the "Maker" is God (Maker of all sweet potatoes), but also the whiskey that he inspired down yonder in Kentucky -- Maker's Mark (the jewel of all whiskeys). Can you tell I've jettisoned my wine in favor of the hard stuff?

Actually the recipe is taken from Virginia Willis' Bon Appetit Y'all. I think Virginia must be a cousin of mine from my granddaddy's Atlanta roots because I am severely in love with all of her recipes. It must be in the Atlanta blood -- like Coca-Cola. 

I served these along with the Swiss chard on the previous post and some of that great grass-fed ribeye from the co-op. I also made a killer horseradish sauce to serve on the beef. That recipe might show up tomorrow!

NOTE: These are so good that double portions can be made for dessert!! And my non-bourbon loving kids loved them. 

Virginia Willis' Bourbon Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

1/2 stick of butter

4 to 6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup bourbon (Maker's Mark is gluten free!!)

2 tablespoons of maple syrup

Make it!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a casserole dish. I used my Le Creuset oval casserole dish. Arrange the slices of sweet potato around the casserole. Season with salt and pepper. 

In a large sauce pan, combine the sugar, 4 tablespoons of butter, bourbon, and syrup and bring to a boil. Use a LARGE sauce pan because I used a small All-Clad saucepan, and I had FLAMBÉ going on when the mixture came to a boil. Not clever. So use a big and deep pan. As soon as the sauce is boiling, pour it over the sweet potatoes. 

Bake the casserole, basting and turning the potatoes occasionally, until the potatoes are tender. This should take about 60 minutes (even in my convection oven). Adjust your seasonings and eat it up!!

 Cheers! It's 5 o'clock somewhere!

The finished product -- definitely a bit of heaven!!

Early Fall Chard Sauté

Two bunches of Swiss chard appeared in last Friday's co-op delivery, so I used one bunch for this yummy and easy, and gluten-free, side dish that pairs well with any kind of beef, chicken or pork. These greens are barely cooked and flavored with delicious apple cider vinegar for the perfect "bite!" Swiss chard is also super nutritious and gives your family some variation from the oft-used Broccoli and Carrots!

Swiss Chard Sauté

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/4 cup good-quality olive oil

1 cup of thinly sliced shallots

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1-1/2 - 1-3/4 lb. of Swiss chard with stems removed and thinly sliced; leaves chopped.

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's -- organic and gluten free)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

How To:

Heat oil in a large heavy pot (I use Le Creuset all the way!) over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until soft -- about 5 minutes. Add Swiss chard stems and saute for another 2 minutes. Add chard leaves and cook, stirring frequently, until they are crisp-tender and bright green (about 4 or 5 minutes). Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Add butter, toss until melted and then season with salt and pepper. 

 Sauté the shallots and garlic in 1/4 cup of olive oil

 add sliced chard stems

 add chopped chard leaves

 cook until greens wilt

add apple cider vinegar and cook for a bit

Finished product served with ribeye and candied bourbon sweet potatoes.

Bless this food

Hi! I'm still here. Just very, very busy.  My free time has been used for surfing, as the water has been perfect (although tiny surf) and it is what stirs and renews my soul. 
This week has been nothing short of chaotic. 2 birthdays, a very sick kid and not enough time in each day to get it all done.  We sat down together for a home cooked meal maybe twice. I did bake a cake for one of the birthdays. We also BBQ'ed some baby back ribs and chicken last weekend. It was so good! We have figured out the secret to good ribs. Use a rub, (we use Stubb's BBQ Spice Rub. We also use Stubb's Original Recipe BBQ sauce....The best!) then set the ribs on the top shelf of the grill, bone side down, and cook on low with the grill cover down for 45 minutes.  Then flip them and cook for 15 more minutes. Perfect every time.












I got a glass of wine and hit the hammock while it cooked. It was very relaxing....

And then the grill caught on fire. (sigh) The chicken skin got burned but the meat was fine. The ribs were not burned, thank goodness. I peeled the skin off the chicken and used the meat the rest of the week for lunch sandwiches.

Just keeping it real folks. Life is messy sometimes and dinner sometimes gets charred. Blame the wine.

I also made some chicken noodle soup for my sick one! It didn't burn. It was good. Instead of using the slender egg noodles, I broke up lasagna noodles into 1-2 inch pieces. Very satisfying. I could tell you this was planned, an Italian family secret....but actually I was out of egg noodles. Do you hear a theme with me?

The recipe is done by feel. I boiled chicken (this day I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts), and then cubed it and added it back to the water. I then added chicken bouillon granules, carrots and onion. Celery is good too, but I was out. If you have the time, a whole chicken boiled is best.  You get the yummy flavor from the fat and bones that you can't get with bouillon. But I was time crunched again. Cook on medium until carrots are almost done, then add the noodles. An easy, quick meal. I sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese top. Mmm.

I am hoping this week is slower. Football will be down to 3 practice nights a week so we will be able to sit down as a family at least twice during the school week. The weekend will be pure chaos with surf contests and football games, so it may be dinner out.

At least tonight we were all home and nothing got burned. I made soft tacos with ground beef (chicken for me), guacamole and veggies on flour tortillas. Be creative with the veggies.  I chopped up some savoy cabbage today.  Also, cilantro, jalapenos, red pepper and tomato.   I sautéed some chicken tenders and put them in the fridge for easy chicken sandwiches and wraps during the busy week. Multi-tasking. 

This is the best sight in the world to me. My whole family sitting at the table together.  The older the kids get, the more activities they get involved with, and the less I see this.  It pains this mamas heart.  But I take what I can get.  God is good, God is great, let us thank Him for our food. Amen

Heavenly Pie

The recipe straight out of the YWCA Cookbook, circa 1968.

The remnants of Julia Ann's amazing pie.

My attempt at the same pie earlier in the week. This picture is taken with the whipped cream/lemon curd filling and whipped cream topping. SINFUL!

This is what the crust looked like on my pie. Total meringue.

This is a gluten-free pie crust and a darn good gluten-free pie.

Heavenly Pie

I made a pie three days before we left to go visit my MIL. It was this one.

When we arrived in Arkansas, we were fed a luscious dinner of shrimp creole and...you guessed it...this very same pie.

My recipe was less than stellar, which I got from a test kitchen magazine. My mother-in-law's was perfect, and came from a cookbook printed the year my brother was born. So this makes it an oldie, but a reeeeeeeeeeeal goodie!!

Here is her recipe from the 1968 YMCA Pine Bluff Cookbook. I'm trying to track down an extra copy of this awesome cookbook, so shout out if you know where I can find one!!! And if you make this scrumptious pie, let us know!!

**As an addendum, I was told to let the pie crust sit in a warm oven for up to 3 hours after baking it.

Meatloaf Day Two

Since I failed to take a picture of the finished meatloaf from last night, I offer you a nice shot of the lovely meatloaf sandwich I had today. Udi's white gluten-free bread, HEB Ketchup (no HFCS), homemade mayonnaise and a thick slab of last night's meatloaf. My oldest daughter had two large sandwiches. That's a compliment!

Sandwich perfect!

All that was left of last night's meatloaf!

Meatloaf Monday!

Meatloaf BEFORE putting it in the oven.

Everyone was so hungry I forgot to take a picture of the finished product! But it was lovely!!

We're back home after a trip to see my hubby's family in Arkansas. My MIL fed us extremely well, and I promise to duplicate her recipes in upcoming posts so you all can "get poned up" on yummy cooking! But in the meantime, it's back to the usual routine, and tonight it's Meatloaf Monday.

My husband is a physician, and he works his fingers to the nubbins on Mondays -- too many patients and too little time. So after a hard day, I like to treat him to a meal that "sticks to his ribs." Meatloaf is the perfect follow-up to our pre-dinner Maker's Mark and ginger ale!!

Keep in mind that locating a gluten-free meatloaf recipe is kind of like trying to find a dish that's gluten-free in an Italian restaurant. Almost impossible! But I concocted this yummy recipe using oatmeal and bratwurst -- it's a winner. I've tried it with turkey, and I've tried it with ground beef. Both were delicious and made even tastier sandwiches the next day.

Monday Meatloaf (or any day of the week!)

Ingredients

3/4 cup quick-cooking oats (Bob's Red Mill is gluten free)

1/2 cup milk

1 medium onion, peeled

2 pounds of ground beef or turkey

2 links of bratwurst taken out of the membranes

2 eggs beaten

1/2 c. chopped bell pepper (green or red is ok)

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

8 oz. tomato sauce (to pour over the top -- don't mix it in the meat!)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In small bowl, stir together the oats and milk. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice 1/4 of the onion and set aside. Chop the remaining onion into small bits.

In a large bowl, combine the meat, sausage, oat mixture, chopped onion, bell pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and a few grinds of the black pepper. Mix until well combined.

Transfer mixture to one 9 x 13 pan, sprayed with cooking oil. Pour the tomato sauce over the top of the loaf. Then sprinkle the sliced onions on top. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 1-1/2 hours (in my convection oven) or until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees F.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

I served this with buttermilk mashed potatoes and asparagus. Most of it was eaten by this family of four!

Thyme (or not) Sauteed Pork Chops with Apple Slices

I am not a big pork lover.  Never have been.  I would rather have beef ribs over baby backs, and forget pork chops!!  Or so I thought. 

Last weekend I did all of my shopping for the coming week. I didn't plan out my menus in advance, but sort of decided in my head on the way to the grocery store which meats I would need and the veggies to go with them. Pork was not part of the plan.  It was pure Texas beef dancing in my brain.

When I shop, the only food that is not fresh, is frozen.  I get coffee, ice cream, some frozen veggies, yogurt, butter, eggs, cereal, pasta, bread, fresh veggies and fruit, meat and cheese.  I tend to stock up every other month on things like sugar, flour, and other baking goods and spices.  I rarely buy processed foods.

Where was I with pork? Oh yes.  We are not big pork fans, but at the beginning of the summer we made some slow cooked Baby Back ribs and they were to die for. Best ribs evah!  So when I passed the pork chops in the meat section, I decided to give them a try as well.

I got out my Martha Stewart cookbook that Pam had given me back in 1997 after a fun visit to our home with her two girls.  I found a recipe called Thyme-Sauteed Pork Chops With Apple Slices and set to work. It was a very simple recipe:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
8 thin pork loin chops
4 Tbs unsalted butter
4 Tbs olive oil
16 springs of fresh thyme
2 Granny Smith apples or McIntosh apples, unpeeled, cut in 1/4 inch slices

Okay, so I did not use the thyme.  Didn't have it, so turned a blind eye to it.  It's how I roll.

Season the flour with the salt and pepper to taste, then lightly dredge the chops in the flour.  Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet. Saute the chose for 5 minutes on each side.  When they are done, use the same skillet to saute the apple slices 2-4 minutes or until soft but not mushy.

If you have thyme, you place the sprigs under each chop while it is cooking so the springs will stick to the meat.  But I didn't have thyme. So there.

I served this with glazed carrots and peas with an Herb Garden spring salad and Fall Creek Vineyards Chenin Blanc.

It was soooo yummy. 

Oh, and so was this:

Kids ate it up.  My two oldest sons have very distinct dislikes  One hates peas.  The other hates carrots. Easy fix since I was serving both.  I swithced their plates though before they sat down and they were both "Really mom?????"

I have to say, that as simple as that recipe may sound, it has changed my feeling for pork chops. I think it was the half stick of real butter.  In addition to the butter in the carrots, my arteries clogged just watching it all cook.

Next time, I will share our secret for perfect baby back ribs!

Saturday Sandwiches Part One: Homemade Mayonnaise

Every Saturday, we can usually be found eating sandwiches for lunch. Of course, the bread is Udi's Gluten-Free, either White or Multi-Grain. But their bread is so good, you'd never know it doesn't have gluten. In fact, my older daughter, who doesn't have celiac, loves Udi's -- and she's very picky. We buy it frozen and just stick it in the fridge for fresh bread at any time.

Today's sandwiches are Cucumber and Pimento Cheese. My MIL Julia Ann taught me how to make cucumber sandwiches just a few months ago. This is yet another favorite that it took me 46 years to finally experience! Go figure.

The pimento cheese sandwich is also new to the repertoire. My youngest daughter always used to have an allergic reaction to Price's Pimento Cheese spread, so I quit buying it about 13 years ago. I recently ran across a recipe in a beloved cookbook, and I decided to give it a try -- homemade without any of the artificial gunk used in commercial spreads. So let's begin.

Start with HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE!! All you need is a food processor. There are numerous ways to make mayo at home, but for fool-proof mayo, you MUST have a food processor. I have a Cuisinart, which has a feed tube with a tiny hole in the bottom which is expressly used to add oil to salad dressings and MAYONNAISE! Julia Ann is a big fan and maker of homemade mayo, and this is another tradition I am swiping for my own kitchen.

Homemade Mayonnaise

1 c. of canola oil (I use Wesson) at room temperature

2 large egg yolks

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon of dijon mustard

Put the egg yolks, lemon juice and mustard in food processor bowl. Pulse for 10 seconds. Then turn on the processor and add all the oil to the feed tube. Keep it going until all the oil has run through the tube into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Then remove the mayonnaise from the work bowl and put into an airtight container. This will keep for a couple of days.

The finished product -- thick and glossy with specks of pepper. YUM!

This is what your mayo looks like when it's ready to put into an airtight container.

Notice the biscuit-colored feeding tube at the top of the Cuisinart attachment. That's where you put the oil, which will then drizzle slowly in the mix. This feeding tube is the secret to perfectly incorporating oil into the egg, mustard and lemon juice.

Now you're all set to make sensational salad dressings, sandwich spreads, potato salad, cole slaw, chocolate mayo cake...the sky is the limit!! So make that mayo, and we'll do the sandwiches tomorrow.

Coming tomorrow: Part Two with recipes for the Pimento Cheese and Cucumber Sandwiches

Southerners and Bourbon

When I taste bourbon I think of my mother's bourbon cakes that she used to make for Christmas. And when I was diagnosed with celiac, bourbon was suddenly out of the picture. As well as cakes.

But these days, I've found ways to make delicious gluten-free cakes. And I recently found a gluten-free bourbon. Maker's Mark -- it's top drawer (as cousin Scott would say!).

I reported recently via social media that I was enjoying a Maker's Mark and Ginger Ale. I was roundly scolded by my bourbon purist friends (all of them fellow Church members!). But I don't care. I can't drink the stuff neat. So I am enjoying a nice tall glass of Maker's Mark, crushed ice and Vernors ginger ale. Perfection. Especially on a warm Texas night.

Here's another variation on the Bourbon and Ginger Ale. I need to try this soon :)

The Perfect Tailgate Cocktail

Cornbread: Bacon Grease vs. Butter

Last night was a redux of Monday night...I made the vegetable soup again to use up the rest of my vegetables in the fridge. Co-op delivery day is every Friday, and it's a personal goal to use up the previous week's veggies before the next one arrives. In addition, my stomach was feeling a little rocky because of the previous night's dinner at a neighborhood bistro (see below): Chipotle Shrimp Scampi. Totally delicious and totally gluten free! Grilled shrimp swimming in chipotle butter with red pepper risotto and grilled squash on the side. Beyond sinful!!! Hence the need for a soothing soup last night!

Now I am finally getting around to the bacon grease -- in a roundabout way. For Monday night's dinner, I made the cornbread with butter instead of bacon grease. I thought the taste was good, but a little flat. So for last night's dinner, I whipped up another batch of cornbread, but this time used butter AND bacon grease.

First, I must discuss bacon grease. I was raised, as my sister can attest, in a home where my mom was afraid of food spoilage, contamination and salmonella. Consequently, the bacon grease container (a Folger's coffee can) at my folks' house was considered garbage on the stove (since you cannot throw grease down the drain). My mother and her older sister Margaret were pioneers in the days of "cooking light," and I don't believe I ever tasted a dish they made that contained bacon grease. Ever.

Fast forward to present day. My mother-in-law, Julia Ann, who is ten years older than my mom, is a proponent of homemade mayonnaise and bacon grease (two things I never consumed in my life).

I remember the first time I saw her use bacon grease to flavor a dish. I watched in horror as she scooped bacon grease out of the glass jar that sits by my range and dumped it into the bowl. But you know what? I let it ride, and I let her cook the dish. And no surprise, it was perfect! Simply delicious! And that bacon grease didn't kill me! WOW!! Food epiphany for Pam!!

Last night, I decided to taste-drive the bacon grease cornbread. Here are my ingredients:

1 T salted butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine ground sea salt

1 egg (slightly beaten)

2 cups of Bulgarian Buttermilk

2 cups of Bob's Red Mill Cornmeal (gluten free)

1 T bacon grease

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Then melt your butter in the microwave. Add the bacon grease to the melted butter and stir. Put grease mixture aside.

Then mix up your dry ingredients, and add the wet ones. Combine, but don't stir too much. Then as the finishing touch, add the butter and bacon grease. Stir to incorporate and then pour into greased muffin tins. Pour the leftover batter into a greased loaf pan for nice little flat corn cakes.

My muffin tins are not the deep-dish variety, and it takes 13 minutes to cook them in my convection oven. If you have a regular oven, I would add 5 minutes to the baking process.

Result?? They were amazing. Delicious with more depth than the butter-only cornbread. As an added bonus, that one tablespoon of bacon grease worked to hold the cornbread together. It has a good crumb, but not crumbly. PERFECT!! Try this recipe, and you'll begin your love affair with bacon grease (if you haven't already!).

Harvest pot roast, gone wild

Coastal living in Texas means lots of seafood.  It is a mainstay for us during the summer, and I love experimenting with different recipes.  We tend to give it a Yucatan flair for the most part, but a big pot of peel 'em and eat 'em shrimp is always a welcome meal. Except in the eyes of my 14yo. He does not like seafood.  I think someone switched him in his bassinet at birth, because he is the only one of my 4 children who has seafood avoidance issues.  He also does not like going to the beach.....which is where we live.  Ahem. Add to that that both his father and I are avid surfers and, well, I rest my case. ;*) 

Surfing father.

The heat has been brutal here, soaring into the upper 90's up to 104F. That makes it tough to want to cook.  I would rather every night be cereal night when we are all melting like that.  Thankfully, the last few days we have been greeted with mornings in the 60's!  When that happens, I switch gears.  School has started, mornings are cool, and it is time for some Fall cooking!  We will ignore the fact that it is in the 90's again by 3pm.  Bring on the stews, soups and roasts!!

I love using my crock pot.  Load it up and I can head out and go surfing guilt free.  Dinner is cooking itself while mom has some fun.  Yesterday I put a large shoulder roast into my crock pot. I mixed together 2 cups of red wine (I used Fall Creek Vineyards Caberbet Sauvignon.....I also took a tiny sip. Shhhh. I'm Italian and it was 5 o'clock somewhere), 1/2 cup water, 1 package Lipton Onion Soup mix, 1 tsp fresh rosemary, and a couple of unusual spices. It may sound weird, but trust me. They MAKE this roast. Drum roll.....1/8tsp each cloves and allspice.  Mixed with the red wine it is superb. Pour this over your roast.

Now, I am feeding 6 people.  This includes 2 teenagers, so adjust your amounts as needed on the following:

1-2 peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
1 peeled and cubed acorn squash (make these cubes large so they don't get mushy)
3/4 of a yellow onion, sliced
1 cup sliced raw mushrooms

Put all veggies on top and put the cover on your crock pot.  I set mine to high for 4-5 hours, or on low of 8-9. 

Yummy!!!  Now go surfing!  Or swim. Shop. Do the laundry. Whatever floats your boat.  I tend to shirk my duties and load my board in the car and head to some surf.  My husband surfs obsessively too, so I have his approval. :*)

When you come home, the veggies will not be as bright and pretty.  They soak up the dark color of the red wine. Baste them in the juices, then cover it back up and start dessert.  For that night I made some brownies so the kids could make brownie sundaes.  Yum! I did not make these from scratch.  I used Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge brownie mix.  I followed the low fat substitution recipe and used only 1 egg, 2 Tb of water and 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce.  They turned out moist and delicious. 

Wine for the grownups was Fall Creek Cabernet to compliment the roast, that turned out tender and wonderful!  The allspice and cloves gave the veggies an AMAZING flavor!

The veggies are bland looking due to the red wine, but they were seriously the best part of the meal....for me.  The kids devoured the roast.  There were ZERO left overs.

Onward to dessert!! I made some fresh, homemade whipped cream.  So easy, and nothing else will do in our house.  It is just too simple to pass up.  I pint whipping cream, 3 Tbs of turbinado sugar, 1tsp vanilla.  Whip the cream and as it thickens, gradually add in the sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat until the desired thickness, but not too long or it will clump. 

Put a brownie on a plate, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle carmel topping over it and then top with whip cream and a cherry!

Yum!  Small, adorable, girl-child not included.  You will see much more of her.  She is always next to the dessert.

See?