Gluten-Free Bisquick: Easy Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

September 24, 2014February 6, 2015Leave a comment

I have seen many recipes on Pinterest that use Gluten-Free Bisquick but had never seen it in Quebec until this past week and I had to try it out for myself. I found it in the gluten-free section of this IGA (to note this is one fancy IGA that plays jazz music and has lots of gluten-free products throughout the aisles). So far I have just tried these biscuits and they were pretty darn good for a first try. I didn’t used the recipe on the box but kinda followed this recipe online.

These biscuits are yummy and so far I would recommend this mix. But at $6 for just over 2 cups the mix isn’t cheap so I would be more likely to buy it on sale. Forgetting the price, this mix does make a very easy biscuit that tastes a little bit like the biscuits back in the day at Red Lobster which I was obsessed with as a child. I would eat those babies until I was sick and probably gluten poisoned. These easy gluten-free copies make a great side with a soup. Who doesn’t love fresh biscuits with a little cheese and garlic when it gets cold. Did I mention it’s easy. Impress people with oven fresh gluten-free “bread” with the littlest of effort!

Gluten-Free Garlic and Cheese Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick Gluten-Free Mix
1-2 cloves grated fresh garlic (you can use garlic powder if you don’t have fresh on hand, about 1/4 tsp)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup grated cheese (I used aged cheddar)
2/3 cup milk (I used almond milk)
3 eggs
Optional: Poppy seeds to mix into batter and place on top of the biscuits. You can also sprinkle extra cheese and fleur de sel on the tops. Extra melted butter can also be brushed on top of the finished biscuits.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Using a fork or your hands combine the flour mix with the butter and garlic until it becomes crumbly. Mix in the butter, cheese, milk and eggs until dough forms. Add in poppy seeds if using. Place dough onto an ungreased baking sheet in 10 biscuit sized rolls.

Bake for 9-13 minutes until they start to get slightly golden but not overcooked. If you wish brush them with extra melted butter once out of the oven go wild!

Serve warm or pop them in the microwave for a few seconds. They also freeze well!

Softest Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

September 20, 2014February 6, 20155 Comments

You need to try this chocolate chip cookie recipe! They are a great vegan option and no one will know they are gluten-free and vegan. I under bake mine and everyone I know loves a soft cookie. These were a big hit at a recent pot luck BBQ in my backyard. Bonus- the dough is vegan so you don’t have to feel bad about eating it raw!

The recipe from Yammie’s Gluten-Freedom, one of my favourite gluten-free blogs, is perfect as is.

http://www.yammiesglutenfreedom.com/2014/05/gluten-free-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

Easy BBQ Tofu (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

May 29, 2014Leave a comment

This is a quick snack/meal you can throw together super easily. It is basically tofu crisped up in a pan and covered in BBQ sauce. You can’t get much easier than that. I served mine with “cheesy” kale chips made with nutritional yeast and potato wedges. I made this for a recent girls night with my two favorite vegans with what I had already in the house. I always love a fast and easy dinner you can make without running to the store. The tofu would be great with any veggies or quinoa. It would also make a perfect vegetarian option to serve on the side of a meat based meal.

This certified gluten-free BBQ sauce was great and comes in several flavors. I found it at Le Marquis Sans Gluten for $2.95, which is a great price for a certified gluten-free product. Bonus that it’s delicious and will be great for BBQ season.

BBQ Tofu

1 package firm tofu- cut into thin triangles (about 20-25 pieces)
BBQ sauce (gluten-free)- I used Simply Naturals Organic BBQ Sauce in Honey Flavor
1-2 TBSPs grapeseed oil

Dry the tofu well. Works even better if you can press the tofu to release the water.

Heat the grapeseed oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the tofu and fry until golden on each side. Taking the time to turn each piece individually with tongs or a fork.

Once cooked cover with BBQ sauce and serve with veggies, rice or as a snack on its own.

You can also put your tofu on the BBQ and then cover it with BBQ sauce.

It’s that easy!

For the oven baked kale (kinda like kale chips): Heat your oven to 325F. Wash and dry your kale well. Tear into bite sized pieces (removing the stem). Place on a single layer on a baking sheet (I usually use 2 baking sheets for a large head of kale). Drizzle the kale with a little olive oil and rub the oil into the leaves. I like to sprinkle the kale with a generous amount of nutritional yeast and a little salt and pepper. Let your kale bake until it has reached your desired level of crispyness. I cook mine for about 10-15 minutes (cooking times vary depending on the freshness of the kale and heat of the oven).

For the potato wedges: Heat your oven to 425F. Slice your potatoes into wedges and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. I like to top mine with some chili powder, salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until crispy, about 30-40 minutes.

One block of tofu, one head of kale and 4 medium potatoes made lots of food for 3 girls.

The Easiest & Best Baked Beans Recipe (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

May 23, 2014March 19, 2015Leave a comment

This recipe has all the essential attributes of a GFBFF favorite. It’s super easy, calls for basic ingredients, doesn’t require any real measurement, feeds a crowd, always leaves you with plenty of leftovers and is shockingly delicious. What else could you ask for? Oh yeah, it’s gluten free 😉 I will now allow my friend Neil to take over as he is a control freak and wants his moment in the GFBFF Sun.

Hello Glutenless Glutonesses, I am Neil. The following is a detailed account of how to make my moms Lima Beans. It is a Greek recipe and probably fueled the fire of the warriors at Thermopylae. This is a hearty dish of comfort food that can accompany any meal, from meat and poultry to fish/seafood and or vegetables. Kris likes to serve it over rice…a starch on a starch…why not! These beans are so simple and take such standard ingredients you won’t believe what will come of them. What I also love about this dish is its versatility. You can add bacon or parmesan cheese. I added the chilli flakes to the recipe but they should always be included in my opinion. Feel free to take them out if you can’t take the heat. Try them with different herbs. Have fun with these beans!

Baked Lima Beans

Prep time: 10 minutes / Cook time: around 1 hour

Preheat your oven to 375 F

1 can whole tomatoes -roughly chopped up with kitchen shears
3 cans large lima beans- drained and rinsed
1 red onion roughly chopped
4-6 cloves garlic chopped
1 bunch parsley chopped
Approximately 2 cups extra virgin olive oil (this may seem excessive but the original recipe calls for 4. I make sure that my beans are almost covered by the oil with just the tops poking out, when they are done you can drain the excess oil into a jar and cook with the most delicious oil you can imagine afterwards). You can put less oil but they may dry out and get hard.
a few pinches of chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything in a large baking dish (the wider the dish the better, around 1 inch will leave you with a nice crispy crust on top). Bake for about an hour, longer if they look like they need to get a little crispier on top.

If you are baking for a big crowd these beans can easily be adapted to sate the hunger of even the most populated of pot lucks. Add another can of beans and you will need at least a half cup more oil, maybe a bit more of everything else. these beans are versatile, flavor packed, buttery magic for your mouth. And they’re Vegan. Almost unbelievable, I know.

Gluten-Free Passover Dinner

April 23, 2014April 23, 2014Leave a comment

Toasting friends and a great gluten-free seder.

Toasting friends and a great gluten-free Passover dinner

The title of this blog comes from my friends and family who are my GFBFFs (gluten-free best friends forever). I am very blessed with a group of friends who are very accommodating to the fact that I have celiac disease and constantly go out of their way to assure I can eat safely whether it be at one of their homes or when we are out.

This was on display this past week when my friend invited us all over for a Passover dinner that was 95% gluten-free and 100% vegetarian. I always find it easier when cooking for a group to keep the meal 100% gluten-free or at least to keep the non gluten-free items completely separate, in this case we prepared the glutenous part of the meal in a different area and served it separately. Here are some ideas to help make your next Passover more gluten-free friendly.

On the menu:

Gluten-Free Matzo Ball Soup: We used a gluten-free mix and added garlic, onion, carrot and celery to the broth.

Vegetable Latkes made with potato starch and “matzo meal” made from gf kosher for passover crackers: we didn’t really use a recipe. We grated carrot, zucchini and onion in a food processor, removed the excess liquid and combined the veggies with eggs, potato starch and the crackers (which had been pulsed pulsed in a blender). Then we fried them in oil. It was that easy.

Flourless chocolate cookies: http://food52.com/recipes/19209-divine-gluten-free-chocolate-cookies-no-seriously These were delicious and according to the hostess easy to make. A great anytime gluten-free recipe.

Two of my GFBFFs Prepping Dinner

Gluten-Free Matzo Ball Soup

Gluten-Free Matzo Ball Soup Mix

Gluten-Free Kosher for Passover Crackers

Gluten-Free Veggie Latkes made with zucchini, carrot and onion

Flourless Cookies

Avocado Cream Sauce- Perfect with Gluten-Free Pasta

April 4, 2014March 19, 20151 Comment

This vegan/raw “cream” sauce is super easy to make, ridiculously fresh tasting and will be your best friend if you are a big fan of avocados and lemon. This is one of those recipes that I can see people being very divided over. If you like the simple ingredients listed I guarantee this will become a go to recipe. If you aren’t crazy about avocados you might want to stay away. It tastes like a light and lemony creamy pasta without the dairy. Since it is basically just avocado you will have to eat it up right away, I can only imagine it will be an ugly colored mess the next day.

You will need:

one ripe avocado
juice of approximately half a lemon
handful of fresh basil (other herbs should work)
2 cloves of garlic
1-2 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine it all in a blender (I used my magic bullet) and served it on your favorite gluten-free pasta. I served mine on my go to gluten-free fettuccine. It’s almost too easy!

This recipe feeds two. Or one, if you are like me and eat the remainder on gf toast immediately.

Original Recipe: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/31/15-minute-creamy-avocado-pasta/

Cashew Cream Sauce (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

March 20, 2014March 19, 2015Leave a comment

If you love cream sauce and cashews there is little better than this easy sauce served with your favorite roasted veggies and pasta. I had put off making this sauce forever thinking it was complicated and my best friend showed me that it is the easiest recipe ever. All you really need is a high powered blender. This recipe really is a lazy, gluten-free, vegan cooks dream. This is a great go to healthier alternative to dairy based cream sauces. While it is amazingly delicious, no one will mistake this for a classic alfredo sauce. I almost think it’s better, but that’s coming from a cashew obsessed vegan food lover.

BTW- That Parma Veg alternative “cheese” is delicious and 100% gluten-free.

Cashew Cream Sauce

1 1/2 cups raw plain cashews
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (gluten-free)
a few pinches of chili flakes to taste
1 tbsp dijon mustard (gluten-free)
2 cloves garlic (one if you prefer it less garlicky)

Place all the ingredients in a high powered blender (we used a NutriBullet) and combine until it makes a sauce. About 30 seconds. It’s that easy. You can add more water if you want a thinner sauce, more nutritional yeast if you want it “cheesier” and or more spice if that’s how you like it (we added sriracha).

We served ours with pasta and roasted veggies (mushroom and broccoli roasted with oil, salt and pepper for about 20 minutes). You can bake the finished product in the oven for 15-20 minutes to make a kind of baked macaroni if you want, but we served it as is. The sauce stores well in the fridge for a few days.

Adapted from this recipe by Tara Stiles

Nachos- The Perfect Gluten-Free Snackfood

February 18, 2014February 19, 20142 Comments

Sometimes we need to be reminded of the basics, at least I do. This isn’t really a recipe, more of a reminder of how good nachos can be. This winter has been pretty brutal and sometimes you need a little comfort food. Nachos are the perfect comfort food in my books. They are delicious, filling, crowd pleasing and super easy to prepare.

So get out your favorite corn chips, cheese and veggies and make the best nachos ever. Sometimes snack food for dinner is just what you need! And it’s kinda healthy, look there’s vegetables! We didn’t this time but you can add beans, chicken or beef for more protein!

Ingredients:

Corn chips (most are gluten-free, but always check!)
Grated cheddar cheese
Veggies: chopped red peppers, jalapenos, red onion, green onion and avocado (add the avo only after baking)

After baking in a 450 F oven for 5-10 minutes (or as much time it took to brown the cheese a little, you can also broil) we added chopped avocado and served with salsa and lime on the side.

Tip: tinfoil is the lazy nacho makers BFF! Minimal clean-up.

There are no rules! Try a bunch of different combos!

Some more ideas:

blue corn chips or flavored chips
beans (black beans or refried beans)
more protein options: chicken or tofu
different cheeses (you can used Daiya for vegan nachos)
more veggie options: tomatoes, corn, sprouts..
olives or pickled jalapenos
fresh herbs (coriander or chives work well)
serve with : sour cream, guacamole…

The Real Deal Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

February 14, 2014March 19, 2015Leave a comment

I want to have this as a snack every afternoon…

These cookies from Alton Brown have been brought to my attention several times. The first time was years ago when my friend George called me telling me he had a whole bag of xantham gum for me because he had Googled “World’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookie” and bought all the ingredients for what turned out to be a gluten-free recipe. He decided to not make the cookies because a gluten-free cookies can’t be the world’s best and I ended up with a free bag of xantham gum. The second time, after I had forgotten about the xantham gum from George, was when my friend Meline brought over this dough for a dinner party and made these amazing cookies that taste like the real deal buttery cookies my mom used to make. I was sold. I will not say these are the “World’s Best” but I will say these are great cookies or as I say, The Real Deal. This is my go to for a decadent, sure to please everyone cookie.

These cookies call for more ingredients than I am usually a fan of but once you have them in the cupboard you are good to go for the next time. They are definitely worth the small effort of measuring, sifting together the flours and bringing out the mixer (I am the laziest baker!). These are definitely a treat (nothing healthy here) and are full of butter, I often freeze some cookie dough already in balls so there aren’t too many around to eat at once!

Ingredients

Makes between 24-30 cookies depending on the size.

1 cup butter (it calls for unsalted but I use salted and it works well)
2 cups brown rice flour
1/4 cup gluten-free cornstarch
2 tbsps tapioca flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp kosher salt (can put a bit less if using salted butter)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 light brown sugar (you can use what you have on hand, works with light or dark)
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 tbsps milk (any kind will work: whole, almond, soy…)
1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Optional: chopped nuts

Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl in the microwave (or in a pot on the stove).

In a medium bowl, sift together the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, xantham gum, salt and baking soda.

Add both of the sugars to the bowl with the melted butter and using a hand or stand mixer, cream together on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the eggs, milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until properly combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir to distribute.

Put that delicious cookie dough in the fridge for about an hour, or longer if you get distracted or want to save them for later.

Once the dough is almost cooled heat the oven to 375F.

Once out of the fridge form the dough into balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating the pans mid-way minutes for even baking. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on the pans or a wire rack if you are fancy. I definitely prefer my cookies a little undercooked.

These are pretty serious cookies, so try to restrain yourself but it’s pretty hard. There is nothing whatsoever missing.

Adapted from this recipe.

The Real Deal Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Healthy Cookie Dough Baked Oatmeal (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

January 29, 2014September 30, 2014Leave a comment

I have been dying to try this simple recipe for baked cookie dough oatmeal that I adapted from one of my favourite healthy baking websites. The original recipe made them look like cakes but because I am inpatient and insist on eating my food hot mine worked out better kept in the ramekin. This recipe tastes like a decadent cookie but is super easy to make, pretty healthy and makes a great breakfast, snack or dessert. It is also really easy to play around with the ingredients and try different combos, baked oatmeal is hard to screw up. In my books anything that is this yummy, easy, comforting and falls into the healthy column is a definitely a winner.

How have I gone my whole life without trying baked oatmeal!?!?

Ingredients

These proportions make 3 to 4 small ramekins full of oatmeal. You could also bake it in one large dish.

1 cup certified gluten-free rolled oats (I like Cream Hill Estates)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
3 or 4 TBSPs maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk (any kind) or water
a few handfuls of semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate
Optional: chopped nuts, coconut flakes and cinnamon (pecans and almonds worked well)

Preheat your oven to 400F.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and distribute into 3 or 4 ramekins (depending on their size). It is not necessary but you can coat the ramekins with a little coconut oil or vegetable oil. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until set and then increase the heat to broil for several minutes for a crispy top or just continue cooking them for a few more minutes (the cookie time really depends on your oven and how crispy you would like your top to be).

Enjoy this filling and delicious treat right out of the oven. Perfect for this cold weather we have been having. It can also be made ahead. I kept mine in the fridge for 24 hours before baking and they tasted exactly the same.

Note: If you would like it to come out as a little cake make sure to coat the ramekin with a little oil (I prefer coconut) so it will release once cooled.

Inspired by this great blog Chocolate Covered Katie that features amazing healthy version of almost every dessert imaginable, many being gluten-free.