Chocolate Mint Squares

This recipe comes from my mother, Margie Heard, and her copy of it was 30 years old and pretty much illegible (which she said, "makes the challenge all the more fun!") It's a family favourite  and today we experimented with a gluten-free option.

1 cup chocolate mint chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 cups of graham cracker crumbs (gluten-free optional)
2 cups icing sugar
2 Tbsp milk

In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips, and 1/4 cup of the butter. Once melted, remove 1/4 cup of this mixture and set aside. To the remainder in the saucepan, add 1/4 cup of icing sugar and the egg. Stir this together and once combined, add the graham cracker crumbs. Mix thoroughly. This should be thick enough that it makes almost a ball of dough. Put this into an 8inch pan and spread flat. Place pan in fridge to chill.

In another bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup softened butter to 2 cups of icing sugar and the milk. Using an electric beater, mix this until it is smooth. Spread over the chocolate and graham crust. On top of this you add the reserved chocolate mix from earlier and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Optional: You can add green food colouring to the icing sugar but we opted out.

Lemon Poppyseed Blueberry Muffins (gluten free)

If you are cooking gluten-free, then you need to familiarize yourself with Karen Morgan of the Blackbird Bakery. Her baking book was recommended to me when I was diagnosed Celiac and everything I've made from it (scones, crepes, muffins) has been delicious. The texture of things is obviously different from your non-gluten free baked goods but she has got the flavour down. Today, there is a snowstorm in Nova Scotia so Mom and I tried her blueberry muffin recipe and I learned how to brown butter.

This recipe makes 12 small muffins

4 1/2 Tbsp browned butter (instructions to follow)
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp guar gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 whole eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup blueberries
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp poppyseeds

Preheat oven to 350F (recipe called for 375 but we found that was too hot and was burning the tops). Line a cupcake pan with muffin liners.

To brown the butter, melt it in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, swirl the pan around, slightly lifted off of the element. Do this very gently and continue until the butter pops and takes on a darker colour. This took me quite some time so I don't think I have it down yet. I'd say a good 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat once you see grainy brown specks appear and put it in a bowl to stop the browning the process and cool down.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a whisk. Pour the browned butter into the dry ingredients and stir five times. Add the eggs and sour cream to the bowl and stir to combine until you no longer see any dry bits. The batter should be thick. Add the lemon zest and poppyseeds, stir these in and then finally fold the blueberries in gently. Don't overmix as the colour will bleed into the batter.

Using a spoon, divide the mixture into the muffin pan. Fill each liner about 2/3 full. This should make about 12 muffins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes (ours took 22 minutes exactly!)

Make Ahead Potatoes!

This recipe is a Heard/Mayo family favourite and comes through my mother via her friend, Helen. It's got a variation in the Canadian Living Christmas cookbook but I like my mom's version with double the breadcrumbs. The great thing is you can make this recipe the day before a big feast, refrigerate it and then cook it when the bird comes out of the oven.

10 potatoes
1/2 lb cream cheese cubed (that's a cup or one block of Philly)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup minced parsley
Pinch each of dried majoram, salt and pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs (gluten free for me)

Peel the potatoes, wash and quarter them. In a large pot of boiling water, cook potatoes until tender but not mushy. This takes about 20 minuts but check with fork. Drain and let cool a bit.

With potato masher, mash until smooth. Make sure there are no big chunks. Blend in cream cheese, and 1/4 cup butter until everything is melted. Mix in onions, sour cream, parsley, majoram, salt and pepper to taste.

The recipe says to transfer to an 8-inch pan but we usually make the same amount in a 9x11-inch pan. Smooth top.

Meanwhile melt the remaining butter and add the breadcrumbs. Stir with fork. Sprinkle over potato mixture. (At this point you can refrigerate the casserole for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 week. Add 10 minutes to baking time if previously frozen but thaw for 24 hours prior).

Bake in 375F for about 40 minutes or until it is heated through and golden on top.

Makes about 10 servings.

Christmas Eve Mussels and Sausage Simmer

This recipe comes courtesy of Canadian Living with adjustments by my father, Steve Heard. I'm home for the holidays and my number one request is seafood seafood seafood!  Sidebar: I spilled red wine on myself while typing this and set fire to toast in the microwave so...accident #2 and #3!

Serves 8

1 Tbsp dry mustard
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 lb hot Italian sausage or chorizo, cut into chunks (Spolumbo's in Calgary is the best for gluten-free but we found some at Sobey's in Nova Scotia)
2 red onions, chopped
4 cloves garlice, minced
1 Tbsp paprika
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 cup tomato juice
3/4 cup red wine (or more winky face)
2 1/2 pounds mussels (normally for a meal, you want 1 pound per person, so feel free to increase)
1/4 cup sliced green onions

Fill your kitchen sink half-full with cold water. Pour the dry mustard into the cold water. Add the mussels and let them sit for 15 minutes. Dad says it irritates the mussels so they pump the water through themselves and it flushes out any dirt.

Dad likes to boil the sausages for 7 minutes before he follows the rest of the recipe. He says it makes them easier to cut and gets some of the fat out.

In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown sausage in batches. Transfer to plate. Drain fat from pan. Turn the heat down to medium or low-medium. Add red onions, garlic, paprika and hot pepper flakes; cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Pour in tomato juice and wine; bring to a boil. Return sausage to pan and add mussels and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover and simmer for 12  minutes or until they have mostly all opened. Stir them around half way.

Don't serve any mussels that didn't open in the cooking. Serve with french bread (if you aren't a celiac like me) and red wine!

Maple-glazed Cheddar Pork Burgers

 

 

Anyone who buys store-bought, pre-made patties is committing a crime against humanity. Or at least foodies. I make these up, cook them, and then freeze them so they can become easy, take-to-work lunches.

Serves 4-5 depending on how large you make the patties.

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 small red onion cut into 4 thick slices
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 buns (gluten-free for me)

Patties:
1 egg beaten
3/4 cup shredded old cheddar cheese
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs (gluten-free for me)
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp dried sage (I usually leave this out. It's the one spice I seem to be missing)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb ground pork (which has been on sale lately so yeah!)

Stir together egg, 1 Tbsp water, cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, sage, salt and pepper; mix in pork. Shape into patties. I usually make 5. Put in fridge.

Whisk together Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and cider vinegar; set aside.

Skewer onion slices through the edges to keep them from falling apart. Brush both sides with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill on a greased grill over medium heat, turning once. This takes about 10 minutes. Remove skewers and set aside.

Meanwhile, grill patties on a greased grill over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn and brush with half the mustard mixture; grill for 5 minutes. Turn again; brush with the remaining mustard mixture. Grill until no longer pink or until a thermometer reads 160 F (about another 5 minutes). Serve in buns with onions.

Sidebar: In the winter, I often pop out a raised grill pan and cook burgers like this on the stove. It's not the same but my Christmas tree is blocking the door to my balcony/bbq.

Recipe is courtesy of Canadian Living.

South African Bobotie

This recipe comes from my dad and his South African side of the family. Bobotie is a traditional Malay-South African dish and while the ingredients seem weird you'll just need to trust me because it is mouth-watering delicious. It's sweet and spicy and will warm you up on a winter night. I like to serve it with rice but naan bread would go well too.

Serves 4

A.

2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp tumeric
1 onion finely chopped

B.

1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar (I prefer lemon)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I use Heinz for a gluten-free version)
2 Tbsp apricot jam
2 tsp chutney (I use Raj Masala Tamarind Chutney sauce as it is nut-free and that can be tricky to find)
1 Tbsp tomato sauce or ketchup

C.

A thick slice of bread, soaked in a little milk, and ripped into pieces (Udi's works for gf)
1 lb of ground beef (I have started using ground turkey and it works too but beef is better)
Topping: 1 egg and a little milk, beaten together

Step 1: Warm a big heavy pot over low heat and add all the "A" ingredients, stirring from time to time to prevent burning. This takes one to two minutes at most, until you smell the spices.

Step 2: Add all the "B" ingredients. Keeping at medium-low heat, mix well til bubbling (1 minute). Add the soaked and broken bread, stir well.  Add the meat. Turn up the heat to medium and cook until the meat starts to change colour from pink.

Step 3: Empty everything into a 9x9 dish. Don't grease the dish. Top the meat mixture with the beaten egg/milk. Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes.

 

And as my dad says, "drink no water, but a little wine for thy stomach's sake." He's liberally stealing from St. Paul there.  Dad likes to plagarize.

 

 

Mayo Family Rumballs!

If there is one thing my East Coast family likes to bake with, it's rum. My grandmother, Joan Mayo, is famous for her Danish Rum Souffle,  and every Christmas I beg for these rumballs. They are nut-free and this is my first attempt to make them gluten-free. I regularly double the recipe to have enough to give away to friends and keep some for myself.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 pinch of salt
2 Tbsp of dark rum
1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (I used gluten-free ones this year)
Chocolate sprinkles (I usually hoard a few jars from the cake decoration aisle)

Combine butter, icing sugar, chocolate chips in a double boiler. I don't own one so I put a stainless steel bowl over a pot that's half-filled with water. Beat and add the eggs. Add the pinch of salt. Stir the ingredients over boiling water until it melts and is smooth. Remove from heat and add the rum and graham crumbs. Mix well and chill in the fridge until the mixture is quite stiff.

Using a solid spoon (cheap ones will bend), cut out about a tablespoon of the batter. Roll in your hands until it forms a small ball. Roll this in a bowl of chocolate sprinkles to cover.

Keep in fridge. Happy Holidays!

Chocolate Chocolate Cake

This recipe comes from the infamous Margie Heard but I think she got it from my aunt, Catherine. (Waiting on confirmation.) It's chocolate cake that is mix-easy but has some improvements that make it awesomesauce.

Chocolate Cake Mix (2 Layers) To make this gluten-free, get 2 boxes of Betty Crocker's gf devil's food cake mix.
Instant chocolate pudding mix (4 portion)
4 eggs large
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Another 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips :)
2-3 Tbsp butter
1 cup berries of your choice, I like blackberries and raspberries but Mom says blueberries and strawberries.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, water, oil and sour cream in large bowl. Beat on low to moisten then increase to medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Turn into a greased bundt pan.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Use a pick to check and it is done when it comes clean. Immediately turn upside down on a wire rack. Let stand. Move to rack and it should fall out onto a plate.

Glaze when cool. To make the glaze melt 1/2 cup of chocolate chips with the butter. Mix and drizzle over the cake; it should be thick. Decorate with berries.

Enjoy with  friends! My family has a great tradition where when we cut a cake for birthdays, everyone gets to make a wish. This comes from the South African side of the family but we are not sure when/who started it. After you blow out the candles the birthday person holds the knife over the cake and everyone puts their hand over it. As a group you lower the knife, cut the cake and everyone makes a wish. Like this!

Butterlicious Gluten-free Cupcakes

Ok so this is mostly based on a mix recipe. But I made a wonderous discovery that is true to this blog's name. I accidentally doubled the butter in the recipe tonight but decided to cook them anyway because I have two beliefs in food: 1. bacon makes everything better and  2. butter is basically liquid bacon.

So with no further ado, here is my new and improved gluten-free cupcake recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker's box.

1 Betty Crocker gluten-free Devil's Food Cake mix. (425g)
1 cup of water
3 eggs
1 cup of softened butter (recipe calls for a half but...)


Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the mix, water, eggs and butter. Beat on low speed for one minute and then increase to medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour into cupcake liners. Bake for 18-24 minutes. Stick with a toothpick and they are ready when the pick comes out clean.

My friend, Jessie, came over tonight to help me ice them and we taste tested the regular butter and extra butter batches. She's a non-celiac and affirmed that the extra butter made them taste close to normal. And yes, I am well aware of the fact that a cup of butter is the opposite of healthy but considering how little baking I now eat being celiac, I figure one batch of cupcakes that actually taste good won't kill me.

Curried Pork Delicious! (aka burgers)

I have a sneaking suspicion my dad has been pushing this recipe on me for ages but I've had an irrational fear of jalapenos. Thanks to the success of the tex-mex lasagna a few weeks back (recipe to come), I've mastered chopping them up without burning my skin or eyes. This is a super quick but fancy weeknight dish to jazz up burgers.

Serves 4

1 lb lean ground pork
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander (aka cilantro)
1/3 cup crumbled low fat feta cheese
2 Tbsp curry paste (I use VH's Yellow Curry for a gluten-free, nut-free option which is tricky to find)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp minced gingerroot
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (I chickened out and used 1/2; working up to a whole one)
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt (I just sprinkled a dash in)
1/4 tsp pepper

In large bowl, mix together pork, coriander, feta, curry paste, garlic, ginger, jalapeno pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Divide into quarters; shape into burgers. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Place on a greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning once, about ten minutes. Check with a thermometer and it should be 160 F.

Serve with gluten-free buns or more delicious gluten-filled ones (no hard feelings here!) I use Kinnikinnick hamburger buns and I find that toasted, they are yummy.

Review: They seemed super crumbly when I flipped them. Going to add an egg and some gluten-free bread crumbs next time! But super juicy and amazing!

Courtesy of Canadian Living.

Tandoori Chicken with Green Apple Raita

I'm not going to pretend this is probably authentic Indian food. But it is delicious! And bonus, I'm not allergic to it. Serves great with brown rice.

1 cup plain yogurt (I use low fat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt (recipe calls for 2 but I always cut salt down)
1/4 tsp ground pepper
4 bone-in skinless chicken breast halves (I usually just use 2 boneless breasts)
2 Granny Smith apples
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (or the tube stuff from Safeway)

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. IN a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of yogurt, the garlic, tumeric, ginger, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and turn to coat.

Transfer the chicken to a rimmed (and tinfoil lined) baking sheet. Roast for 25-30 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, peel the apple. Grate into a medium bowl. Add the cilantro and the rest of the yogurt. Season with salt and pepper (I usually don't). Serve the sauce with the chicken. Goes great with rice!

Recipe is from Everyday Foods.

"Better than Classy" Chicken Divan

I've squared off with a few people over the years as to what exactly is on my plate at lunch. They call it Classy Chicken. I call it Chicken Divan. What divides these two delicious dinners is about a teaspoon of curry and 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs. Not enough to start an all out war over, but I still maintain Divan is better. Recipe is courtesy of my mom, the one and only Margie Heard.

2 10 oz frozen broccoli spears (I use about 1 1/2 fresh broccoli heads)
2 cups cooked chicken (a roasted one from the store saves you time)
2 cans of cream of chicken soup (get No Name brand at Superstore if you want gluten-free)
1 cup of mayo (I always go low fat)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup bread crumbs (gluten-free)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar (or more)
1 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook broccoli until just tender. I tend to boil/steam it. Arrange stalks in a greased 11x7 dish (or 8x8 if you broke the other one like me). Add chicken.

Combine soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry. Pour on broccoli and chicken.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs with melted butter and fluff with a fork. Sprinkle this over the dish.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. I serve it with brown rice. Serves 4-6.

Sidebar: What makes my mom so special? Well, for one she's put up with me for 32 years and 6 concussions (stories to follow later). But mostly she's awesome cause she takes pictures like this when she stays up later than me over the holidays.

World's Best Spaghetti

This recipe is courtesy of Emeril via the Food Network. I got bored with my homemade spaghetti recipe last year and gave this a try. With a few adjustments it's officially become known as the best thing I make. It does take about 3 hours to cook so free up a Sunday afternoon.

1 giant pot cause this makes a lot. 6-8 servings.
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 ounces bacon diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
3/4 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound pork sausage, removed from casings, or ground pork.
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 28 oz can of tomatoes (I buy whole tomatoes and cut them up with scissors in the can. Don't buy crushed or diced, they loose flavour)
3/4's of a 650 ml jar of spaghetti sauce
1 cup beef stock (gluten free)
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup cream
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 pound spaghetti (gluten free)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until soft about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the beef and sausages, and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until half the liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, the spaghetti sauce, beef broth and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and flavourful, about 1 1/2 hours. Add the cream, butter, and parsley, stir well and simmer for 2 minutes. Pick out the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning to taste. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta. I use gluten-free pasta and it needs to be rinsed well before you serve it or it is super gross and gungey.

Add 1/2 cup of the cheese to the sauce and toss to blend. Pour sauce on spaghetti and serve!

This makes a lot, so invite friends over. But be warned if you do, this might happen.

Buttermilk gluten-free biscuits (that don't taste like cardboard)

This recipe was shared to me via Sherry who has been a wealth of information since I found out I was celiac. She put me onto the Blackbird Bakery which is full of delicious recipes. I used to bake scones every weekend and thanks to this book, I still can!

Makes 8 biscuits

1/2 cup sorghum flour
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup tapioca flour (plus 1/4 cup for dusting)
1 tsp guar gum
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
3 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced
3 Tbsp cold vegetable shortening, diced
1 cup buttermilk (you can make buttermilk by adding 1 Tbsp of lemon juice to regular milk and letting it stand in the fridge for 10 minutes. It gets chunky, that's ok)
2 to 3 Tbsp water, if needed.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Position rack in middle of the oven.

In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Stir with a whisk to blend. Add the butter and vegetable shortening. Using a pastry cutter (or your hands), cut the fats into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles small peas.

Stir the buttermilk until the dough forms a ball. It's usually pretty gungy at this point and looks like a right disaster. Just trust it. If the mixture is too dry, add water 1 Tbsp at a time. I usually don't.

Turn the dough onto a counter that has been dusted with tapioca flour. Knead until very smooth, 3 to 4 turns. Biscuits are better the less you knead them, that's a tip from Omy Mayo.

Form the dough into a disk 1 inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter (or scotch glass), cut out biscuits. I dust the glass with flour to prevent sticking.

Put the biscuits on an unbuttered cookie sheet. I usually do 2 batches of 4 biscuits at a time because unlike most gluten-free cooking, these actually rise!

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool.

I recommend you serve these with Allison Inkpen's cherry jam or anything from Island Preserves.