Tortilla Soup - The only recipe you ever need

Click the hyperlink below to go to the original recipe.

 https://www.cookingclassy.com/chicken-avocado-lime-soup/#respond

That link is THE BEST tortilla soup.  It's the only one I ever make.  It is exactly the style I grew up eating in Southern California.  It is naturally gluten-free and dairy free (if you don't use cheese or sour cream, which it does not need)!

When I make this using rotisserie chicken, the is a fast soup to make and the depth of flavor would make you think it has simmered all day.  I am not exaggerating.

onion, jalapeno, garlic

deglaze pan with broth

Add tomato

Add broth

Add chicken

Add lots of lime

Finished Soup, with cilantro!

Chocolate Cake - Gluten Free

Denise's Fave Birthday Cake

Servings: 16 Serving

Ingredients

The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake - BEST EVER

CAKE INGREDIENTS:

·        3 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten free Cup4Cup brand flour)

·        3 cups granulated sugar

·        1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

·        1 tablespoon baking soda

·        1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

·        1 1/2 teaspoons salt

·        4 large eggs

·        1 1/2 cups buttermilk

·        1 1/2 cups warm water (or brewed coffee)

·        1/2 cup vegetable oil (or melted organic raw coconut oil)

·        2 teaspoons vanilla extract

NOTE:  Extra flour or cocoa powder and butter to grease and "flour" the pan.

Instructions

The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake

           1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch cake rounds. Dust with flour or cocoa powder and tap out                  the excess.

2.Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a stand mixer using a low speed until combined.  

3.Add eggs, buttermilk, warm water, oil, and vanilla. Beat on a medium speed until smooth. DO NOT OVER MIX GLUTEN FREE FLOUR.

4.Divide batter among the three pans. I found that it took just over 3 cups of the batter to divide it evenly.

5.Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6.Cool on wire racks for 15 minutes and then turn out the cakes onto the racks and allow to cool completely.

7.Frost with your favorite frosting and enjoy!

Chocolate-Hazelnut French Buttercream

·3 large egg yolks, room temperature

·1 large egg, room temperature

·½ teaspoon kosher salt

·¾ cup sugar

·1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces  (try vegan butter)

·1 cup Nutella

·1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Special Equipment

·A candy thermometer

INSTRUCTIONS

1. ·While cake is chilling, beat egg yolks, egg, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until mixture is pale and thick and falls back onto itself in a slowly dissipating ribbon, about 5 minutes.
2. ·Meanwhile, bring sugar and 3 Tbsp. water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Clip thermometer to the side of saucepan and boil, swirling pan (do not stir), until thermometer registers 238˚. Immediately remove from heat.
3. ·Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually stream hot sugar syrup into eggs aiming for where the egg meets the side of the bowl (this will prevent hot sugar from splattering). Increase speed to high and beat mixture until light and fluffy and sides of bowl are cool to the touch, 5–8 minutes.
4. ·Add butter a piece at a time, beating to thoroughly incorporate before adding the next piece and scraping down sides of bowl often. Add Nutella and vanilla and beat, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl, until mixture is smooth and homogenous.
5. ·Spread buttercream all over top and sides of chilled cake, making decorative swirls and swooshes. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.  CHILLED helps because this buttercream is deliciously soft and melts easy.  
6. ·Do Ahead: Cake can be assembled 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered.

Left over cake slices freeze really well!

OH!  This recipe needs to be doubled for this 3 layer cake.  Otherwise it is only a very thin layer everywhere.  I can't remember where I found this recipe, but it was used for a regular 2 layer cake. 

Left Over Apples? Make Cake!

French Apple Cake

This is an easy, quick cake to make.  Mild in flavor and not very sweet at all.  Great with tea or coffee.

 










Ingredients

Flour, gluten free (Cup4Cup or Bob's Red Mill) – 1 cup
Baking Powder – 1 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Butter, Soft – 1/2 cup
Sugar – 1/2 cup
Vanilla Extract – 2 tsp
Eggs – 2
Apples –  3 cups/3-4 apples (granny smith are my fave)
RumChata – 2 T (optional)
Sugar, Raw Turbino Sugar – 1.5 T for sprinkling on top
Salt, Maldon's Flaky Sea Salt (optional) - Sprinkle a pinch on top

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Get a round cake pan and lightly grease it with shortening (I use raw coconut oil).  The size of the pan is not critical.  I usually use my round 8" or 9" pan and tend to like a smaller pan so the cake is taller.

Peel 3-4 small apples, cutting into 1/2 inch cubes.  Apples vary so much in size.  I buy organic so they tend to be quite small.  You want about 3 cups of cubed apples.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the first 3 ingredients (Flour, Baking Powder, Salt), then set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth.  Then add the eggs, one at a time, blending until smooth after each egg.

Get the small bowl of dry ingredients and add it to your butter-sugar-egg mixture just until mixed.  Do not over mix.  This is a thick batter that does not "pour".

Add vanilla, RumChata (optional), and apples. Folding gently to combine.  Do not over mix.  

Spoon into cake pan.  Gently press and spread the batter evenly to the edges of the pan, making sure the center of the cake is not the thickest point.  The batter will be very chunky with apples and very thick.  This is normal; don't worry!

Sprinkle the Turbino Sugar all over the top of the cake and then sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt if you like.  The salt is totally optional, but you must do the Turbino Sugar.  The big grind of raw sugar makes and amazing crunchy crust on the top of the cake.

Just ready to remove from the oven!

Place in center of oven and bake for 30-40 minutes depending on your oven (mine likes 34 minutes) and being placed in the very center of the oven, turning half way through the baking time because the back of my oven is hotter.  The top of the cake will be golden brown when done and a cake tester or toothpick will come out clean.

Cool on wire rack for about 10 minutes, then remove from pan and place on a rack or cake stand to cool completely.  Delicious warm or room temperature. Freezes well too. 

Slice and serve!


Note:  Converted from a recipe with gluten in it that I saw on Pinterest, which linked to https://www.yummytummyaarthi.com


It is so hard to find great gluten free recipes.  I have celiac disease and miss the delicious food I used to enjoy as a major foodie!  Gluten free baking does not have to be "just okay" or have a bad texture.  Please share what you liked or didn't like when you try this gluten free recipe!  

Peanut Butter Cookies

Da Best! Peanut Butter Cookies
(Not the best Gluten Free, but plain old THE BEST)

These cookies happen to be naturally gluten free, soy free, grain free, and dairy free!

Ingredients

Natural Peanut Butter - 1 Cup
Sugar, granulated - 1 Cup
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
Egg, large - 1
Smoked Paprika, Maldon’s flaky salt, & Turbino Sugar (sprinkle on cookies just before baking)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Make sure one rack is in upper third and the other is in the lower third of the oven space.

Get 2 cookie sheets ready (use parchment if you like, but not necessary)

Combine first 4 ingredients and stir until smooth.  This cookie dough is kind of sticky.  Use a small cookie dough/ice cream scooper to get consistently sized cookies (about 1 T size).  Space at least 1” between each scoop on cookie sheet.  Use a fork to press cookies down.  Do it twice so you get that cross hatch look.  To keep dough from sticking, dip fork into water before pressing on cookies.  Once all the cookies are cross hatched, sprinkle them with paprika, flaky salt, and Turbino sugar.  This is what makes them special!!  Don’t skip this step.

Place one cookie sheet on each rack.  Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown.  If you want, rotate the sheets half way between cooking time.  Use a good, straight edge spatula to remove the cookies from the sheet and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Good luck not eating all of these in two days!  They are amazing.

I will add photos when I make my next batch!

One of the things I miss is crispy fried fish from a good ole' fish n chips place.  So I decided to try it myself.  Success!  Delicious.  This gluten free version is not missing a thing from "regular" fish n chips.

I did not make fries (chips), just fish.  But I did batter fresh onion rings in this batter and they were fantastic!

This recipe serves 8.

Ingredients:

• Ice Water - 1 Cup
• Drew's Roasted Garlic & Peppercorn Salad Dressing (or any thick dressing)- 1 Tablespoon
• Hard Cider or Gluten Free Beer (or any fizzy beverage) - A Splash
• Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cup for Cup Flour - 1 Cup
• Cod - 8 pieces of cod (about 1" thick and 3" x 5" in size - like a serving size)
• Corn Flour (1 cup)
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Put a  mixing bowl in the freezer.  Then gather all your ingredients.

Pour 1 cup of ice water into the mixing bowl you stored in the freezer earlier.  Add the Salad Dressing, Hard Cider, and Flour.  Mix batter with a wisk, leaving it lumpy.  Do not over mix.  Set in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes.

Get a deep heavy frying pan or dutch oven and fill it with enough of your favorite frying oil to completely cover the fish when it's dropped in for frying.  I prefer refined coconut oil.  It handles the high cooking temperature just fine and can be reused for fish again if you refrigerate it.  It does not smell or taste like coconut by the way (because it's refined).

Heat oil to 360 degrees.  I used a candy thermometer clipped to the side of my dutch oven.  While the oil is heating, gather a draining rack and oven pan to set the fish on after it's cooked.  Also heat your oven to "warm" or 170-200 degrees.  You can store the fish in the oven to keep it warm as you're cooking it in batches.

Cut Cod fillets into strips that are about 1" thick and about 3" long.  I usually cut one cod filet into 4 pieces.
Pat the fish dry with a paper towel.
Set aside.

Pour some corn flour into a shallow dish, adding salt and pepper to taste.  This will be used for dredging your fish.

Once your oil is close to 360 degrees, get your dredging station ready.  Left to Right:  Fish filets on the left, then your corn flour fixture, then your batter.

Place each piece of fish in the corn flour, coating it LIGHTLY.  Just a tiny dusting of flour is needed to help the batter stick better.  Then immediately remove the fish from the flour and dunk it into the batter.  You can put 4-8 pieces in the batter at once.  Then, using tongs, gently place battered fish into the 360 degree oil, one piece at a time (cooking 4-8 pieces at once).  Set timer for 1.5 minutes.  Then flip fish over and cook the other side for another 1.5 minutes. Fish should be light golden brown.  Remove fish from pan and place on cooling rack, immediately sprinkling with salt.  Place in warm oven.  Dredge, batter, and fry the rest of the fish in similar batches.  Serve immediately for best texture.

I usually slice an onion thick, then dredge the pieces in the remaining flour and batter, cooking it in the oil just like the fish.  It's a great way to use up the last of the batter and home cooked onion rings are the best!

I hope you enjoy this fish as much as I do.  If you like saltier fish, season the raw fish filets before you dredge and batter them.  But I like the crunch salty crusty with a mild unsalted fish (well it's lightly salted from the corn flour dredge).

Note:  The batter stores well overnight if you want to make it again the next day to use up any extra batter.

Organic, Gluten-Free green bean casserole.

So easy!

Ingredients:

Organic Green Beans/Hericot Vert - 3 bags
Organic gluten free condensed mushroom soup - 2 boxes
Organic Brown/Yellow Onion, sliced very thin - 1
Organic sprouted brown rice flour - a good sized pile
Pink Himalayan salt - some (to taste)
Organic, raw, unrefined coconut oil - lots

I sliced up an organic brown onion very thin.  Then tossed in organic sprouted brown rice flour, with some salt mixed into it.  Then fried the onions in batches until light golden color, in organic coconut oil, over medium high heat in a heavy pan.  Dusted them with pink Himalayan sea salt while warm.  Set aside.

Put 2 containers of organic condensed cream of mushroom soup and 3 bags or organic green beans into a huge plastic bag.  Shook bag to coat beans with soup.

Put beans into a pan, covered with foil,  baked in 350F oven for 1 hour.  Removed foil, covered with precooked onion strings and placed in oven for 5 minutes more to heat crispy onions on top.

YUM!

Gluten Free Thanksgiving Gravy!

I missed gravy.  This was great and nobody commented about it being "gluten free"; they just ate it up!  Barely any left and I made a DOUBLE batch!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
Butter - 1/2 cup (1 stick)
Flour - 1/2 cup (Cup4Cup gluten free all purpose flour)
Chicken Bullion - 1 or 2 cubes (if you like it saltier, use 2 cubes)
Chicken Stock/Broth - 1 box (32 oz.)

Equal parts Butter & Flour.  I used 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) and 1/2 cup gluten free flour.  Then 1-2 gluten free chicken bullion cubes melted together, mixing constantly with a whisk until it transforms from buttery yellow to toasted light golden brown.   I cooked in heavy pan over medium high heat; I prefer heavy pans and feel like they do not scorch easily and keep the heat more even.

Then immediately add 1 box of chicken or turkey broth (I really like this organic bone broth from Walmart).  Whisk immediately and constantly to avoid lumps.  Stir with whisk while cooking.  It's ready when it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

NOTE:  It stays warm nicely in a crockpot on low.  It freezes and reheats well too.  I might use it as the liquid in turkey pot pies with the left overs (gluten free crust of course).

Biscuits GLUTEN FREE

These biscuits cook in 10-12 minutes!  100% gluten free and 100% delicious taste, with flawless texture too!

Ingredients

3 1/3 cups gluten free flour (it is important to use Cup4Cup brand)

Cup4Cup Flour can be found at Amazon
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, ice cold & cut into cubes
1/2 Cup coconut oil shortening, organic, not refined (raw)
1 1/2 cups faux buttermilk (see recipe below)
1/4 cup melted butter

NOTE: Get all of your ingredients ready ahead of time, to be sure your butter cubes are cut and stored cold in the fridge or freezer.  Also make your faux buttermilk right away because it needs to sit for 10 minutes before using it.

Equipment

Food processor with knife blade
Mixing bowls - 2 medium bowls
Measuring cups (dry & liquid)
Measuring spoons
Cast iron frying pan
Biscuit/cookie cutter (or a drinking glass) for cutting dough

Faux Buttermilk Directions

Combine 1 1/2 cups of alternative milk (almond, coconut, hemp, etc. - whatever you prefer) with 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, and 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (okay to substitute fresh lemon juice or other white vinegar).  Let the mixture stand for 5-10 minutes at room temperature before using.   Set it aside while you start preparing the biscuit dough.

(Note: The rule for faux buttermilk is a ratio of 1C milk:1T vinegar.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 F degrees
Get food processor out, put the sharp blade in (but leave the lid off so it's easy to add ingredients)
Put dry ingredients into food processor:

• flour
• sugar
• baking powder
• baking soda
• cream of tartar
• salt

Put the lid on your food processor and pulse for just a moment to fluff and mix the dry ingredients.

Take the lid off your food processor and add the cubed butter and coconut oil shortening.  Put the lid back on the food processor and pulse for ONLY A FEW SECONDS.  You do not want to make the mixture warm.  You should see pea size pieces of butter and a generally crumbly look to the flour mixture.

Pour the faux buttermilk into the food processor and pulse again for only a few seconds.  Just long enough to bring the dough together.  

The dough will be quite sticky and wet.  Just deal with it sticking to your fingers as you pour/pull it out onto a floured surface.  Flip the dough over a few times until it forms a ball shape making sure it does not stick to the counter, adding more flour to the surface as needed.  REMEMBER to use only Cup4Cup gluten free flour for this part too.  The dough will be soft but hold together.  With a generous amount of flour under it, press the dough down into a 1 inch thick circular shape.  Cut rings of dough with your cutter or glass.  Remove each biscuit immediately after cutting it, so it does not stick to the counter.  Place the biscuit onto the cast iron frying pan.  Repeat until all of the dough is formed into biscuit shapes on your frying pan.  I usually get 10-11 biscuits.  I can fit 9 biscuits perfectly on my cast iron pan.  So I'm trying to learn to make my dough a little more than  1 inch so I get exactly 9 biscuits.  

Remember the 1/4 cup of melted butter I said you'd need?  Now you brush or pour the butter over the top of the biscuits.  Then place on center rack in 450 degree (preheated) oven for 10-12 minutes!  

That's it.  You'll have just enough time to clean up and get out some plates to serve these!  These biscuits are fantastic served right out of the oven or reheated.  I love them with blackberry preserves or cut in half with Canadian bacon and a fried egg on top!

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.  I created this gluten free recipe by reading lots of different "regular" recipes and combining the ideas I thought would work well together.  Let me know how they turn out for you.  And please share photos!  I'd love to see how yours turn out. 

CELIAC SAFE!  100% GLUTEN FREE!  VEGETARIAN.  Almost Vegan (it has butter).

Corn Dogs - GLUTEN FREE Recipe

If you're like me, every once in a while you crave a little junk food and can't have it due to a gluten free diet. 

I adapted this corn dog recipe from one I found online, using my favorite ingredients, all of which are gluten free, preservative free, and nitrate free.  I hope you enjoy the crunch of the crust, the light fluffy slightly sweet dough, and the savory hotdog as I did!

Heat 2 Quarts of Oil in a Tall Pot:

I used an oil mixture of coconut oil and canola oil.  Reserve 1 Tablespoon for batter.

Start heating the oil right away over medium heat. 

You want it at 350° (use a thermometer if you can).

If you this step first, the oil will be ready by the time your batter is mixed.

Hot Dogs - I used Ball Park brand Park's Finest hotdogs.  They are nitrate free, all beef, gluten free, and delicious.  Open the packet, remove dogs, dry them with paper towels.  The dryer the dogs are, the better the batter will stick.  Skewer each dog down the full length of the dog, with a wooden skewer.  You can leave them at room temperature, sitting on paper towels while you are preparing the batter.

Option - I cut the dogs in half, so they would be shorter and I used metal skewers.  Then, after I dipped the dogs in my batter, I slowly slid them off the skewer, into the hot oil.

Mix Dry INGREDIENTS in Large Bowl:

1+1/4 Cups Corn Meal

1/4 Cup Corn Meal for Polenta (it's a bit larger, more granular)

1+1/4 Cup Gluten Free Flour (I used Cup4Cup)

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 T Baking Powder

1/4 t salt (I use pink Himalayan)

Mix Wet Ingredients in Small Bowl:

1 Egg

1+1/2 Cups Buttermilk (I used whole fat)

1 T Vegetable Oil (I used the same oil I was frying in.)

1 T Honey (If you do this after the oil, the honey won't stick to the spoon so much.)

Dry INGREDIENT in Shallow Dish:

1 Cup Corn Starch (for dredging)

Pour the Wet mixture into the large Dry Mixture bowl, blending until combined.  If the batter is too thick, add between 1/4-1/2 cup of water.  The batter should be thicker than pancake batter, but still pourable.  I had to add about 1/2 cup of water to my batter (it probably depends on the gluten free flour you choose).

Next, pour the batter into a nice tall cup or glass.  You want it to be deep enough to dip your skewered hot dog into!

NOTE: Before you go any farther, lightly dredge the hotdogs in flour.  LIGHTLY, I said.  Just rub a very light coating over the corn dogs. This step will help to keep the batter on the dogs.  If you use too much corn starch, the batter will fall off, so make it light.

Grab the wooden skewer of the dogs you dried earlier and dip the dog into the glass of batter, completely covering the dog.  When you pull it out, you might have to turn it a bit to keep it from dripping.

Immediately submerge the dog into your hot oil, holding onto the wood skewer for a few seconds, then turning the stick before releasing it into the oil.  Set your timer for 2-3 minutes.  Let the dough turn a nice dark, golden brown.  Don't put more than 2 dogs into the oil at one time, so your oil temperature remains high enough.

Remove after 2-3 minutes and place on a rack, lined with paper towels underneath.  Keep in warm oven and serve a whole pile of them at once for a group if you want.  Otherwise, serve immediately, with mustard.