Mexican rice or Puerto Rican Rice or a really good rice dish my Bff taught me to make

I love making this recipe. It is a simple one dish wonder meal and it brings back lovely memories of my Best friend. She was half Peurto Rican and her Fiancee was Mexican. Hence, the ambiguous origin of theis reicpe. She died in July of 2010. Suddenly, with no warning leaving 2 little girls ages 10 and 11. Her youngest’s birthday had been the week before.

Before we get to the recipe let me talk about taking care of ourselves as moms and women. We rush around taking care of kids, job home, volunteering, cleaning, church,  afterschool events, field trips you name it. We make the world operate and Mommas we tend to let it slip when it comes to ourselves. I am the number one offender in this category. I bake, cook, sometimes grind my own flours to make sure my kids have great food that will not make them sick. Yet, I am often to busy or too rushed to prepare my own lunches and end up grabbing fast food. Gluten filled fast food. And I pay. My skin breaks out in blotches, I itch all over, there is bloating, lethargy, abdominal pain, and just feeling gross.

Candice Kingsboro, the best, biggest hearted woman I’ve ever known is dead because she didn’t take care of herself. She took care of everyone else. She had diabetes and got the flu.  For the unfamiliar; when a person with poor insulin regulation gets ill it becomes a huge problem because part of being ill means fluctuating blood sugars. She took some over the counter cold and flu medicine. Her blood sugar sky rocketed in her sleep and she never woke up. The lady who held me together when I found myself newly single. Whose mother I helped care for whose kids were like family. Who welcomed anyone who needed friendship but took no crap; is gone because she didn’t check her blood sugar. She was too tired.

Ladies we have to do better. No more motherless children because we failed to take care of ourselves.

Though I go on about her being gone, the memories of cooking with her hanging out and having fun are enduring. They lift my heart. Candy is and will always be with us. Now she will be with you too.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups white rice

1 15 oz can of golden corn

1lb package of chorizo or 1 lb smoked sausage, make sure it’s gluten free*

30-32 oz water

2 packages sodium free sazon

low sodium adobo to taste

It is important to use no sodium and no sodium seasonings in this recipe as chorizo can be very salty.

Stove top preparation

I use a dutch oven ( 5 qt pot) when making this and i some times double it.

Slice the meat in to small disks. Slice the whole pound up in this manner, set aside.

pour the dry rice into your pot.

add the corn and water

add the Sazon

lastly add the sausage stir well

Turn the meat to medium cook for 15 minutes. don’t stir.

Turn down to low or medium low check to see if more water is needed, continue cooking until rice is tender.

 

Rice cooker preparation

Lately I have been making this in the rice cooker because my rice cooker is always on. If there isn’t rice available in this house dinner take twice as long.

Prepare meat as above

Add rice, corn, and water to rice pot. You may need more water depending on your rice cookers instructions.

Add seasonings. let the rice cooker cook for 10 minutes then add the meat.**

**You may need to microwave the meat for a bit before adding it to the rice cooker**

Now just add a veggie and you’re done. Dinner in 30 min flat.

Macaroni and Cheese gluten dairy soy and egg free

Okay here it is the much awaited oven baked macaroni and cheese. This is a main course.This is delicious. This is soooooo good.

it involves a bit of prep if you don’t keep  coconut milk cheeses on hand.  You will wonder how you lived so long with out real mac and cheese. My family loves it. ( all but the boy who doesn’t like anything “cheesy”, go figure) Since we do have a voice of dissent macaroni and cheese is not made and prepared as often as i would like but when i pull this 9×11 baking dish or goodness out of the oven, they are oo’s and ah’s. Hopefully you will get the same reaction when you prepare it.

Ingredients

1 package Daiya cheddar shreds ( 8 oz)

1/2 recipe for coconut milk Cheddar ( cut into 1 inch or smaller cubes)

1/4 recipe for coconut milk mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 16 oz package Tinkyada brown rice elbow macaroni

2-4 TBS Earth Balance buttery spread  soy free

season to taste. I use a dash of adobo and freshly ground peppercorns.

garnish with thinly sliced chives (optional)

9×11 baking dish ( i use Pyrex)

Indgredients

1.  Prepare elbow noodles on stove top as directed on package instructions.

2. Drain noodles,  pour into a large mixing bowl.

3. Set aside 1/4c -1/2 c daiya

4. Add remaining  non dairy cheeses,  non dairy butter,  and seasonings to mixing bowl. Toss thoroughly make sure seasonings are evenly spread throughout.

5. Pour mixture into 9×11 baking dish. Sprinkle reserved Daiya on top.

6. Bake for 30 min at 350 or until daiya is melted.

7. Remove from oven allow to cool slightly garnish with thinly sliced chives and enjoy.

Chocolate cheese cake

Before we get started. This recipe has eggs.  I have no idea how to make this work egg free. I do not think it can. But some one please prove me wrong. 🙂 I am working on a no bake that tastes yummy and does not requires eggs once it is reproducible reliably, I will share.

special equipment 8 in springform pan. I use these.

Ingredients

1 recipe nut based cream cheese

2 Tbs baking cocoa

1/3 c sugar

1 c cartoned coconut milk

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp lemon juice

Crust ingredients

1 1/2 c gluten-free chocolate graham cracker crumbs. I now use a recipe from Nicole Hunn of Gluen-             free on a shoestring.

6-7 TBS melted non-dairy butter

pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees

First assemble your crust.

In a bowl combine crumbs and melted butter. Toss throughly. press into the bottom of an 8in springform pan. Do not bake.

Filling.

Beat eggs until well mixed. add sugar. Continue beating on medium speed.  Add coconut milk. Continue beating for another 30 seconds or so. Now add nut based cream cheese. Beat until all ingredients are well mixed. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Mix for an additional minute.

The filling should be very liquid like a heavy cream and less like a batter. Separate 1/3 c of batter in a separate bowl. Add 2 TBS baking coco. stir until smooth.

Pour bulk of filling onto crust. Drizzle chocolatey mixture in an ever-increasing spiral over the top of the cheesecake. Once all chocolate mix has been poured take a fork and gently swirl through out.

Bake at 350 fo 40 minutes.

To avoid cracking. Turn the heat off and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven. once cooled place on counter for 30-40 min to cool. Separate sides of springform pan. If it seems to stick run a rubber spatula along the edge to gently separate from side of pan. Cool for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Nut based cream “Cheese”

I know what a creative name right?

It was said by someone here that you can not bake with nut based cream cheese. And up til that point all the various recipes I’d used for nu based cream cheese while baking had failed. they added wonderful moisture but ended up with a flat or barely risen product. Sometimes it wouldn’t hold together. some times my end result was flat and kind of grainy.  But I was not to be defeated. This recipe for nut based sour cream led me back to my “test” kitchen to try more variations on cream cheese and voila you have the fruits of my labor.

But you ask why did the previous nut based cream cheeses work? Why is this one different and most importantly does it work every time? will it work for me?

Why it failed. In any given recipe, when making a substitution you must understand the purpose the offending allergen serves, what properties it has, and what alternate best replaces them. The components of cream cheese are Protein.

In any baking recipe Protein provides structure. The structure allows it to hold its shape. it also allows for a lighter texture as the baked good now has the structure necessary to hold up to rising.

Cream cheese has sodium. Sodium is a requirement for leavening. Many years ago I was very anti-salt. I didn’t have it nor any seasonings contains salt in my home. But my pancakes fluffiness was always hit or miss. Then someone took the time to explain how important the 1/8 tsp salt in my pancakes was. The salt has a place in my home ever since and my baked goods (almost) always rise to the occasion.

And cream cheese hat fat a much higher fat content the just milk or cream. Fat is an emulsifier and a method of suspension. It evenly spreads and suspends the ingredients within a batter, when beaten it becomes light and fluffy add flour and it helps the thickening process. Fats can act as a barrier creating the layers required in puff pastry or these biscuits. And it can be a flavorful topping or dip. Fat and the proper amount and ratios of the correct type of fate are important.

Moisture. Cream cheese will add to the moisture content of your recipe. It is a wet ingredient. too much moisture and you baked time never dries out, it has a wet doughy center, not enough and it becomes dry crumbly and just won’t hold together.

In order to use a replacement cream cheese it has to have all of the above and be rather simple to make. If it is hard I am not doing it. I have enough hard stuff to do just being a mom. All of the other nut based recipe’s I’d tried were lacking one or more of the above in the correct ratio.

Now that that’s out of the way….on to cream “Cheese”.

I have only tested this with almonds and pecans, however, it should also work quite well with cashews.

I made my own almond meal by placing the almonds in the blender and grinding them up into a meal or powder. I have also made this using Trader Joe’s brand almond meal. They are interchangeable and premade meal save you a step.

Ingredients

1 c Almond meal

1/2 c cartoned unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 c neutral flavored oil I use canola or regular olive oil (extra virgin has much to strong a flavor)

1/4 scant tsp xanthum gum

1/8 tsp salt

If you don’t have an awesome high-powered blender ( I don’t) you made need to do this half a batch at a time.

Pour the coconut milk in the blender. Turn the blender on at medium high and add the almond meal. Add salt. Once thoroughly blended SLOWLY pour in the oil through the top of the blender. The mixture will begin to emulsify. Once all oil has been added, introduce the xantham gum. Continue blending for about 30 sec-1 min longer.  Stop blender and let mixture rest.

At this point you can use the mix immediately or refrigerate.

This blend works in every recipe I have tried and once refrigerated tastes yummy on a gluten-free bagel.

more baking science

http://www.theelevatedkitchen.com/guides/science-proteins

http://baking911.com/learn/ingredients/fats

Fried green tomatoes!!!

What a simple yummy summer treat, well, if you’re a southern gal or were brought up on southern cooking. Before i go any further I must  add that I do not even like red tomatoes. I dislike the texture in everything besides fresh salsa.  All of my marinara sauces, marinades, and dipping sauces have pureed tomatoes. And the red variety is not welcome in my salad. But take its green under-ripe counter part, fry it up and ……. all a can do is gobble them up! This is not a blog about health food. It is a blog which has parts about delicious foods while eating allergen free.

Yes, these tomatoes are fried.  I have taken a perfectly healthy tomato and fried it.

No, I did not use coconut oil I am much aware that coconut oil is the preferred health oil for frying but it is darned expensive.

Here is my advice if you can afford coconut oil go for it. buy it and live well but if not know that you are doing the best for you family,. The other changes and sacrifices you make in the end are worth so much more than the type of oil used in one recipe.

This recipe comes directly from my mom. And that recipe came from her mom. This recipe has been used for at least 3 generations and today my daughter, Pie, learned how to make fried green tomatoes so hopefully a fourth generation will enjoy this tasty and satisfying treat. I like my fried green tomatoes served with sliced zucchini and green peppers. Just slice ’em up and serve no cooking needed. add that too black-eyed peas and cornbread. OMG we just went to ultimate southern foods medley. LOL.

Today we just had zucchini, bell peppers and rice. We enjoy dipped our veggies in allergen free ranch dressing. ( The Boy prefered hot sauce) That recipe can be found here. Did I not mention that Heidi is awesome?

1 c all-purpose gluten-free flour I prefer Jeanne’s Gluten-Free Flour Mix

1 c cornmeal

1/2 c non-dairy milk

4 green tomatoes

2 eggs

seasonings of your choice we use

2 tsp adobo

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp lemon pepper

1 tsp onion powder

Enough oil to fill a 12 in skillet to about 1/2 in

Heat oil to about 350 degree Farenheit

Slice your tomatoes into slices no thicker the 1/4 in.

Season your all cornmeal to your liking. place in a flat dish, I just use a paper plate. place your all-purpose gluten-free flour in a separate plate. Break the two eggs into a medium bowl and stir well with a fork. Think scrambled eggs. Then pour you milk into the eggs, stir again.

First dredge your sliced tomatoes in the flour. Then dip into milk-egg mixture. Next dredge in cornmeal. Set aside on a plate. Repeat until you plate is full to one layer. Place coated tomatoes, one at a time, into hot oil, fry on one side until golden brown then flip over. Let the other side brown. repeat until all tomatoes are browned. Allow to cool and drain on paper towels.