Gluten Free Peach & Blackberry Cobbler

Summer is almost here! Time to find ways to eat all of the glorious fruit that is out there. Cobbler is one of my favorite desserts, year round. Here is a recipe that I came up. I chose peaches and blackberries, but you could use almost anything that your heart desires. It is best when served warm with ice cream or whipped cream... or both. But it is also great just on its own...

Gluten-Free Peach & Blackberry Cobbler

4 cups sliced peaches (about 4-5 peaches)

2 cups of blackberries
juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

3 tablespoons Gluten-Free Flour Mix of your choice

1 teaspoon vanilla (I prefer Madagascar)

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
fresh nutmeg, to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)

Crumb Topping

1 cup Gluten-Free Flour Mix of your choice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine, melted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter/grease a casserole dish.

In a large bowl, mix together fruit with lemon juice. Add flour, vanilla, zest, cinnamon and nutmeg and fold together until the fruit is well covered. Pour into greased dish.

In a small bowl, make the crumb topping by combining flour, sugar, cinnamon, xanthan gum and salt. Stir well. Drizzle butter into bowl and stir until all dry ingredients are moistened. Create crumbs with the mixture, of similar size. Pour the crumbs evenly over the fruit in the casserole dish.

Bake on center rack for 35 minutes, until the crumbs are browning and the fruit is bubbly. Remove. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

6 servings

Oh, French Bread!

When I decided to completely pull wheat from Ella's diet I researched several cookbooks on gluten-free baking. Knowing that she was used to the glories of wheat flour and would be able to tell if I was trying to pass off cardboard as bread, I wanted to find a way to make the best possible oven treats as possible. The main reason that I decided to buy GF Baking Classics by Annalise G. Roberts, was because I had read a review that went on and on about her French-Italian Bread recipe. It wasn't long before this became my favorite GF baking cookbook. There are so many recipes that I could sing songs about in her book (pumpkin muffins! vanilla cake! gingersnaps!) But the French-Italian bread really does hold a special place in my heart. It is simple to make and NEVER disappoints. It is the only bread that I make that disappears faster than it took for me to make it. The texture of the bread, inside and out, is so close to a "regular" loaf that you would never know that it does not contain wheat. Get the book. Make the bread!

Marinating & Grilling Chicken

Costco had a great deal on organic skinless and boneless chicken breasts($5.99/lb.) and I just got a new grill pan that I am dying to use. So I made a simple marinade with lemon juice, garlic, parsley, olive oil and salt & pepper. And we shall see how it all turns out tonight. But I realized that I do not have many marinade recipes and would love it if you folks sent me some. Summer is going to be here before we know it! I am also looking for tofu marinades, so if you have something that you love pass it along!

Caramel Filled Cupcakes

There was yet another party at Ella's school this week. Rather than sending along another boring vanilla cupcake, I decided to jazz it up a bit and create something that she would be dying to sink her teeth into. I made a batch of homemade caramel sauce (not the best thing for a gal who is trying to avoid dairy). But I made it as a gift for one of her teachers who LOVES the stuff. Anyway, I had a little left over so I took a melon-baller and scooped out the top and center of a wheat-free vanilla cupcake. I poured about 2 teaspoons of the gooey confection into the hole, and filled it back up again with the cake that had been removed. And then I frosted it with vanilla butter cream and sprinkled white chocolate chips and Valrhona chocolate sprinkles over the top. She loved it. And yes, I broke my diet by also making one for myself. Not too big to admit it. And guess what? No regrets!

Budget Friendly Meal #6: Pineapple Chicken with rice and rabe

I found this recipe on Bigoven.com. I was looking for an interesting way to bake chicken with pineapple. After reading all of the positive reviews, I decided it was worth a try. And it was delicious! So much so that I wanted to share it, here. The meal is complete when served with brown rice (kashi would also be great) and steamed broccoli rabe. I also plated it with the chicken pan juices drizzled on top of the rice. It is a simple dinner to make and sure to please almost everyone!

Zippy Baked Chicken Breasts

4 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter or margarine melted or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

GLAZE

3/4 cup Crushed pineapple drained, from 8-3/4 oz can
1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons brown mustard
1 teaspoon soy sauce (wheat free if desired)

Preheat oven to 375. In an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan, place chicken breasts in a single layer. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare glaze by combining all the ingredients together and mixing well. Pour over chicken. Return to oven and continue baking 30 to 40 minutes, basting occasionally until deep golden brown and tender.

Variations:
To prepare with:
Thighs: After glazing bake 20 to 30 minutes.
Drumsticks: After glazing bake 20 to 30 minutes
Wings: After glazing bake 10 to 20 minutes

Gluten-free diet not friendly to gut bacteria

This was an interesting article that one of my Twitter buddies referenced today. It actually makes a lot of sense. Thankfully there are so many probiotics on the market these days. Worth a read, to be sure... Gluten-free diet not friendly to gut bacteria

Central Coast Surprise

This weekend we were visiting my home town when we came across the most wonderful surprise; a local market that stocks a large selection of Gluten-Free items. And this store is within blocks of my Mom's house, so close that we often walk there. It is called J.J.'s Market and it is located in the city of Arroyo Grande. It is quite close to the Oceano Dunes, but off the beaten path. They often are BBQing meat out front and the place smells irresistible. We ran in to pick up some organic milk for Milo and as I glanced around, I saw two full racks full of Gluten-Free items. There was more stuff than some of the Whole Foods stores that I frequent in LA (not mentioning any names, Coldwater Canyon store!) And as I expressed my extreme delight to the cashier, he told me that they even had more in the freezer section. Woo-hoo! As it turns out, the wife of the owner is Celiac, and she wanted to have a lot of options for those like herself. So we are going to keep giving them our business. If you have friends in the area or if you are passing through, stop on by!