Tag: Gluten Free
Gluten Free Halloween Candy Bark
Tonight some friends of ours came over for what has come to be a tradition in our house around Halloween time: a creepy movie night. For years my husband and I hosted a Hitchcock movie night, then we tried a Twilight Zone Party, and this year, in honor of Gene Wilder’s recent passing, I really wanted to have a bunch of people over to watch the Mel Brooks classic Young Frankenstein. For those who have never seen the movie, it’s a screwball comedy with a dark twist, starring Wilder as the tortured grandson of Transylvania’s most famous mad scientist. Despite his insistence that he has no intention to replicate his grandfather’s experiments in reanimating corpses, history repeats itself and the younger Frankenstein returns to the family castle, where he ends up with a 7 1/2 foot raging monster on his hands …all suffused with the cheesy humor you’d expect from Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder. I grew up watching the movie with my mom and brother and thought it would be fun to enjoy it in the company of friends.
The thing is, though, October always somehow gets filled up with events, Halloween parties, school work, and other commitments, and my best-laid movie night plans kept getting shoved aside. Before I knew it, we were halfway through the month and I hadn’t officially invited anyone–just had mentioned the possibility to one friend. I’m not one to give up on an idea where a party is concerned, though (see my Entertaining page for evidence), so as the days went by and we got closer and closer to Halloween, I thought, hey, even if we just have that one friend and her family over for the movie, it’ll still be a good time! This particular friend and her husband have two kids who go to the same school as ours and are great friends themselves, so it was a natural fit to have them join us.
Since this friend of mine has Celiac disease, I decided it would be nice to take the “What Can I Eat?” question off the table, so to speak, by making all gluten-free treats for us to enjoy during the movie. Cider bourbon cocktails for the grownups, caramel apple popcorn, and this gluten-free version of Halloween candy bark were on the menu. I typically make a regular Halloween candy bark after my kids go trick-or-treating, but now that they’re getting older, I have a feeling they’re not going to let me steal their candy this year. Guess I’d better really enjoy this pre-Halloween version, then.
With peanuts, M & Ms, and candy corn sprinkled over hardened melted chocolate chips, this rich dessert/snack couldn’t be simpler. Try it with any gluten-free candy on top for anyone in your life who needs to stay away from gluten. The Celiac Disease Foundation has a helpful list on their website of Halloween candies that are gluten-free.
And finally, a question…what’s your favorite creepy movie to watch this time of year? Or if you love Young Frankenstein like I do, what’s your favorite part? I have to go with the “Puttin’ On the Ritz” dance routine, hands down.
Gluten Free Halloween Candy Bark
A Love Letter to Food Original Recipe
Ingredients:
1 24-oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (you may need to check packaging to ensure they are gluten-free)
Lightly salted peanuts, coarsely crushed
M & Ms
Candy corn
Directions:
- Line the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch rimmed cookie sheet or baking pan with parchment paper.
- Place chocolate chips in a large bowl and microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is completely melted. Spread melted chocolate evenly over parchment paper.
- Sprinkle with any amount of peanuts, M & Ms, candy corn (or other gluten free candy) you like.
- Refrigerate at least one hour or until chocolate has hardened.
- Remove from parchment paper and place on a large cutting board. With a chef’s knife, cut into pieces or wedges. I’d recommend slicing pieces fairly small, as the richness of even a small amount goes a long way.
Makes 1 9 x 13-inch pan.
Beef Kofta Meatballs
Hey! Remember that post a few days ago about the Rice with Almonds and Golden Raisins inspired by our favorite local ’50s-diner-themed Middle Eastern restaurant? Well, as delightful as that recipe is, I wanted to share the veritable meat centerpiece that topped it off when we enjoyed it last week. (P.S. Please do not Google “meat centerpiece” like I just did. You will be sorry.) After all, even an inspired side dish needs a little something extra to make an actual meal, unless you’re working on your Biggest Loser extreme weight loss 900-calories-a-day life plan. And that little something extra might as well be as intriguing and delicious as the rice, something like, oh, maybe beef kofta meatballs?
Some people may say less is more, but the combination of eleven spices (commonly found in your pantry, don’t panic) in these meatballs provides a flavor package that makes me say MORE is sometimes actually more. In a one-and-a-half-inch diameter, these little morsels contain garlic, parsley, cilantro, onion, cumin, and even a hint of cinnamon. And 5 other spices, but I won’t try your patience listing them, too. See the recipe for a multi-spiced main dish that pairs perfectly with almond and golden raisin rice and will make you say واو (عِبارة للتعَجُّب)! (Arabic for “Wow!” Or I may have copied that wrong from the online Cambridge English-Arabic dictionary. That may actually say “Wow! Look at that car!” But, you know, you get the gist.)
Beef Kofta
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 Tbsp. grated or finely diced onion
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced (or 1 Tbsp. ground coriander)
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
scant 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients, using your hands if necessary to evenly distribute spices.
- Shape meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs and space evenly on a large baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Serve any way you like: with rice, pita, tzatziki/garlic sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.
Serves 4.
Rice with Almonds and Golden Raisins
Some restaurant meals are nothing short of mythical in their unattainability. You eat them and think, “This is why I eat at restaurants. Because I could never make these delicious truffle oil-infused french fries/bacon-wrapped seared scallops/whole grain pancakes with farro and spelt” at home. (That or “I could never take myself seriously buying ingredients like truffle oil.”) It’s part of why I’m willing to pay good money to eat out. Cause, folks, I enjoy interesting foods, but ain’t buyin’ no truffle oil at my local Fry’s Food and Drug…or farro and spelt. Or sparrow and felt. (P.S. Just so you know, another term for spelt is “dinkel wheat.” Take that, fancy foodies.) Plus, I don’t know how to wrap scallops with bacon, nor am I sure that I could get through doing so without eating all the bacon.
Sometimes, though, you eat a really exceptional restaurant meal and you think, “Huh, I bet I could make this at home without much difficulty.” Like this Mediterranean-inspired rice with almonds and golden raisins. This side dish has always been a favorite of our family’s at a local Middle Eastern restaurant called Flaming Kabob…a place which, I should mention because it’s bizarre and hilarious, was originally a 50s-themed 5 & Diner and the interior of which has never been altered one iota since the change of ownership.
Anyway, despite its atypical appearance for a Middle Eastern restaurant (and the fact that we’ve never seen the place more than about 25% full, even on a Friday night) their food rocks, and after our last “Combo for Two” that fed our family of five with leftovers, my husband asked if I could try making the rice they serve with their chicken shawarma.
Well, sure! Why not? It didn’t seem like it could be that hard, since I didn’t taste anything super fancy in it and the ingredients seemed pretty straightforward. Rice. Almonds. Golden Raisins. Doesn’t sound too convoluted. And it isn’t! There really isn’t anything unexpected in this recipe, except for the lovely combination of flavors that gives it sweetness, crunch, and just the right savory versatility to accompany a variety of Middle Eastern (or other) dishes. For beef kofta, chicken shawarma, or even any plain dinner meat that needs some livening up, it’ll be my new go-to for a snazzy but simple side dish.
Restaurant meals, beware! I’m coming for you! (As long as you don’t involve truffle oil.)
Rice with Almonds and Golden Raisins
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. butter
1/3 c. diced onion
pinch cinnamon
1 c. jasmine rice
1 3/4 c. chicken broth (or vegetable, to make vegan)
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1/3 c. golden raisins
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onion until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add pinch cinnamon and stir.
- Add rice, chicken broth, almonds, and golden raisins. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4.
Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles
If you’ve been following the news, or go on Facebook, or live anywhere besides the bottom of the ocean, you know it’s been a rough week for this country. Every morning it seems we wake up to some new headline worse than the last. Gun violence appears to be at an all-time high, and race relations feel as strained as they’ve ever been since the Civil Rights Movement. People are literally killing each other in the streets on a daily basis. I don’t know whether I want to read everything about it or nothing at all. This week, I feel deeply grieved for my country, and am hard pressed to hang on to hope for its future.
So, frankly, I feel a little glib writing a post about popsicles.
I wish there was something I could write that would change the state of affairs in our country, but I doubt I have anything to say that hasn’t already been said to much larger audiences than mine on Twitter, Facebook, or from the White House. So maybe popsicles are something wholesome and innocent we might as well enjoy in the midst of the world going crazy. I’m reminded of the scene from Mad Men where copywriter Peggy Olson gives a meaningful pitch to her clients that takes them back to the simple pleasure of a popsicle:
Of course, I don’t mean to say that if we all just eat popsicles and sing Kumbayah, the world’s problems will melt away. There are other things I intend to do in the midst of this national crisis, like pray, vote, live my own life and raise my children to live in a way that promotes peace. If you have any other suggestions, I’d sure like to hear them.
And, on a lighter note, these creamy blueberry cheesecake treats really are especially delicious. If in the summer heat, you’re craving a little something sweet that comes without too high a calorie price tag, one of these will do the trick. I hope it brightens your day.
“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.” –Ecclesiastes 8:15
Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles
A Love Letter to Food Original Recipe
Ingredients:
5 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. half and half or milk
2/3 c. blueberries
1/2 c. crushed graham cracker crumbs
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and yogurt with an immersion blender (or a hand mixer would probably work, too) until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar, then half and half. Add blueberries and mix until incorporated to your liking.
- Pour mixture into popsicle molds and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. Freeze at least two hours.
Makes 12 small popsicles.
Mexican Quinoa
At our house, we have reached what some might call The Epitome of Tacky. I haven’t set out any pink flamingos on the front lawn or started peddling Amway to unsuspecting friends, but we HAVE moved our treadmill from the garage into our bedroom. (Cue jokes about it becoming a glorified laundry hanging device. But, hey, at least it’s not a Nordic Track or an AbDoer–remember those?) I just really couldn’t take anymore 100+ degree runs in the garage. I mean, I want to sweat when I exercise, not melt. Anyway, I solemnly swear it’s getting actual use–as an exercise device, not as a laundry hanger. Yesterday, when my nutrition internship workday involved six hours in a Suburban and a heavy lunch at a greasy spoon diner (long story), by the time I got home, I was itching to get some physical activity. The trouble is, when you get home at the end of the day and the house needs cleaning and dinner needs making, how do you squeeze a workout in, even with the convenience of your tacky bedroom treadmill?
Better find a dinner that just about makes itself! Having made this Mexican quinoa several times before, I knew that once all the ingredients got dumped in the pan, I had almost half an hour of simmering time to jump on the treadmill. Twenty-five sweaty, satisfying minutes later, dinner was ready for serving and I had gotten some exercise to counterbalance my day of sitting. Win-win.
Served with chips and guacamole, this is a hearty, healthy, inexpensive vegetarian (or vegan, if you don’t add cheese and sour cream) dinner that comes together fast. Can’t ask for more on a busy weeknight!
Mexican Quinoa
(Adapted from Annie’s Eats, who adapted it from Peanut Butter Runner)
Ingredients:
2 tsp. olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (use less jalapeño for less spice)
1 c. uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 1/4 c. vegetable or chicken broth
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 c. frozen corn
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
Shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced green onions, and/or avocado for topping
Directions:
- In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Salute garlic and jalapeño until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in quinoa, broth, black beans, diced tomatoes, corn, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer about 25 minutes or until liquid is fully absorbed.
- Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lime juice. Serve topped with cheese, sour cream, green onions, and/or avocado.
Serves 5.