Gluten Free Super Fudgy Chocolate Orange and Walnut Brownies

Halloween is finished and Christmas is coming! So it's time to start thinking about special seasonal recipes for entertaining. Specifically, gorgeous treats for entertaining that EVERYONE can enjoy.
I have a few friends who can not eat wheat. It just does not agree with them at all. Personally, I can't imagine spending the holidays not being able to enjoy a goody here and there. Or having people over and then finding out all my special treats are off limits to some of my guests. So I needed to create a few treats that all of my guests could enjoy.

Introducing...the ultimate gluten free brownie infused with a hint of orange zest and dotted with walnuts. Delicious, fudgy and divine. And no one will even know they are gluten free.

Gluten Free Super Fudgy Chocolate Orange and Walnut Brownies
(Prep Time: 15 minutes/Total Time: 35 minutes. Makes 24 small brownies.)

Ingredients:
250 grams good quality dark chocolate (70%), chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1/3 cup whipping cream
4 eggs
zest of one large orange
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder*, sifted
1 Tablespoon baking powder*
1/2 cup quinoa flour*
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped California walnuts

*all are available gluten free

Directions:
Prepare a 9 inch square pan lined with parchment paper. Preheat oven at 325 degrees F.

In a double boiler, melt chocolate, butter and cream. Stir until smooth then turn off heat and let cool slightly. Whisk in vanilla and orange zest.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and quinoa flour. Whisk in chocolate mix and walnuts.

Fill pan with mixture. Bake about 50 - 60 minutes when edges are puffy and cracked around the edges. Cool in pan on a rack then place in the fridge for 1 hour. Cut into squares, wiping knife between cuts, and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Date and Walnut Biscotti

Biscotti is one of those cookies that remain a mystery to many home cooks as it's name and shape leads one to assume it is difficult to make. That assumption couldn't be more wrong.

Easy to prepare and perfect with your afternoon cup of coffee or tea, this date and walnut biscotti is a family favorite around Christmas time. The combination of sweet dates, zesty orange and meaty walnuts is heavenly and biscotti can be easily frozen and taken out as needed, which makes it a perfect cookie for the holidays.

Date and Walnut Biscotti
(Prep Time: 15 minutes/Total Time: 60 minutes. Makes 12 large biscotti.)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup light olive oil
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup dried Majool dates, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups California walnut pieces, chopped

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in the vanilla extract and zest then beat in the eggs. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture. Mix in dates and walnuts by hand.
Divide dough in half. Form two logs (12x2 inches) on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Dough may be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily.
Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven, cover with clean kitchen towels and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees F.
Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4 inch thick slices. (lean into biscotti with a large knife, do not saw, to get nice even pieces.) Lay on sides on parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry; cool.

brown rice cheddar cakes

Have some leftover rice you don't know what to do with? Make rice cheddar cakes! Highly portable, a kid pleaser and delicious, you'll have a fabulous snack or dinner side an no more leftover rice!

Brown Rice Cheddar Cakes
Prep Time: 10 minutes/Total Time: 20 minutes. Makes 8 large cakes.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked short grain brown rice

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or any other cheese of your choice)

1 medium carrot, finely grated

3 eggs

3 -4 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 green onions, minced

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon each of olive oil and butter for frying

sour cream for serving, if desired

.

Directions:
In a large bowl combine the cooked rice, cheese, eggs, flour, onions, pepper, and salt.

Heat a non stick frying pan and oil/butter over medium heat. Measure 1/4 cup of the mix and form into patties about 1/2 inch thick. Fry until golden-brown, about 5 - 6 minutes on each side.

Serve with sour cream.

Homemade Italian Sausage and Fresh Sage Ravioli

I bought myself a pasta maker today and boy oh boy am I glad I did. I cracked open the box immediately after I got home, admired the shiny silver beauty and then summoned our two International students to the kitchen. Enticing them with the idea of fresh, steamy, cheesy sausage stuffed pasta for dinner, we all rolled up our sleeves then enjoyed our first floured hand experience of making ravioli!

The whole process was incredibly easy, easier than I had imagined it would be, and the end result was beyond my expectations. Gorgeous.

Italian Sausage and Fresh Sage Ravioli

Prep Time: 20 minutes/Total time: 40 minutes. Serves 4.
Pasta recipe adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

Pasta Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks

Filling Ingredients:
1 pound (454 grams) Italian sausage, with casings removed
2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
1 beaten egg

Sauce Ingredients:
2 ounces pancetta, sliced thin
6 tablespoons butter
leftover filling

Directions:
First make the pasta dough: combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the eggs and yolks and process until it begins to come together into a ball. Now look at the dough: if it’s grainy, add some water a few drops at a time.

Remove dough from the food processor and knead by hand 3 or 4 times.

Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature 30 minutes.

To make the filling,  crumble and cook the Italian sausage over medium high heat.

When cooked, drain off any excess grease. Ad the sage and the parmigiano.

Remove from heat. Let it cool just a bit and stir in the beaten egg.  Set aside.

Use the lasagna sheet option of your pasta maker. Divide your dough into three pieces.  Shape each piece into a rectangle about the width of the pasta maker.  Sprinkle a little flour the pasta maker then roll the dough through on the widest setting three times. Reroll on a thinner setting, then again on an even thiner setting, then once more on the thiner setting than the previous.

Flour the rolled pasta and cover it with plastic. Repeat with the other two thirds of pasta dough.

Working with one sheet a time, drop teaspoons of the filling onto the dough, about an inch apart, making a row along one side of the pasta sheet. Wet the dough a bit with a finger and then fold it over and seal it.  Use a handy dandy ravioli cutter and cut the dough into rectangles or cirlces, depending on whatever type of ravioli cutter you have.  The ravioli can then be refrigerated in a single layer on a floured cookie sheet for up to a day, or can be frozen.

To prepare the sauce, brown the chopped pancetta until barely crispy. Set aside. 

Put on a pot of salted water to boil. When it’s close to boiling, add butter to your pancetta pan. Allow butter to melt then keep the sauce barely warm.

Add the ravioli to the boiling water. When the ravioli are done, after about three minues, drain then gently toss with the pancetta and butter sauce.

Simple Whole Wheat Bread

If you've never made homemade bread before but you're keen to try, this is the recipe for you. There's not much involved in preparing the dough and the kneading time of 10 minutes is the most work you will do. You then just let the dough rise, shape into loaves, rise again and bake. You end up with three delicious homemade loaves of bread that fill your home with an aroma to die for and a family of happy bread eaters.
Start the whole process at 3pm and you'll have fresh bread for dinner at 6pm. Nice.

Simple Whole Wheat Bread
(Prep Time: 10 minutes plus 1 hour 15 minutes rising time/Total Time: 3 hours. Makes 3 loaves.)

Ingredients:
¼ cup warm water
2 1/4 tesapoons active dry yeast
1 large egg, beaten
¼ cup butter, melted
2½ cups warm (not hot) water
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ honey
4 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups all-purpose flour

Dirctions:
Prep three 9x5 loaf pans by greasing with butter. Also prep a large bowl by oiling lightly with vegetable oil. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine ¼ cup water and yeast. Let stand until the yeast is dissolved and foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add egg, butter, 2½ cups water, salt, and honey. Mix well.

In a large bowl, combine both flours then add to the wet mixture. Combine then knead for about 10 minutes. (You can do this in a stand mixer with the hook attachment if you have one.) Transfer dough to large oiled bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Shape dough into three loaves and place in 9 x 5-inch loaf pans and again cover until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bake loaves about 45 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Brush tops with butter for a soft crust. Remove the loaves to a rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

belgian waffles

If you shop at Costco like I do then you'll want to go and pick up one of these waffle irons from Nordicware! At $15, it is a fabulous deal and I love that I don't have to store a huge, clunky machine.

Simple to use and easy to clean, all you have to do is heat the iron up on the stove (both sides) then pour your batter, wait, flip, wait and voila! Delicious waffles!

I used the recipe on the packaging and the waffles were spectacular. Light, fluffy, thick and not to sweet. Waaaayyy better than the frozen variety and better for you too. :)

Belgian Waffles
(Recipe from http://www.nordicware.com/)

Ingredients:
4 eggs, seperated
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk

Directions:
Lightly brush or spray inside of waffler with vegetable oil.

Preheat waffler for 3 minutes per side over a burner on medium heat.

Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and butter, mixing until combined. In a seperate bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Add to egg mixture, and beat well. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter.

Pour 1 cup of batter into greased waffler and close the top. Cook for about 1 minuute, flip, then cook the other side for about 2 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove waffles with plastic fork or spatula. Serve with your favourite syrup, butter, berries, fruit and/or whipped cream. Enjoy!