Gumbo {Gluten Free}
½ cup vegetable oil or 2 tablespoons bacon grease
½ cup rice flour
1 large onions, diced
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped green bell peppers
½ cup chopped red bell peppers
½ cup chili peppers
½ cup sliced scallions
6 cloves minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon creole seasoning
2 lbs. any combo of sausage or 2 lbs. shrimp or 2 lbs. chicken
Method
In a large stockpot combine oil and flour and cook over medium-high heat about 15 minutes or until it turns very dark brown, almost between brown and black.
You will have to stir almost constantly.
This is called the Roux.
Add onions, parsley, celery, peppers, scallions and garlic and cook about 10 more minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring regularly.
Add broth, salt, and creole seasoning.
Cover pot and simmer 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add your chosen combination of meat at this point and simmer an additional 15 minutes.
Serve over rice with some warm corn bread. A wonderful southern meal on a chilly February evening.
Having fun with the shrimp tails!
Tiramisù {Gluten Free}
Tiramisù {Gluten Free}
2 Packages of Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Wheat-Free Ladyfingers
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup of sugar
1 lb of Marscapone cheese
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup freshly made espresso coffee
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Method
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar until the mixture is thickened and light lemon color.
Add the marscapone cheese and mix thoroughly.
In a medium bowl whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
Fold the cream into the cheese mixture.
Dip the Ladyfingers in espresso and line a 9 by 9 inch pan with them.
Pour in half the cheese mixture and smooth.
Add another layer of the Ladyfingers dipped in espresso.
Pour the remaining cheese mixture on top and smooth.
Chill in refrigerator for 2-4 hours and dust with cocoa powder before serving.
Making Candy with the Kiddos
We had so much fun making candy for family this year and just wanted to share a few photos of our pretzel dipping. Such an easy fun way to involve the littles with the task. Serissa had fun dipping and loved getting to lick her fingers after she was finished. Leeanna just kept snagging those GF pretzels while Serissa was busy dipping, she was too cute.
~ Merry Christmas to All from The Gamble Family! ~
Finished Candy/Cookie Box
Dipped Pretzels
Serissa dipping pretzels.
Leeanna sneaking some pretzels.
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
1 bag of dark chocolate chips
1 large candy cane
1 bag of pretzels
Method
Line a baking sheet with edges with a piece of parchment paper.
Melt down some dark chocolate and pour in a cool bowl.
Crush some candy cane and place in an another bowl.
Pour a big bowl of pretzels.
Then let the dipping adventure begin!
Allow to cool on the counter before packaging or enjoy right away.
Snowball Cookies
Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Snowball Cookies
1 cup butter
1/2 cup bakers sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons water
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
Stir in vanilla, almond extract and water.
Add the flour and almonds, mix until blended.
Cover and chill for 3 hours (you can skip this step if you would like).
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Shape dough into balls or crescents.
Place on an unprepared cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven.
Remove from pan and quickly roll in powdered sugar and place on wire racks to cool.
When cookies are cool, roll in confectioners’ sugar once again.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
Peppermint Bark {Gluten Free}
Peppermint Bark
1 bag of dark chocolate chips
2 bags of white chocolate chips
1-2 teaspoon(s) peppermint oil (depends how strong you like your peppermint)
1 large candy cane, crushed *do not crush using a food processor – place candy cane in a bag and use a hammer to crush into small pieces
Method
Line the bottom of a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.
Melt dark chocolate chips slowly over a double broiler, stirring the chips until chocolate chips have completed melted and mixture is smooth.
Spread melted chocolate as evenly as possibly into lined pan.
Place pan into freezer for 20 minutes.
Repeat the same melting process with the white chips.
While chocolate is still smooth, add 1 teaspoon peppermint oil.
Allow the white chocolate to slightly cool for a minute.
Remove pan from freezer and spread white chocolate on top of the chocolate layer.
Spread white chocolate as quickly as possible.
Top off with crushed candy cane and gently pat down with the back of a spatula.
Return pan to freezer for 20 minutes.
Remove from freezer and gently lift the whole mixture from the pan with a butter knife.
You should now have a solid sheet of peppermint bark.
Remove parchment paper and break into pieces.
Store any left over bark in a ziplock bag and place in the freezer. Enjoy!
Note: If white chocolate chips do not melt smooth, stir in 2 tablespoons of shortening, canola oil or coconut oil.
Almond Roca {Gluten Free}
Almond Roca (Almond Chocolate Butter Toffee Candy)
1 teaspoon & 1 cup butter, divided
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3 tablespoons water
1 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon almonds, finely chopped
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Method
With 1 teaspoon of butter, coat a cookie sheet and spread out the cup of coarsely chopped almonds (you won’t need to go to the edges). Set aside.
Melt 1 cup of butter in a medium pot.
Add the sugar, corn syrup and water.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 290 degrees (just before hard crack stage) on a candy thermometer.
Working quickly and carefully, pour the hot mixture over the almonds on the cookie sheet.
While still hot, sprinkle the top of the candy with chocolate chips.
Using a flat spatula, lightly spread the chocolate over the candy as they melt.
Sprinkle the finely chopped almonds over the top.
Let the chocolate cool before breaking the candy into 1-2″ pieces.
Arrange in a bag, tin, or on a plate.
Minty Chocolate Crunch Candy {Gluten Free}
Minty Chocolate Crunch Candy {Gluten Free}
2 1/2 cups chocolate rice crisp cereal
1/2 bar of mint dark chocolate, crushed into small pieces
1 cup sliced almonds
22 ounces white chocolate chips
Method
Combine the chocolate cereal, crushed chocolate, and almonds into a large bowl.
Toss around the ingredients until they are well combined.
Melt the white chocolate until it is entirely smooth.
Pour the melted white chocolate into a large bowl.
Pour the rice-almond mixture into the melted chocolate.
Using a rubber spatula, and moving quickly, combine all the ingredients together until everything is coated well.
Drop rounded spoonfuls of the mixture in little mounds onto a parchment-paper covered baking sheet.
You can put a lot of these spoonfuls onto the baking sheet because you’re not baking them.
Sprinkle the tops of each spoonful with the crushed mint dark chocolate.
Put the baking sheet(s) in the refrigerator to allow the treats to harden, about 30 minutes.
Store the snowflakes in the refrigerator in a covered container.
Banana Chocolate Chunk Walnut Cookies {Gluten Free}
Banana Chocolate Chunk Walnut Cookies {Gluten Free}
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mashed banana (about 3 medium)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups GF Flour Mix*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2/3 cup dark chocolate chunks
Method
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream together butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and mashed bananas.
Mix dry ingredients together in another bowl then add to butter and banana mixture.
Blend flour mixture well with banana mixture then add nuts and chocolate chunks.
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Drop heaping spoonfuls of batter onto cookie sheets that are covered with parchment paper.
We bake 12 cookies per sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes, switching baking sheets top to bottom halfway through the baking time.
Notes: This recipe makes 5 dozen cookies.
*GF Flour Mixture
2 cups Brown Rice Flour
2/3 cup Sweet Sorghum Flour
1/3 cup Tapioca Starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
Gluten Free Baking Tips
Karina the Gluten Free Goddess-I love LOVE this devine woman’s recipes and her amazing blog. I simply must pass along her tips on baking gluten-free anything!
Here is a link to her blog with her fabulous tips!
Italian Sausage, Bean, Lentil and Chard Soup
Italian Sausage, Bean, Lentil and Chard Soup
8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 tsp. fresh basil
1 tsp. fresh parsley
5 links chicken Italian Sausage
1-2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
3 gloves finely chopped garlic
1 can kidney beans
1 cup cooked lentils
Swiss chard (or your favorite greens) – enough to make about 4 large handfuls of chard ribbons
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
sea salt & black pepper to taste
freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Method
In large soup pot, put chicken stock, basil, and parsley and bring to a low simmer. Simmer broth and herbs while you prepare other ingredients.
Squeeze sausage out of casing and saute in small amount of olive oil until sausage is well browned, breaking up with the back of metal turner as it browns.
Remove sausage, and in same pan saute onions until they are softened, adding more olive oil if needed.
Scrape browned sausage bits off bottom of the pan as the onions cook.
When onions are soft, add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes.
To stock in pot add beans with juice and lentils.
Add onions and garlic, deglazing pan with water and adding to stock mixture.
Simmer about 10 minutes.
While stock and beans simmer, wash chard well, cut off stems, lay about six leaves on top of each other, fold in half lengthwise, and cut into ribbons about 1/2 inch wide.
Add sausage to pot and simmer about 10 minutes.
Then add chard ribbons and simmer about 10 minutes more, or until chard is softened and flavors are well blended.
Season soup with pepper(s) & sea salt to taste.
Serve soup hot, with freshly grated parmesan cheese to add to each bowl.