Sometimes It's Just So Good

This is such a great recipe...of course I stole it! 

In my search for healthy replacements for gluten and dairy filled recipes and still trying to feel fulfilled, I've been really lucky that some have compiled time tested yummy stuff. Thanks bloggers for helping me survive. Here are a few I've really enjoyed! 

Cauliflower Buffalo Bites-Vegan
 

Lean Clean Eating Machine photo/recipe

1 head cauliflower, chopped in bite sized pieces
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup water
Pinch of salt
Pinch of garlic powder
Non stick spray (I use coconut from Trader Joe's)

1 tsp. Earth Balance butter (vegan substitute) melted
1/2 cup Frank's Red Hots sauce

Preheat oven to 450°
In a small bowl combine brown rice flour, water, garlic powder and salt. 
Dip cauliflower  in batter until coated evenly, then place on a lightly greased tin foil lined sheet pan. 
Bake for 10 minutes or until batter hardens on cauliflower. Flip cauliflower and harden the other side as well. 
Whisk Frank's sauce and Vegan butter in a bowl. When cauliflower is finished brush each piece with the sauce mixture. Bake again for 8-10 additional minutes or until the sauce looks absorbed. 
Serve with traditional celery and blue cheese dip. (if celiac make sure your blue cheese sauce is GF) 



This next recipe I adapted this to be GF. It tastes even better. I listed the traditional recipe but added the substitutions to the side. I used monkfruit which makes it low sugar, and I also used a sugar-free caramel sauce from the store.

Apple Fritter Rings with Caramel Sauce

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

photo and recipe courtesy of justataste.com

1 cup all-purpose flour (white rice flour or my favorite Gluten Free Mama)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons sugar (equal amounts Monkfruit)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
4 large apples, such as Fuji or Gala
Vegetable oil, for frying 
Store bought caramel sauce or you can dip in cinnamon sugar blend. 



In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk and then whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture just until combined.
Slice the apples into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Using the cookie cutters, cut each apple slice into rings, discarding the center core.
Add 3 inches of oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot set over medium heat. Line a sheet tray with paper towels.
When the oil reaches 350°F on your deep-fry thermometer, begin by dipping each apple slice in the batter, shaking off any excess then carefully lowering it into the oil. Add several apple slices to the oil but do not overcrowd the pot. Flip the apple slices occasionally so that they brown on all sides then using tongs, transfer them onto the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat the battering and frying process with the remaining apple rings.
Serve the apple rings immediately with caramel sauce for dipping.



 Mini Gluten-Free Boston Cream Pies

http://www.gfreefoodie.com/recipes/detail/1129/

• (1¼ cups) gluten-free cake flour
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• (½ cup) packed light brown sugar
• (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• (2 tablespoons) vegetable shortening, melted and cooled
• 1 extra-large egg at room temperature, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or replace with equal volume pure vanilla extract)
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk

For the pastry cream

• (1/4 cup) cornstarch
• (3/4 cup) sugar, divided
• 2 cups milk (I don’t drink milk, so I almost always use almond milk) , divided
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• pinch of salt

Chocolate Glaze

• (4.5 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• (4 tablespoons) butter
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and grease a mini whoopie pie pan.
2. In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk to combine well.
3. Whisk in the brown sugar, making sure you remove any lumps.
4. Next, mix in the butter, shortening, egg and vanilla and make sure everything is well combined.
5. Now, add the milk and vinegar, and mix again to combine well. You will have a batter that is somewhere between cake batter and cookie dough in consistency.
6. Using a small scoop or you can pipe about as much as a large marble to each well of your whoopie pie pan.
7. Bake on a center rack for 8-10 minutes, or until the cakes bounce back when pressed gently in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Make the pastry cream

1. Prepare an ice bath.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine ¼ cup sugar, egg yolks and the creamer (or ½ cup milk).
3. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, bring the remaining 1½ cups milk to a boil, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from heat and add the hot milk to the egg mixture about a third at a time to temper the eggs. If you do this too fast you will end up with scrambled egg yolks and not a smooth cream.
5. Return the pot to the stove and add the egg mixture. Over medium heat, keep whisking until the cream thickens and when you scrape the bottom of a pot, the cream does not close the gap immediately. Stir in the vanilla, salt and butter.
6. Put the pot over your ice bath and stir every 5-10 minutes for about half an hour, or until the cream has cooled.

Make the glaze

1. When you are ready to assemble the mini boston cream pies, melt together the chocolate, butter and corn syrup over low heat. If the mixture is not pourable, add an extra tablespoon of butter.

Assemble the cakes

1. Pipe the pastry cream onto half of the cake pieces. Take one of the other cake pieces and top each one. Pour or spread chocolate glaze on each mini Boston cream pie.

Sweet Onion Dip

2 large Vidalia or other sweet onions, peeled and quartered 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 teaspoon salt, divided 

1 whole garlic head

1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream 

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Place onion in a large bowl; drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss to coat. Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate cloves). Wrap in foil. Place onion and foil-wrapped garlic on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Chop onion. Separate garlic cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins.
3. Combine onion, garlic, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, sour cream, parsley, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour.

The freshest lemon juice is the best choice for this recipe. Do you know how to find the sweetest onion? Look for a flattened shape and a dense weight. Sometimes you can't find a vidalia, so a walla walla or just an onion labeled "sweet" will do.