Dad's Big Day

Let's not play coy, we all know what Daddy wants for Father's Day. He wants bacon and donuts! So let's give it to those dads who deserve nothing but the best!

This first recipe comes from cookingwithmykid.com it's easy and the donuts come out fluffy and oh so tasty. Sorry guys, this one isn't gluten free. 

Maple Cinnamon Donuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 6 oz container of non fat organic vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon canola oil or melted coconut oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 1/2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cinnamon and sugar together in a shallow dish and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients. In another bowl stir together oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, egg and yogurt.
Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the hole. Gently fold everything together until combined. The batter will be thick.
Scoop batter into a piping bag or ziploc bag, snip a bottom corner with scissors, and squeeze out the batter evenly into a donut pan. You can find these pans at all food specialty stores and even Michaels Crafts. 
Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a few moments and then flip over onto a cooling rack while still warm.
Use a pastry brush the melted butter over your donuts and then dip each donut in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Serve immediately after coating with cinnamon sugar mixture for best texture.


 Everyday Dad is going to shout when bacon is on the menu...don't disappoint them. I found this recipe on the egg-lands best carton, really! This one is easily adaptable to a gluten free diet.

Bacon Pecan French Toast
8 eggs, beaten
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 cup 2% milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Dash cayenne pepper
1 loaf (1 pound) French bread, cut into 1-inch slices

Topping:

6 thick-sliced bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
2 tablespoon corn syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Grease a 13×9-in. baking dish; set aside. 
In a large shallow bowl, whisk first 10 ingredients.
Dip each slice of bread into egg mixture and arrange slices into prepared dish.
Pour remaining egg mixture over top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 
Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients and spread over top. 
Bake, uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with syrup.

 

Baby Back Ribs and Baked Beans

2 racks baby back ribs, trimmed

Bourbon Sauce:

1/2 cup steak sauce (A1)
1/2 cup bourbon or use cider vinegar
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce 

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon regular or grainy Dijon mustard
2 pinches red pepper flakes or cayenne

1/4 cup ketchup

1-2 tablespoons liquid smoke
Kosher salt

Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Makes 1 1/2 cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the racks of ribs in half crosswise. Rub the ribs, paying special attention to the meaty side, with 1/2 cup of the sauce. Lay the rib pieces meat side down in an 11 by 13-inch baking dish. The pieces will overlap slightly.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the meat begins to pull away from the ends of the bones and the ribs are just tender, about 1 hour. You can bake the ribs up to a day before and keep them refrigerated. Bring refrigerated ribs to room temperature about 1 hour before you grill them.

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Grill the ribs, brushing them with about half the remaining sauce, until they're crispy and heated through, about 10 minutes. Move the ribs around as they grill, the sugar in barbecue sauce makes it easy for them to burn. Let the ribs rest for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting them into 1 or 2-bone pieces. Put out the rest of the sauce for dipping or brush it over the ribs.

Slow Cooker Baked Beans
2 cans beans, I used navy beans

8 strips bacon

1/4-1/2 cup minced onions

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon cider vinegar 

1 tablespoon Dijon or yellow mustard

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Chop onion and bacon and place on the very bottom of the slow cooker. Mix all wet and dry ingredients, reserving the beans until everything is combined. Fold in beans carefully and pour into the cooker. Cook on low for 2 hours or high for 1. Depending on your slow cooker you'll have to gauge how long you'll need to cook. I use an old 60's crockpot and I place it on low for 1 hour.

Food Memories

Here's some great ideas to serve Mom on her special day. All of these recipes will round out to make an exceptional day for her. When you make homemade food, it's more special and meaningful and creates lasting memories. I hope you all have a wonderful and delicious day.


Baked Frittata
1 pound hardwood smoked bacon, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 - 16 ounce jar of roasted red bell peppers, cut into small bite size chunks
1/2 pound of sliced button mushrooms
1 - 14 ounce container or bag of baby spinach
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 - 15 ounce container of ricotta cheese
12 large eggs
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking pan with deep sides or a 2-quart baking dish with high sides.
In a large pan, cook the bacon pieces over medium heat until the fat reduces and the bacon is just crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings from the pan. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and add the sliced onions and 2 teaspoons sugar to the pan.  
Stir well and cook about 20 to 25 minutes, until golden stirring occasionally. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the spinach to the hot pan and stir down to cook and wilt the spinach, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the 1 tablespoon butter to the pan and saute the mushrooms until tender and cooked through, about 5 minutes over medium heat. Remove from pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper - beat the mixture well.  Stir in 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, and all of the ricotta cheese.  Stir in about 2/3 of each of the filling ingredients except for the remaining cheeses.  Pour the egg and filling mixture into a lightly oiled 9x13-inch baking pan. Distribute the remaining filling mixture evenly over the egg mixture.  Top the entire mixture with remaining cheese.
Bake the frittata at 450 degrees for 10 minutes till the edges have set and are starting to brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake the frittata another 25 to 30 minutes until set in the middle and golden brown and puffed.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool to just warm or room temperature.

Recipe from Holly Hanks at the Salt Lake City Baking Examiner 



My Mother in law purchased me some really delicious pepper jelly at a boutique a while back and every since then, it's been my very favorite thing. This is a really great salad with a great pepper jelly salad dressing. It sounds strange, but it's really great, try it! 
 
Spinach Salad with Gorgonzola, Pistachios and Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette

1/4 cup pepper jelly

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 cups fresh baby spinach

1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1/4 cup roasted pistachios

1/4 cup pepper jelly

 

Place jelly in a 1 cup glass measure.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds.  Add cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper and whisk until blended.  You can do this in advance, refrigerate, but bring to room temp before using.

Combine spinach, cheese and pistachios in large salad bowl.  Drizzle vinegar mixture over salad and toss well.  Serve immediately.

 

 

This was one of the very first gluten free breads I made myself. It's been a great sweet bread and easy to make. glutenfreeonashoestring was a huge help to me when first starting out. They have amazing recipes so check them out. 

 

Chocolate Chip Yogurt Bread gluten free

1 3/4 cups gluten free flour ( I used Pillsbury blend)
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup plain yogurt, at room temperature
2 eggs at room temperature, beaten
3 ounces miniature chocolate chips, tossed with 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease well a standard 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan and set it aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), place the flour blend, cornstarch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar, and whisk to combine well with a separate, handheld whisk. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the butter, yogurt and eggs. Mix on medium speed to combine with the paddle attachment (or your handheld mixer) after each addition. The batter will be thick. Add the chocolate chips tossed with cornstarch, and mix with a spatula or spoon until the chips are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Scrape into the prepared baking pan and, with wet hands, smooth the top. To create a dome shape, run a wet spatula along the edges of the pan and pull the batter toward the center. For a uniform split down the center as the bread rises in the oven (instead of a more haphazard split), slash down the center of the loaf with a sharp knife, about 1/4-inch deep.
Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F, and continue to bake for another 20 minutes, or until the top of the loaf springs back when pressed lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with, at most, a few moist crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice once cool and serve.

Dutch Baby Yeah!

A Dutch Baby otherwise known as a German Pancake is a cross between a soufflé and an omelet - it is a light, airy pancake with sides. The puffy egg mixture crisps up around the edges while retaining a pancake-like tenderness in the middle. The sides of the pancake rise high above edges of the pan, creating a light, puffy crust with a tender, custard-like middle. Top with some strawberry or whipped topping or our favorite lemon drizzle listed below. They are a perfect and easy breakfast that brings a smile to everyone's face. 

I've included two version, the original that my husband grew up making and the gluten free version that we now enjoy. Both are really delicious!

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Dutch Baby with Lemon Drizzle
3 eggs
1 Tbsp vegan butter (or regular butter)
1/2 cup Almond milk
pinch of salt
1/4 cup GF Flour blend with xanthan gum included (we used pillsbury gf flour)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in a 9" pie pan in oven. Keep pan in oven to stay hot.

Blend eggs and milk together in a blender; add flour to egg mixture and blend some more. Pour into preheated and buttered pie pan. Bake 18 minutes. Pancake will rise and puff. 
Dust the top with powdered sugar before serving.

Serve hot with your favorite topping. Makes 4 servings. 
 

Lemon Drizzle
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 pat of butter melted

Combine all ingredients into a small mason jar and shake. Drizzle sauce over pancake when it's hot out of the oven. 



 

German Pancake (Original)
1/2 cup butter
5 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

Melt butter in 9 x 13 pan (we prefer a stoneware dish, but glass will do) in oven while oven is preheating to 425 degrees
Mix eggs, flour and milk with wire whisk or use blender
Add batter to dish and bake for 20-25 minutes
Serve with fruit, powdered sugar and lemon drizzle or any topping you'll love

Nothin Beats a Paleo Breakfast...

I find breakfast to be difficult when you're gluten free. It's hard when everyone wants waffles or pancakes and yummy English muffins, but I've found out some tricks that keep me just as satisfied as all you stinkers who want fluffy sweet pastry. 

For those of you not gluten free, these recipes might just be something new to try and who knows, you might like them better.
 

Eggs Benedict on Zucchini Cakes
You will need poached eggs, tomato or canadian bacon, spinach leaves, 4 zucchini cakes and Bearnaise sauce and parsley or chives for a garnish. 

For the cake:
3 C coarsely grated zucchini
½ tsp salt
1 C fresh breadcrumbs
         (If GF, add 1/2 C c4 crumbs or gf panko, in a pinch Van's gf bread is great-1C-)
1 egg, beaten
2 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ C diced red bell pepper
1½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp mayonnaise

Grate your zucchini, sprinkle with salt and let sit to drain liquid. Squeeze as much liquid out as you can. Place all ingredients into a food processor or a large bowl and mash together, being careful not to overwork the cakes to much.  Divide into cakes and fry in pan with oil until golden.

Bearnaise Sauce:
1/4 C butter
1 tsp minced shallot or grated white onion
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 eggs yolks, beaten
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried tarragon 
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley or 1/2 tsp dried
1/4 tsp salt
1 pinch dry mustard
1 pinch cayenne or granulated red pepper  

Place butter in a medium pyrex measuring bowl, melt in the microwave about 30 seconds on high. Whisk in the onion, white wine vinegar, egg yolks, heavy cream and lemon juice. Season with tarragon, parsley, salt, mustard powder and cayenne and whisk. 

Return to the microwave and cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until thickened, stirring until smooth. Trust me it will get fluffy and smooth.  Keep warm. 

Poach your eggs gently in simmering water and assemble your Benedict with zucchini cake on the bottom, your sliced tomato or bacon, poached egg, avocado, and then bearnaise sauce. 

There are so many alternatives to the original eggs benedict. You can crisp up a hashbrown and place your eggs and meat on top. You can use a fried green tomato, thick sliced tomatoes or even a cauliflower crisp. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!




Paleo Breakfast
2 Small Sweet Potatoes
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
2 Sausages (I used JD sage sausage, but you can use anything)
1/2 Yellow Onion
4 Eggs
1/2 C Coconut Milk
1/4 tsp Sage
Sea Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Grease a glass 8×8 inch baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grate the sweet potatoes (making hash browns) and then place them in the bottom of the greased dish.
Heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Chop the onion and sausage and add to the oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook until sausage is no longer pink and onions are soft.
Layer the sausage and onion on top of the sweet potatoes.
Put the eggs, sage, milk, 1/2 tsp of sea salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper into a blender (or cuisinart) and mix thoroughly. Pour this egg mixture on top of the sausage and onions.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

This recipe has been ripped off and traded around so much I'm not sure where it came from originally, but I'm pretty sure it was crossfit that came up with it and originally published it. It's a keeper though. 



Sour Cream Coffee Cake
1 1/2 C gluten free flour blend
1 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C sour cream
2 eggs

Streusel topping:
1/4 C gluten free flour blend
1/4 C butter
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon 
1-2 tbsp slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9-inch pan.
For Streusel: blend flour, butter, sugar and cinnamon until they crumble.
In a large bowl, combine and beat sour cream and eggs until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with streusel.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

You can also add a drizzle topping:
1 cup confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 tablespoon water and mix together.