Easy Easter Lunch

I hosted my first ever holiday this past Easter with my mom and her boyfriend joining me for a culinary feast...and a chance to show off my plates and serving pieces my mom bought me as my Christmas present one year.  Since I was attending Mass a few hours before lunch, I had to be a good chef and have my mise en place in place so I could start the oven within minutes of returning home.  Everything below is very easy to make and I did not create too many dishes.  (The dishwasher did have to run twice that day.)  After lunch, the three of us headed off for a light four mile stroll along Lake Michigan to Montrose Harbor, enjoying the beach, protected bird area (never knew we had that in Chicago), and city skyline.  Then we headed back home for some gluten free angel food cake topped with pineapple and chocolate ice cream.

It was great fun hostessing the holiday as well as enjoying quintessential spring foods.

Here is what I made for our Easter lunch:
Scalloped potatoes: http://southern.food.com/recipe/scalloped-potatoes-85629
   Substitutions: coconut milk, vegan butter, cheddar cheese (I'm only doing small amounts of dairy at a time) with Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour
Ham with Peach and Apricot Glaze: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/classic-glazed-ham-recipe/index.html and http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/pineapple-apricot-glaze-recipe/index.html
   Substitutions: used crushed pineapple and its juice
Roasted Asparagus: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-asparagus-recipe/index.html
   Substitutions: added a side of bacon.  Just kidding.  I ate all the leftover bacon so had none to spare.
Spring Penne with Bacon: finally, an original recipe!  This is my new favorite and I was thrilled to have lots of leftovers for lunches.  I am also addicted to the Eating Right Gluten Free Penne pasta from Dominick's (Safeway).  It is the best corn based pasta I have had!  And it goes on sale frequently!!

Spring Penne with Bacon

12 oz gluten free penne
2 T olive oil
1/2 lb frozen peas
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 lb cooked bacon cut into small pieces
1 t red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

Cook the noodles according to the package's directions.
Cook the frozen peas in the microwave for one or two minutes less than recommended.
Add oil to a pan and saute the shallots until tender.  Add the peas, shallots, bacon, and red pepper flakes and cook for another two or three minutes.  Drain the pasta and toss with this mixture.

Happy spring from Windy City Cooking!  Enjoy the glorious spring days ahead!

Gluten Free Summer Pasta Salad

I tend to be the person who buys a lot of the freshest vegetables at the farmer’s market, excited by all the possibilities, but once I get home and am hungry, I’m stumped for new ideas.  My favorite go-to (and very easy) recipe involves simply sautéing vegetables and then tossing them with pasta.

The Chicago summers have kicked into high gear (103 degrees today!) and with it goes my desire to prepare complicated meals.  Washing and cutting vegetables is very soothing to me (I am a huge dork) but the last thing I want is a meal that is going to raise the heat in my kitchen or require me to keep a diligent watch over my pans.  After adding the garlic, these vegetables only require a few seconds of stirring here and there.

This is such a basic recipe; swap in whatever vegetables you have and use your available herbs.  My basil plant just started having leaves big enough to eat, so I could not add as much as I would have liked.  As the summer continues, I’m sure to be repeating this recipe.  On unbearably hot nights, this makes a delicious cold summer dinner that is packed with veggies to keep me going.

Summer Pasta Salad

1 package of gluten free noodles (I used brown rice noodles from Trader Joe’s)
2 T olive oil + a splash
1 clove of garlic, minced.
1 summer squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 large handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
A few leaves of chopped basil or other fresh herbs
salt and pepper

Prepare the noodles according to the package’s directions, adding salt and a splash of olive oil to the water.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Add the minced garlic and cook until aromatic (about 30 seconds).  Add in the summer squash and zucchini and sauté until just tender.  Add in the tomatoes and herbs and cook for an additional two minutes.  Remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Toss with the noodles.  Serve warm or cold.

What do you eat to beat the heat?

Farm Fresh Egg, Spinach, and Basil Bake

Through my church, I am participating in a Food Faith and Substantibility small group.  This week's focus was on Food and the Environment.  For our potluck style meeting, we were asked to bring something made with local ingredients and I volunteered to cook an entree.  On Sunday, at the last minute, I saw my uncle at a graduation party.  He had four dozen eggs in the fridge for the taking.  He said I could have some - his chickens lay five eggs a day and he has plenty.  Eggs don't get any more farm fresh than ones from an uncle's backyard farm in Wisconsin!

I took a vacation day off from work in order to explore some new farmers markets throughout the city.  (Some people use vacation days to visit the beach; I use it to drool over fresh veggies.)  Today, I visited the Lincoln Square Farmers Market, which is literally steps off the Western brown line stop.  It is open on Tuesdays from 7am to 1pm.  There was a great selection of plants (edible and non), baked goods (for gluten loving folks), fruits and green veggies.  I bought some asparagus for $3.00 and a bunch of basil for $1.50 for my entree.

For cheese, since every recipe involving eggs seems to require cheese, I used Teeze Vegan Mozzarella "cheese" from Chicago Vegan Foods (sold in Whole Foods).  I love the product and support the company's core values: veganism (sorry for using eggs with your product!), environmental responsibility and commitment to customers.  This dairy-free cheese melts, grates well, and is a breeze to substitute for dairy cheeses.

With the help from Uncle Mike's Farm Fresh Eggs, a visit to a nearby Farmers Market, and vegan cheese, I created this Egg and Spinach bake. Even if you do not have your own uncle with chickens, I hope you try some cage free eggs for this recipe!  (You'll get hooked.)  As written, the only top 8 allergens the recipe contains are soy and egg; it is naturally gluten-free.  This recipe is easy enough to substitute in other herbs or cooked veggies for endless varieties!  I got a lot of compliments from my group (unofficial taste testers) - everyone really enjoyed this "crustless quiche".  It pairs quite deliciously with other local foods! (Such as quinoa with beans and corn, corn on the cob, strawberry salad, rice with green beans...)

Farm Fresh Egg, Spinach and Basil Bake

1 bunch of spinach, washed, with large stems removed
2 T olive oil
Cooking spray
2 cups basil (loosely packed when measuring) then thinly sliced
1 package (10oz) of Teeze - Mozzarella vegan cheese
10 cage free eggs

Salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a casserole pan with cooking spray.

Heat oil in a pan.  Add the spinach, tossing it around to coat the spinach leaves with oil.  Cover and let cook until it is wilted for about two minutes.

Add the spinach to the casserole pan.  Add basil.  Grate Teeze one top.

Add salt and pepper (to taste) to the eggs and beat.  Pour the egg mixture into the casserole pan and give it a quick stir.

Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until the mixture is set and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Let cool before cutting.

What do you do to eat locally?  What farmers markets do you visit?

Soup for (under) a buck

Can you feed a group of 15 on a buck?  Total.

This was the challenge presented to my Food, Faith and Sustainability group last week.  Our homework was to bring food for our group potluck.  Majority of us were given a dollar budget.  Only $1.00 to feed a group of 15.  A few people were given larger sums ($3.00 and $5.00) while one person could spend as much as she liked.

The easy way out as one of the $1.00 folks would have been to go to the Dollar Tree, pick up some snack food, and call it a day.  But I can't eat most packaged food (and if I can, it is triple the price of its wheat and milk bearing cousins) and I would like to eat, too.  I toyed with a few ideas (the ever popular rice, beans, and lentils; the ever tasty meringues; the super easy scrambled eggs and/or fries) before deciding on soup.  If I used homemade broth that has been hanging out in my freezer, the cost would be free!  I made my broth when cooking a whole chicken, so any ingredients that went into that were for flavoring the chicken and were already consumed.  The water was saved from being poured down the drain, so I should get a few gold stars for rescuing something so tasty.

I am financially fortunate and blessed that none of my meals require me to measure out how much this will cost (carrots were going to make an appearance, but at 4 cents each, they were passed up for the super pricey (all things considered) lime for a dime).  My ingredients come from a total of four grocery stores.  I live in a fantastic neighborhood - the Asian grocery stores have dirt cheap prices on things that are naturally gluten free (CARTS full of food there can cost around $100.00 - includes lots of protein).  A nearby market that sells limes for a dime each - and other produce and protein for rock bottom prices.  And then there is Dominicks - my source for everything else, including items that need to carry the gluten free label, where my dollar does not go too far.

This recipe was more of a math equation than I am used to.  I would have loved to add some carrots, mung beans, and cilantro, but then I would have had to sacrifice the noodles, which is pretty much my favorite part.  

Is it doable?  More importantly, does it taste good?

I did it for 98 cents.  It tasted delicious.  It did not feel like soup for a buck, but it was a great way to stretch a dollar on a restricted diet, eat healthy empty out my freezer from all my stock, introduce people to some new foods, and flex my math skills in the kitchen.  The lemon grass and fish sauce, although only appearing in small amounts, make their presence known, marrying the flavors together.

In college, I learned about this triangle.  It carries over in a lot of decision making in my everyday life.  If you want something to be cheap, it can be either good or fast.  You can never have all three.  Since I wanted good and cheap for my soup, I had to sacrifice fast by shopping around, carefully planning and cooking the soup myself.  Worth it?  Yes!

Lemon Grass Chicken Soup with Rice Vermicelli

Makes an impressive 15 servings.

11 cups homemade chicken broth

2 ribs of celery, thinly sliced

1 stalk of lemon grass, bruised

2 teaspoons of fish sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

9 oz rice vermicelli

1 lime

1 green onion, thinly sliced for garnish

Heat a nonstick pan and add 1/3 cup chicken stock.  Add celery and stir until softened (about 5 minutes), adding additional stock as necessary. 

Add remainder of chicken stock to a large pot.  Bring to boil.  Add celery, lemon grass, and fish sauce.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to boil then reduce heat, simmering uncovered for about 10 minutes. 

Add water in a large pot.  Bring to boil.  Add rice vermicelli and cook for 4-5 minutes (or per package directions).  Rinse with cool water.  Set aside.

Spoon rice vermicelli into bowls, then add soup (discarding the lemon grass).  Add green onions as garnish.  Zest the lime over the soup and add a squeeze of the juice to the soup.

Here was my cost breakdown.  Salt, pepper, and chicken broth were my freebies.

How far do you stretch your dollar?

Summer Corn Salad

If you invite me to a barbecue or potluck this summer, there is a really good chance I'll be bringing Summer Corn Salad.

I found this recipe on Pinterest. (Hooked on Pinterest yet?  No?  You really should join the fun!  And follow me! http://pinterest.com/windycitycookin/)  Summer Corn Salad from Tatertotsandjello.com is naturally gluten, dairy, and top 8 allergen free, this recipe was sinfully simple.  I made a few small changes (namely swapping out spicy red peppers for colorful bell peppers sauteed in oil) and modified some of the portions.  Why do I love it?  It is fast, super easy, has familiar ingredients, free of all the major allergens and travels very well.  This summer, the two barbecues I attended were an hour away on public transit from my home, so I needed a dish that can handle the travel without spoiling or looking ugly.  This was perfect!  I placed it in a large plastic storage container, added a spoon and off I went!

As for the taste?  My cousins loved it and kept going back for more.  My mom loved it and declared it a keeper.  The ladies at an outdoor barbecue loved it and ate it up!  It has a really fun blend of different textures and tastes with every bite.  As silly as it sounds, it really does taste like summer.  It is perfect for the hot weather we are starting to have in Chicago.  The Chilled Summer Corn Salad can be a side salad, a little taste of the many available dishes, scooped up with a taco chip, or even a burger topping!  The possibilities are endless! (I'm now thinking about tossing it in with some rice noodles for a great lunch dish...)  Not a fan of any of the veggies?  Swap them out.  Have lots of fresh veggies to use?  Go ahead - no need to use canned or frozen.  Once summer is in full swing and my Topsy Turvey is yielding something other than green leaves, I am sure I will be using homegrown cherry tomatoes myself.

Here's how I made my version:

Chilled Summer Corn Salad
1.5 pounds of frozen corn (most bags are 1 pound)
2 diced bell peppers
1 diced red onion
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/3 c lime juice
1/3 c olive oil
Salt and pepper

Heat corn in a large pot with water, according to package directions.  Do not over cook.

Saute the bell peppers in oil in a large pan.

In a large bowl (or the pot once the corn is done), toss everything together, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Chill.  Can make a day (or two or three) in advance (the leftovers were still super tasty).

Delicious cold (or even reheated).  Pairs nicely with burgers and tortilla chips.  Makes enough to serve a crowd (of a dozen or so).

Gluten Free Communion

One of the few times when I don't want to panic about gluten or dairy sneaking its way into my food is during communion.  When I first started attending Urban Village Church in Chicago, I always had a mini panic attack.  What if they didn't have gf communion?  Are they handling it correctly?  Is it really gluten free or does it have minute traces of wheat like wafers from the Catholic Church? (I will not take communion at a Catholic service after reading articles like this and this where the answer to "Is it safe?" is "Probably".)  Every week, with eagle eyes, I would silently watch the celebrant and make sure he or she did not break the wheat bread over the gluten free wafers.  After a year, one day, the unthinkable happened: while walking to the serving station, someone realized he had too much to carry (half a loaf of wheat bread, a cup, and a plate of gf wafers) and he put the wheat bread on top of the wafers.  As he passed me, we both realized what happened.  I rushed to the serving station and said that the wafers were no longer gluten free.  I sat out from communion that day and prayed, thanking God that I narrowly escaped a gluten reaction.

The innocent action (who can blame him?) opened up a new conversation about how we literally handle the gluten free communion.  We decided that the next week, I would make one loaf for the church: gluten free, vegan, and top 8 allergen free.  I had a recipe in mind and made one of my favorites: the house bread from Flying Apron Bakery's book.  I made it with pumpkin, a perfect fall bread.  The bread was a little difficult to tear in half, but the real difficulty came when breaking off pieces for people.  Growing up, I always had wafers.  The whole tear-off-bread-while-people-wait was new to me.  And after mixing that with a dense bread, there were crumbs everywhere on the floor!  Thankfully our church regularly declares that communion is messy - you will bump into other people - there will be crumbs.  Many people were thankfully goodhearted over the bread - they had no idea what to expect from a wheat free bread - but I knew that there was a better fit out there.

I was determined to find a recipe that worked.  As much as I love the idea of everyone sharing one loaf, the cost and difficulty for me to make a loaf a week was too much. I searched the Internet until I found a recipe that met my needs.  Brittany Angell of RealSustenance.com has a super easy gluten free and vegan quick bread formula.  She says it has endless flavor possibilities and she is right!  The formula was there, I just followed it with foods that worked for me and my needs and out came communion bread!  The below recipe is top eight allergen free (wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, shellfish free, fish free) and vegan.  Surprisingly, the most challenging allergen for me to avoid was soy.  All of my cooking sprays had soy and I needed the dough to actually leave the pan in one piece.  A quick snip of parchment paper to line the loaf pan did the trick!

The recipe below makes four loaves of bread, perfect for a month of communion.  The bread freezes exceptionally well.  Before baking, I always switch over to clean kitchen towels and make sure there are no nuts or peanuts around (I already have a dedicated gluten and dairy free kitchen).  I bought my mini loaf pans from Michaels during an after Christmas sale.  They are exclusively used for communion bread.  I make sure when I run my dishwasher that no peanut or nut dishes are in the same load, for extra precaution.

The bread itself is quite tasty and breaks apart easily and does not crumble to pieces when dipped in grape juice.  I've enjoyed it outside of church, too!

The mini loaves are at the Urban Village Andersonville location whenever I am there. (1602 W Ainslie St at 10:30am on Sundays)  Other Sundays, they use wafers from Ener-G.  I've previously made Namaste Food's sugar free muffin mix for communion as well with great results.

Gluten Free, Top 8 Allergen Free, Vegan Communion Bread

Makes enough communion bread for 4 weeks.

2 cups gluten free all purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour)
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t of xanthan gum or guar gum
3/4 c sugar

1/3 c vegetable oil
3/4 c of rice milk or coconut milk + 1 t apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 330 degrees.  Line four mini loaf pans with parchment paper.
Whisk together all the dry ingredients.
Add in the wet ingredients and mix with a hand mixer.
Pour in the mini loaf pans and bake for 35-45 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).
Let rest in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.  Once completely cool, individually wrap the loaves in tin foil and place in a freezer bag, squeezing all the air out first, then storing in the freezer.

To defrost:
The night before, take a mini loaf from the freezer and store in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic container or bag.  In the morning, move from the refrigerator to the counter.  The loaf will be perfect in time for service!  (Assuming about 2 hours passes from rolling out of bed and communion time.)

Some tips on avoiding cross contamination when handling gluten free communion:

• The standard definition for gluten free is less than 20 parts per million.  Imagine a million grains of rice.  Now imagine that 20 of them are red.  How tiny is that amount!
• Do not handle wheat bread and then handle gf bread!  Make sure your hands are clean (I'm a huge fan of soap and water - it gets any residual crumbs off the hands).
• Have a dedicated gf cup and plate.  It is especially helpful to have separate storage containers and towels.
• If your church literally breaks bread (tears it in half), keep the gf elements out of the "crumb zone".
• When serving, offer the plate to the recipient and have them tear off their own piece.
• Everyone's sensitivities are different.  Just because one person who is gluten free since it helps them feel great does not have an issue with cross contamination does not mean that the next person has the same sensitivity level.  Err on the side of caution: always assume a super sensitive person.
• Now for the hardest one: if despite best intentions, something went wrong and the gf communion was cross contaminated: say something.  Example: someone dips wheat bread in the gf cup.  Not safe for those who need a gf diet.  I'd rather have someone say "no, you can't have that" rather than go home, feel sick, take a nap and take the next day off of work because I'm mysteriously sick.  (It has happened: all of my sick days this past year occurred on Monday after Sunday reactions.)

Every week, I've turned around and caught glances of strangers taking part in the communion celebration with the gluten free loaf.  It seems like every week, one or two new faces try the loaf, and not just because they are curious about gluten free breads!  One thing that brings me great joy is nourishing others through food.  To see so many people being able to participate in something that was previously forbidden due to dietary restrictions really fills me up with such happiness.  This is my contribution to bringing our church community together and growing even stronger as we move through the journey together.

Two great entries from a gf pastor's perspective at GlutenFreeJesusFreak include what to offer for communion and a few different ways of offering gf communion. 

What does your church do?  Do you have any more tips to add on serving gf communion?

Two Fat Guys Barbecue Sauce

Throughout my almost two years being gluten free, my dad has told me about and purchased for me to consume later exactly one gluten free product.  Don't get me wrong, he makes sure that I always have more than enough gluten free foods and crackers and dairy alternatives at his house.  But only once have I gotten a "Hey, I think you should try this! I like it and it is gluten free!" food from him - Two Fat Guy's gourmet barbecue sauce.  Their flavors are Milk, Smoky, Spicy, and Lava Hot.  Since I come from a family of gringo stomachs (we tend to love plain, white people food), mild is as hot as we get.

At the gluten free expo, I met the legendary Two Fat Guys.  My dad normally sees them (and buys plenty of jars) at the Kane County flea markets, but their products are available in stores and online as well.  At the Gluten Free Expo, I was fortunate to receive a jar of the mild sauce to play with in the kitchen.  The ingredients are simple enough - I can pronounce everything - including the ever important "gluten free beer"!  The sauces are gluten free, high fructose corn syrup free, fat free, and cholesterol free.  The mild does contain honey, so it is not vegan.

As for the taste?  A heck of a lot better than the barbecue sauce I make!  It is full of flavor and I embarrassingly found myself licking my plate clean.

The website for Two Fat Guys has some recipes to try, but that day I was craving meatballs.  Google searching kept pointing me to using frozen meatballs in a crockpot with some store bought barbecue sauce, but frozen meatballs are out.  Homemade is always better, especially when considering all the wheat and dairy fillers in traditional meatballs and the over priced allergen friendly options.  I made a few variations to my default meatball recipe and doubled it up.  I had more than enough to eat, so froze the leftovers for easy lunches in the future.

The Two Fat Guys Barbecue Sauce plus one skinny gluten free foodie translates into: Inner Fat Chick's Meatballs!  These are sweet, flavorful and difficult to resist!

Inner Fat Chick's Barbecue Sauce Meatballs

1 cup of finely crushed gf crackers (I used Crunchmaster's multi-grain crackers)
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
1 small onion, finely diced
2 large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs of 80% lean ground beef
1 18oz jar of Two Fat Guy's barbecue sauce (I used mild)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the crackers, Worcestershire sauce, water, onion, eggs, salt and pepper together with a fork.  Then (with very clean hands) add in the ground beef and roll into meatballs.
Place meatballs in a 9x13 pan.
Pour 1 jar of Two Fat Guy's barbecue sauce over meatballs, making sure the meatballs are coated with the sauce.

Cook (uncovered) until no longer pink in the center, about 25 minutes or so.

Enjoy as an easy appetizer (just add a toothpick to each meatball), with a side salad, with rice noodles, with mashed potatoes, or simply on their own!  These freeze and defrost exceptionally well.

GFCF Gingerbread Pound Cake Petit Fours

After drooling over pictures of gingerbread cookies, dreaming about moist gingerbread, and lusting after images Christmas cakes, I got to work in the kitchen. I created a more pound cake like version of a gingerbread cake and turned them into petit fours! Petit fours are simply small cakes - the perfect bite sized treat during the holidays! Making them gluten and dairy free was easier than I thought! Warning - there's a lot of Crisco in this recipe so they aren't the most calorie-light dessert, but since when did we count calories in desserts?

The white cakes provide a blank canvas for decorating. I finished these late at night so my creativity at that point boiled down to green zig zags in thinned icing with the cakes nestled in holiday cupcake liners. I brought them to work and everyone in my gluten-eating office loved them! Warm up the oven and get baking! These are magical little cakes that are sure to brighten up your holiday! I'm so excited to share my recipe with you!

GFCF Gingerbread Pound Cake Petit Fours

Ingredients

1 c Crisco

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c white sugar

1 c molasses

1 cup buttermilk (1 T of lemon juice plus enough rice milk to make 1 cup. Let sit for 5 minutes.)

Dry Ingredients

3 cups Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose flour

2 t xantham gum

1 1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t sea salt

1 1/2 t ground ginger

1 1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t ground cloves

Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a stand mixer, combine the Crisco, molasses and sugar until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

With the mixer on a low speed, alternate adding the buttermilk and dry ingredients together, until everything is thoroughly mixed.

Pour the batter in the parchment paper lined pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted is clean.

Cool for 20 minutes in the pan. Then cool on a wire rack. Once totally cool (placing the cake in the refrigerator or freezer helps), slice the cake into bite-sized pieces.

White Chocolate Icing

3 lbs white chocolate bark, divided

1 1/2 c Crisco, divided

In a double boiler, melt 1 lb of chocolate bark and 1/2 cup Crisco. Mix together. Dip the cake pieces in the chocolate. (Watch this video! I love her technique!) Let dry on a wire rack. If crumbs appear, cool the cake in the refrigerator and give the cake another coat. Make more icing as needed.

Decorate with thinned royal icing or sprinkles or wherever your creativity takes you!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Thanksgiving is a foodie's holiday - right? And why not get things off with a great start - breakfast! In my family, lunch is skipped in favor of having an early dinner so having a filling breakfast is essential. Doing a Thanksgiving breakfast with my home-bound grandma was all my sister's genius idea - and was quickly met with instant approval from everyone! I prepared a feast for us - fruit salad, hashbrowns with rosemary and thyme, Applegate Chicken and Apple sausage and pancakes. My grandma loves pancakes but said I didn't need to make anything special. Plain pancakes are fine. But Thanksgiving is for more than plain pancakes - they are for the best ever (and very fluffy and sweet) gf pumpkin pancakes!

Two days later I got a phone call from my grandma thanking me again for breakfast and she kept telling me how proud she was of me. I was thankful that I was able to show off my culinary skills to her and prepare something that the family could enjoy! And I'm sure you will be thankful for this delicious recipe! It makes a lot (I was cooking for 8) - freeze the leftovers and you can have a taste of Thanksgiving any time!

Pumpkin Pancakes

3 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups + 1 T rice milk

1 cup Libby's canned pumpkin

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t ground ginger

Preheat an electric griddle to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients together with a hand mixer, or whisk together.

Lightly spray the griddle with cooking spray. Scoop the batter on to the griddle using a 1/8 or 1/2 measuring cup. When halfway done cooking, flip over.

Serve while still warm. Tastes great with maple syrup (and perhaps even powdered sugar?).

Wilton Decorating Basics - Class 1

While my cupcakes with powdered sugar dusted on top are pretty, at some point in my gluten and dairy free life I need to put a little more work into the finished product. And learn how to decorate a cake without resorting to the decorate-while-warm-for-the-melted-frosting look. I've known about Wilton cake decorating classes forever - there is a Michaels store in my hometown and I've always wanted to go but never really felt like it was the right time for me or it did not fit in my schedule. This past birthday, my aunt went to the Wilton tent sale and bought me some new brownie and loaf pans (with rounded edges so no crumbs stick) to upgrade my gear and surprised me with a 25 piece decorating set with some piping gel. She obviously thought more highly of my decorating skills than I did... When I was a prop designer, I decorated three cakes in a year - all of them looked horrible. But that's going to change! I signed up for the Wilton Cake Decorating Basics course at my local Michaels craft store and now I'm going to be a decorating extraordinaire!!!

For the first class, our supply list included the kit, ready made icing and cookies. After a few e-mails back and forth with Wilton, I learned:

White Decorator Icing, 710-118: no dairy or gluten in this product but there was dairy and gluten in the plant. This means our lines are cleaned for cross contamination but we let customers know this for air born allergies.

Most of our icing colors are gluten and dairy free but the only way to be sure is to check each stock number such as 610-256 in order to know for sure. I hope this helps and I apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any other questions or stock numbers you would like us to check, please feel free to let us know! We appreciate your business,

So far, so good! I'm still not a fan of needing to e-mail the company with stock numbers of already purchased products (that seems to be the only way to get a solid answer), but am happy to know that Wilton is on top of the cross contamination issue and declares allergens on their labels. (The white decorator icing is made in a facility that also processes milk and wheat products.) They were also quick with their responses.

I'm always going to be the special kid in class because I'm left handed. But I can't eat wheat or dairy? And I need to make buttercream icing? Fun fact: Wilton's class buttercream icing is butter and cream free. It uses shortening (Crisco), milk or water, confectioner's sugar and the optional flavor, meringue powder and salt. Helpful hint: Crisco doesn't change consistency with temperature. Butter does. Keep it dairy free. No problem!

For the first class, we were supposed to bring in cookies. Since I'm super excited about baking these days, I made up a recipe to make six very large, chocolate cookies. Recipe at the bottom. I was ambitiously over-prepared for the first class (I found the supply list online) so was able to buy some things with 40% off coupons first (you get a 10% off class supplies coupon, but 10% off is kind of a joke when you are looking at all the toys you need/want. At the first class, we started late because people needed to still buy their kits and icing (do this in advance!). Our instructor went over how to bake a cake (no new info for me), recommended using box mix (too expensive for me), how to make the icing and how to water it down for the right consistency, how to fill a decorating bag, leveling and torting a layered cake, how to ice a cake and how to make a piping gel transfer. Seems like a lot of info, but a lot of the class was very basic.

When we did get our hands into the action, we pretty much just piped stars using tip 18 on the practice board and then class was over. I wasn't leaving until I decorated at least one cookie, so I piped some stars in a swirl on one and took a picture. I decorated the rest when I got home. The next night, I took out the practice board and kept going with the stars. They are getting closer to consistent the more I practice.

Next week we need to bring in an 8" cake to level and tort. Gluten free cakes don't rise too much, so this means I'll be making two 8" layers and leveling off the tops. I still need to decide on the filling... And find a recipe! And buy more things! Yeah...I'm going to be that awkward girl on the train next Wednesday during rush hour juggling a cake, plastic tool box and backpack, aren't I?

Michelle's First Ever Cookie Recipe

1 stick vegetable oil spread/dairy free butter

1 c gluten free flour mix

1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 c sugar

1/4 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

2 t vanilla

1 egg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a stand mixer, cream the butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Slowly add to the butter mix. Then add in the vanilla and egg. Mix well. Place cookies on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Bake in oven for 8 minutes. The cookies should expand quite nicely and give you PLENTY of room to add as many stars as you desire.

Homemade Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Two of my friends recently bought me an ice cream maker and I have been experimenting with different recipes since none of the included recipes in the booklet that came with the machine used non-dairy milks. There are some fruit sorbet recipes without any dairy, but that's all in due time. First things first. I need to make a solid chocolate ice cream recipe to satisfy my cravings.

Coconut milk tends to be creamier than rice or soy milk, so it naturally lends itself towards making delicious frozen desserts. I used Aroy-D coconut milk (regular) and the rest of the ingredients were normal brand name items. Helpful hint: coconut milk is typically 25% to 50% cheaper at an Asian market than a big box supermarket. If you are planning on making lots of coconut milk ice cream and are on a budget, it is worth the trip to your nearest store!

Michelle's Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

2 19oz cans of coconut milk

3/4 c cocoa powder

1 T vanilla

2/3 c sugar

1/2 c packed brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together with a small handheld mixer until smooth. Put in a 2 quart ice cream maker. Turn on and let mix for 20-25 minutes until desired consistency is reached. Serve. Makes approximately 6-8 servings.

How easy is that? This recipe is gfdf (gluten free dairy free), gfcf (gluten free casein free), and free of the top eight allergens without being free of flavor!!

And here's my suggestion for maximizing this treat: buy small plastic containers that are freezer safe. Portion out the ice cream ahead of time so you can free up space in the freezer AND have a variety of flavors on hand AND prevent the need to take the entire carton of ice cream out to thaw a little bit before you can handle it! (Or am I the only one that needs to let dairy free ice cream sit out on the counter for 10 minutes before I can even pretend to scoop the ice cream into a bowl?) I made the above recipe and portioned out 4 servings and then threw a handful of chopped raspberries in the mixer and let it go for another few minutes. After I portioned the remainder of the coconut milk ice cream out, I placed a whole raspberry on top so I could easily see which flavor I grabbed. Feel free to get creative! Use this recipe as a base and throw in some additional flavors! And comment with what you added!

Sorry folks without ice cream makers - I only tried this recipe with the Cuisinart Pure Indulgence Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker. The only time I made ice cream without my new toy, it involved rock salt, rolling ice cream and rock salt in cans on the floor, and watching Angel at a friend's house after school. It was fifty times more complicated than the new fangled machines (which cost less than $70 on Amazon)!

All-American Party Food

It's party (food) time!

This past weekend was my birthday so I had a few friends over one day and some family over the next (maximizing the "clean house" look). I was busy in the kitchen trying to show-off my skills and ability to hostess. Before, I lived in a studio apartment that had a two-butt kitchen. I could easily fit plenty more people in the new kitchen - and that's where everyone gravitates during a party anyways!

My one friend asked if everything I made was gluten free. I looked at the spread - carrots, strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, peanut butter dip, hummus, rice crackers, chex mix and cupcakes and jokingly told him, "The carrots were really hard to get gluten free." A trip to Edgewater Produce drastically drove down the cost of the fruit (so much so that I ended up buying much more food than I needed) and the rest was relatively inexpensive.

On to two of my All-American Party Food recipes!

Michelle's Hummus

1 15ozcan chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/4 c tahini (found near peanut butter in grocery stores)

2 crushed cloves of garlic

1 T oil

2 T water

3 T fresh squeezed lemon (the juice of about 1 lemon)

1/4 t cumin

Combine all ingredients in a Cuisinart or a blender until smooth (or preferred consistency). Serve with fresh veggies, chips, or gf crackers. This recipe only takes minutes to make.

Italian Chex Mix (modified)

I used this recipe from the Chex cereal website as my jumping off point. (Check it out - there's loads of variations and they even utilize gf and microwave symbols!) I used both Rice and Corn Chex cereal and deviated from the recipe by using Season Salt instead of Italian seasoning (that makes it "all-American" - right?), salted cashews rather than soy nuts, skipped the cheese and made my own popcorn. Almost all microwave popcorn contains butter, so I've been buying "naked popcorn". Just the kernels in a plastic bag from the farmer's market. I add a small amount to a brown paper bag, fold the bag and use my microwave's popcorn setting for delicious and healthy popcorn. I followed the directions as written and then tossed in some Glutino pretzel twists. I'm a little shocked it took me over a year of being gf before I made Chex mix. For my first 9 months or so, I only ate Chex cereal. But now, I'm crabby because I ate the last of the mix today (I had one and a half sandwich bags worth as a snack) so don't have more readily available. But since this is such a fast an easy recipe, I should quit my complaining and make more already! This is a great recipe to have on hand - whether for on-the-go healthy snacking or at a party! My sister kept grabbing handfuls of it when she was over!

What are your favorite party foods to serve that are gluten and dairy free? Do you have any ingredients that ALWAYS go into your Chex mix? What about other additions to a basic hummus recipe?

Introducing Rawr-y

Getting a Kitchen Aid Mixer was one of my life goals. Growing up, my mom always promised me that she would buy one for me when I got married. As a kid, I always thought that I would get married right after college. But when I came out in college, I was paranoid that I would never have a proper wedding ceremony therefore would never get the proper gift I dreamed of as a baking-loving kid. I started saving up my credit card points and was counting down the months until I "earned" the Kitchen Aid (even though my mom is supportive and would have still bought me a mixer when my happy day arrived). Then I saw it on sale on Black Friday and the amazingly low door buster price was much more cost efficient than the points. I bought it on the spot and took it out of the box at my mom's house and sat on her living room floor while making sure all the parts were there and it worked. Then, reality sunk in. The Kitchen Aid didn't fit into my tiny studio apartment kitchen (the microwave ended up taking over most of my desk when I began cooking more), so the Kitchen Aid would need to stay at my mom's until I moved. I took pictures of my greatest kitchen purchase and put them as the background image on my laptop to remind me that I made it into adulthood - I had my own mixer and just needed to find the proper home for it. I e-mailed a picture of it to Eliot:

Michelle: I feel like it needs to have a name. I feel bad for leaving it alone in my childhood bedroom, but I think it will manage... I don't know how I'll manage, however.

Eliot: Haha, it looks like a baby dinosaur. We'll think of a name for it.

I loved his response and couldn't help but think "Rawr!" so Rawr-y was christened!

A month after moving, when all my flours were properly put away and my kitchen was organized, Rawr-y came to life. Her first creations were chocolate cupcakes for my birthday. I used a recipe from You Won't Believe It's Gluten Free! Those recipes are extremely simple and tend to be one-flour recipes, which is rare for gf baking. I was a little concerned about the amount of sugar compared to some of the other ingredients (1.5 cups sugar, 1 cup potato starch, 3/4 cup oil, 3 eggs, among other things) as the recipe only made 15 cupcakes, but I was sharing them with adults who could responsibly handle a sugar overload better than kids - right? While the cupcakes were baking, Rawr-y got a handwash so I could make the frosting. Bring on the sugar!

Michelle's Frosting

6 T Crystal Farms Vegetable oil spread (non-dairy "butter")

pinch of salt

2 cups (plus more) of powdered sugar

3 t vanilla (plus more) rice milk

Cream together the vegetable oil spread and pinch of salt. Then add the 2 cups of powdered sugar and 3 t vanilla rice milk (alternatively - use original rice milk and add a splash or two of vanilla) until smooth. Slowly add additional powdered sugar or rice milk until the desired consistency is reached. Do not settle for mediocre frosting! Adding a little bit more of one ingredient can make all the difference between "meh" and "holy cow!" frosting! I tend to average 2.5 to 3 cups of powdered sugar.

See? Just as easy as opening a tub of over-processed frosting!

Basil Polenta

Here's an easy throw-together gluten free, vegan, nut free dish with generous portions of fresh foods!

Ingredients:

1 18-oz package of polenta (I used Ancient Harvest Quinoa Polenta - Heirloom red and black), cut into 1/3" rounds

2 shallots, sliced

2 tomatoes, diced

3 gloves of garlic, minced

1 handful of basil, cut into strips with kitchen shears

Pam cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheet with tin foil. Spray with cooking spray. Place polenta on foil. Bake for 15 minutes.

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add shallots and garlic, cook until tender. Add tomatoes and cook for another two or three minutes. Add the basil on top. Cook for another two or three minutes.

Place the shallot/tomato/garlic/basil mixture on top of the polenta from the oven. Serve!

This made a fantastic grab and go lunch for me. One of my coworkers never tried polenta before (shh...I didn't either before going gluten free), so I gave her a spoonful and this recipe was awarded her seal of approval! So what exactly is polenta? The variety I buy is yellow corn meal with quinoa - yum! There are loads of recipes to try with it! For my super super easy pan-cooking polenta recipe, check out this post. Now is the BEST time to expand your culinary repertoire and try new foods! (If not now, then when?)

Tofu Stir Fry

Mise en plas.

That's the secret to eating your veggies when stir-frying. The idea is to prepare all your ingredients ahead of time. Notice how recipes say "1 onion - diced" rather than saying "1 onion" and then step 1 is to dice your onion? It's because you're supposed to be ready to go before the stove is turned on. And if all your ingredients are chopped and neatly prepped in their respective bowls awaiting their orderly turn to enter the wok, you'll be able to quickly tell that your rainbow of vegetables is rather white. With my herbs standing only 1/16" tall in my windowsill garden, I couldn't even have the final splash of greens to the finished product.

Here's a delicious (even if rather white), oil free, gluten free, vegan stir fry:

Tofu with Rice Noodles and a Splash of Color

Marinade:

2 T gluten free soy sauce (I use San-J)

1 T brown sugar

1/2 t (or more to taste) Bragg's Liquid Aminos

2 cloves garlic, minced

Other ingredients:

1 package of extra firm tofu

2 bell peppers, diced

2 shallots, sliced

Pam cooking spray

1/2 T grated ginger

Rice flour noodles

Cut the tofu into equal sized cubes. Place in a medium sized non-metal bowl.

Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour over the tofu. Marinate in the fridge for about half an hour.

Prepare rice flour noodles according to the directions.

Heat the wok. Spray with cooking spray. Add the bell peppers. Cook for 3 minutes while stirring. Add the shallots while stirring. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add the ginger, tofu, and drained rice noodles while (you guessed it) stirring until everything is evenly heated. Serve!

For more ideas of how to maximize tofu, check out some of the dishes my friends and I created during our vegetarian and tree nut/dairy/gluten free dinner party when I was fully introduced to the chameleon qualities of tofu!

Here's a kitchen tool that normally doesn't get a lot of mention: my bamboo spoons. Aside from the eco-friendly, green-ness of the product, they are super cheap. When I went gluten free, I got rid of two things in my kitchen: my toaster and my wooden spoons. Since wooden spoons are often used for things like wheat pasta, gluten is allegedly absorbed in the cracks. Um, no thank you. I recently bought a set of three spoons and since I live with a completely gluten free kitchen, I have no worries of cross-contamination. Meanwhile, my family knows to switch to the plastic spoon whenever cooking something I will eat while at their house. Wooden cutting boards are off limits. Being gluten intolerant means I have to pay attention to not only the food, but the utensils used to create it! Stir frying with bamboo spoons is so easy! These spoons remain in perfect condition after I'm done, unlike my plastic spoons which tend to chip away during the stir fry process! Gross!

Breakfast

As part of my challenge, I'm eating breakfast. Weekdays, that means I have to get up the first time my alarm clock sounds - not after the third time hitting snooze. So far, I've been eating Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (certified gluten free from Bob's Red Mill), toast with peanut butter, or fruit. This morning, I wasn't under any time pressure, so I made myself a proper breakfast.

With spinach.

One of the benefits of doing this challenge is access to related events. On Thursday evening, I went on a Health Starts Here tour of Whole Foods (actually, you can always go on a tour of the store - just ask an employee - I've always been too shy to do it before). Our first stop was the mangos in the entryway. Becky showed us how to choose a ripe mango and I asked what would go in a mango smoothie. (After all, the Mega Mango from Jamba Juice is my go to drink. Maybe I could make a similar product myself...) She and Mary from asmallloss suggested anything...but add spinach! (Mary also suggested some frozen berries, which I bought but haven't used yet.) I bought two mangos and took them home. It seemed like a crazy idea, but maybe they were on to something...

I mixed my smoothie and had some toast with peanut butter and a side of grapes. Bread is the only way I am cheating or bending the rules with going vegan. I found some egg-free bread, but have loads of gluten and dairy free bread in the freezer that needs to be eaten to make some room for the vegan bread. I'm currently loving Glutino's flax seed bread - a find in the clearance frozen section at Jewel a few months ago! Apparently no one was buying it? It was a ridiculously low price, I want to say $2.00 or so. Don't worry - the bread is almost gone and I'll be making some gluten free, oil free, vegan bread tomorrow!

My Mega Spinach Mango Banana Smoothie

1 banana

2 mangos

1 handful of spinach, washed

1/4 c rice milk

Mix all ingredients together in a blender. Add ice cubes and straw.

Makes: 1 generous serving

This shake was a far cry from my delicious chocolate one that I totally did not eat for dinner that night (in case my mom is reading). Was it good? Were Becky and Mary on to something delicious? Yes. Couldn't even taste the spinach and I've been on a spinach kick lately!

Mexican Taco Pizzas

In honor of Cinco de Mayo coming up and moms I have been meeting who are always on the lookout for kid and allergy friendly menu ideas, I present (Americanized) Mexican Gluten Free Dairy Free Beef Taco Pizzas. Kids will love these since they can help in the kitchen and can personalize their own meal.

Aw, who am I kidding? I am in my mid-twenties and was super excited to make and eat these!

Ingredients

1lb of ground beef

1/2 cup water

1 T chili powder

1 t ground cumin

1 t ground coriander

1 can of diced tomatoes

Flat crispy corn taco shells/tostadas (I used Guerrero's Tostadas Caseras)

1 can of refried beans

Dairy free cheese (I used Rice Vegan - American flavor - that is dairy, soy, gluten and lactose free. Since they were in slices I sliced the cheese into cheddar-like strips.)

Lettuce - thinly sliced

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Brown the beef in a skillet over medium heat. Drain. Stir in water, chili powder, cumin, coriander and undrained tomatoes. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer (uncovered) for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Place taco shells or tostadas on a cookie sheet. Add a layer of refried beans. Add the beef and tomato mixture on top. Sprinkle on cheese.

Cook for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from oven, add lettuce.

Feel free to add your favorite taco toppings to this pizza! The sky is the limit with options! I was working with what I had in the pantry and refrigerator for these particular pizzas.

A note on reheating: refrigerating and microwaving fully built pizzas left me with somewhat soggy and depressing results. The best way to "reheat" is to build the tacos again and cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes (assuming the beef mixture came straight from the refrigerator).

GF Goat's Cheese Chicken Cordon Bleu

“But you can’t have that – it’s made with cheese! And bread crumbs!”

I can make almost anything I crave gluten and dairy free. It just takes a lot more time, label reading, creativity and money. (Why is gluten free food so darn expensive?!?) But is it worth it? Very much so!!!

My latest culinary adaptation was Chicken Cordon Bleu – a dish I have been craving since BEFORE I went dairy free. Those days, I thought I was not a good enough cook to make something so fancy. But in reality, the dish is pounded chicken rolled up with cheese and ham and coated with breadcrumbs. There’s nothing fancy about the ingredients and the preparation is very simple.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 slices of ham*
3 ounces cheese*
1/3 cup flour*
Kosher salt
Pepper
¾ cup bread crumbs*
¼ T fresh thyme, chopped
¼ T fresh parsley, chopped2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.

Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken to a uniform thickness, approximately ¼”. Layer a piece of ham and the cheese on each piece of chicken. Roll into a log. Secure with toothpicks, if necessary.

Prepare three shallow bowls:
Flour
Egg – beaten. Season with salt and pepper.
Bread crumbs, thyme, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and 1 T olive oil – mixed together

Coat the chicken with flour then the egg then the bread crumb mixture.

Place the chicken in the pan. Lightly drizzle olive oil on top of chicken. Cook for 40-50 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Serve with frozen vegetables.

A note on my ingredient substitutions:
I used my gluten free flour mix (white rice, potato starch, tapioca flour), Chevre Fresh Goat Cheese, Applegate uncured Slow Cooked Ham (humanely raised AND clearly labeled as gluten & casein free in TWO locations!) and Kinnikinnick’s gluten and dairy free bread crumbs – panko style.
A reminder on cheeses: for whatever reason, I’m completely fine eating goat’s cheese. I haven’t tried sheep’s milk or cheese yet. If I have even the smallest amount of cow’s milk butter (butter has an extremely low level of lactose), I will get sick. Use whichever cheese works best for you – there are also vegan cheeses and lactose-free cheeses available!

Corned Beef and Cabbage - Hold the Rye

It feels good to eat a traditional, Americanized St. Patrick's Day meal! Normally my mom would make corned beef, I'd ignore the cabbage and make toasted rye bread and beef sandwiches. This year, I was on my own to recreate our family's annual dish.

At the grocery store, I carefully read the ingredients and got stumped with "flavorings." Technically, barley or malt could be snuck in without being declared. I kept reading the package because I was really craving corned beef and lo-and-behold, the last two words on the package in the bottom corner were "Gluten free." Maybe my calls to Safeway/Dominick's asking them to label gluten free products as such were actually being heard? I purchased my always gluten and dairy free veggies (red potatoes, cabbage, and carrots) and headed home to prepare my feast!

I followed the package directions for cooking the corned beef on the stovetop in my Dutch oven. When it was done and was cooling on a plate underneath a piece of foil, I added washed and halved red potatoes and peeled and cut carrots to the water, brought to a boil, and then simmered for almost 10 minutes. Then I added the cut cabbage for a few more minutes unitl everything was cooked and then drained the vegetables.

Despite my awesome knife skills with bell peppers, garlic, and onions, my meat cutting skills leave something to be desired still. I cut the corned beef a little too thick so it was rather tough. I forgot that one of the best parts of my mom's corned beef was always how thin they were sliced. (My sister, it turns out, had the same problem I had when cutting corned beef. Maybe we should have paid better attention to our mom's preparation and presentation of food as we were growing up?)

This was an easy meal to cook and all of the important meal elements were safe to eat! Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Cornbread Topped Chili

Pardon me while I continue my love affair with my Dutch oven and create a delicious gluten and dairy free chili with cornbread.

Ingredients
1 T vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 lbs ground beef
1 can (15.5 oz) of dark red kidney beans, drained
1 can (15.5 oz) of light red kidney beans, drained
1 can (14 oz) cream style corn, undrained
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1 t paprika
Cornbread recipe and ingredients

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes. Then add the garlic and ground beef. Cook until beef is browned. Mix together the spices (chili powder, cumin, paprika) in a small bowl. Add beans, corn, tomatoes, and spice mixture to the Dutch oven. Bring to boil then reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for about 20-25 minutes.

Preheat oven according to the cornbread recipe. Prepare your favorite cornbread recipe. I used the Corn Bread (corn-based) recipe from You Won’t Believe It’s Gluten-Free! by Roben Ryberg, substituting with rice milk.

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking oil. Add the chili to the pan. Pour the cornbread mixture on top. Cook until the cornbread is cooked, remembering to adjust the cooking time. If the cornbread recipe is for an 8x8 pan, you’ll want to start checking the cornbread for doneness around 2/3 of the way through the cooking time.

Makes approximately 8 portions.