Thin Mints

January brings little adorable Girl Scouts selling their delicious cookies.  But alas, the gluten filled treats are like poison for two of my kids and my hubby.  So, I started looking into options for a gluten free, vegan take on the most famous GS Cookie: the Thin Mint.  I noticed that the uberclever Erin McKenna over at Babycakes printed a recipe for Thin Mints in her second cookbook (which I now own.) So I gave it a try.  But her recipe called for arrowroot, which I almost never have on hand.  Hers also suggested dunking only the top of the cookie, but I felt that these thin mints needs full immersion dunking in the minty chocolate.  So, I altered that too.  Here's the recipe I tweaked to make gluten free, vegan thin mints.  Quite honestly, they're fantastic!

1.5 cups Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1.5 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup melted, refined coconut oil, or canola oil (I used the coconut oil)
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 Tblsp. vanilla extract

3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
3 Tblsp. mint extract

Preheat oven to 325.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, arrowroot, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. Add the oil, applesauce, and vanilla and mix with a rubber spatula until a thick dough forms.

Drop the dough by teaspoonful onto the prepared baking sheets about 1.5 inches apart.  Gently flatten each mound of dough smoothing the edges with your fingers.  Bake for 7 minutes, rotate the sheets and bake for 7 minutes more.  Let stand on the baking sheets for 15 minutes after removing from the oven. 

Meanwhile, combine the chocolate chips and mint extract in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Stir just until melted.  Do not overcook.  Remove from heat. Dunk each cookie into the melted mint chocolate and place in a single layer on a fresh parchment lined cookie sheet.  Refrigerate until the chocolate sets.

Tasty Holiday Treats!

Here are a couple products we are so excited to find each holiday season!  I prefer the "Nog" while the doc prefers the "Pumpkin Spice."  Vegan and GF. Enjoy!

GF Maple Granola

This recipe is from one I adapted from the Bob's Red Mill website. (The original recipe is authored by BRM customer Erin Beck.) I love granola, but I find many of the GF brands available for purchase in the store to be either high in sugar and/or fat as well as costly. Furthermore, some are not vegan.

So, here's what I made today:

2-1/2 cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)
2 Tb brown flaxseed meal
1/2 cup raisins
3 Tb canola oil
2 Tb pure maple syrup
2 Tb agave (or honey, if you are using honey)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup chopped dates

 Directions Preheat oven to 300°F. In a medium sized bowl mix together oats, coconut, almonds and sea salt. In a separate bowl mix honey, syrup and oil until well combined. Combine the honey mixture with the oat mixture and stir until evenly coated. Pour the mixture onto a lined or greased baking sheet with sides and spread to cover pan evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, stir, bake another 5 minutes (depending on preferred doneness.) In a small bowl mix the raisins, dates and flaxseed meal. Stir the raisin mixture into cooked granola. Store in an airtight container. Refrigerate or freeze to extend freshness.

Makes 15 Servings.

Rice Krispie Pumpkins

I found this recipe and just adjusted it for gluten-free! It's very easy, quick, and fast clean-up.  Kids love it, and it's a fun treat to make for a friend.

Here's what you need:
6 Cups Gluten-free Rice Krispies
1 10 oz. pkg marshmallows (sometimes you can find vegan marshmallows at Whole Foods or Sprouts. You can also make your own by googling vegan marshmallow recipes or also visit sweetandsara.com to purchase them)
3 Tblsp. Coconut Spread (like Earth Balance) and some extra for applying on hands
8-10 Tootsie Rolls (these are not vegan, but your creative mind could come up with something else like Glutino Pretzels or something)
1 tube green cake icing/gel, or make your own.
Orange food coloring (it's usually 4 drops of yellow and 2 drops of red)

Make the rice krispies according to the box directions.  Typically it goes like this:
Melt the coconut spread in a large, deep pan on the stove over low heat.  Add the marshmallows and keep heat on low while the marshmallows melt.  Stir periodically so they melt down evenly and do not scorch. Once they are melted stir in the food coloring according to package directions to make the color orange.  Once the color is consistent add in the rice krispies and blend well.  Using some extra coconut spread apply to your hands and roll tennis ball size balls.  Use your finger and make an indentation for the tootsie roll and stick it in.  Let completely cool before applying the green icing/gel.  I just put mine in the fridge for 20 minutes and they were plenty cool for gel application.  Put on some cool Halloweenie plates and enjoy!

Asparagus and Mushroom Fettuccine

This was very simple and super yummy. I took 1LB. of asparagus and chopped into 1.5 inch length pieces. Then I steamed it until it was just tender crisp. Then I threw a package of baby portabello mushrooms (you could use any mushrooms you like)into my big skillet and cooked them in a little olive oil.

Meanwhile in another pot on the stove I boiled the water to make the Tinkyada Fettuccine Brown Rice Noodles. I think this is a really good product, but you absolutely MUST follow the directions exactly and cook it al dente, or the noodles will have a mushy texture. Especially when I know I'm going to be using the noodles in another dish I always under cook them by a minute a two, so they don't become mushy once transferred. Anyway, cook the fettuccine.

Back in the skillet, add the tender crisp asparagus to the mushrooms. Add in about 1/4 cup white cooking white or apple juice and a 1/4 cup vegetable stock or no-chicken broth (I like Imagine.) Season with sea salt. You can add a little tapioca starch to thicken the broth/wine sauce if you like. Add the fettuccine and stir just to combine. Add in 1/4 cup pine nuts, or omit if you are not using nuts. Place the lid on the skillet for a few minutes to let the sauce and veggie flavors combine with the fettuccine. Enjoy.

Quinoa, Kale, Navy Bean Soup

I made this soup for dinner in March and although my husband liked it, the kids were not so hip on all the kale. I usually get them to eat kale in the mornings by throwing it into their fruit smoothies, but in soup, it's pretty noticeable. Basically, what I did here is saute about 1 cup diced carrots, potatoes, and parsnips (leave out the parsnips if you haven't got them or don't like them) in about 1 Tblsp. olive oil. When the root veggies are getting tender, set them aside and saute some onion.

In another small saucepan, make up 1 cup of quinoa according to the package instructions. Set aside once done.

In a soup pot, add two cartons of Imagine No Chicken Broth. To that add one can of rinsed navy beans, or canellini beans, or another white bean if your prefer. Get the broth boiling, then add a handful of kale -- I would snip the pieces quite small with cooking scissors prior to adding. Add in the root veggies and onion and add in the cooked quinoa. Season to taste.

Product Review: Luna & Larry's

Dear Luna & Larry's,

I love you. You are divine. You are the Ben and Jerry's of the vegan world. Your Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge Organic Coconut Bliss is the most delicious frozen treat I have put in my mouth since going GF vegan. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I even appreciate that you sweetened this delight with agave, making it low glycemic -- and you're also soy free. Perfect? Yep, I'd say so. (If you live near me, hurry to Wegmans and buy me some, since I'm laid up in bed.) Five Stars!