Apricot Almond Cobbler (Gluten Freè)

My love of local fruits and vegetables in well known but my recent visit to the land of "gluten free" is a new novelty.  I have had a couple of colossal failures (leaving me with deserts that taste like school paste) and a couple of very cool successes (I am I love with those peanut butter cookies.....so much so that I baked a batch and packed them in my hubby's suitcase last week as a treat).  

I have found that my biggest challenge with the whole gluten free recommendation has been breads (God help me! Being Croatian it's like telling me not to breathe). The second challenge is desserts so this recipe is absolutely perfect.

4 c chopped fruit (stone fruit) or berries dusted with tapioca flour

2 c almond flour

1/2 c coconut oil

1/4 c sweetener (stevia or brown sugar)

A couple of dashes of cinnamon

Zest of one lemon

Preheat oven at 375.  Pour chopped fruit I to greased 8 x 8 pan.  Mix flour, oil, lemon zest and sweetener (go easy if you use stevia which can be a bit over powering - I prefer agave or plain brown sugar) adjust the flour so that the mixture looks crumbly.  Sprinkle over the fruit and dash a bit of cinnamon and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.  

Easy French Toast Casserole

I know I must be doing something right when my foodie sister tells me the gluten free vegan concoction I whipped up Mother's Day is actually more than acceptable. For this reason alone, I'm posting in honor of Mother's Day!!💐

1 loaf of Udis white sandwich bread, torn in quarters

12 tablespoons of Veganegg plus 3 cups water or 6 large eggs

1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups almond milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup chopped almonds 

1/2 cup raisins or crasins 

Cinñamon to taste

Preheat oven at 450. Grease 9-13 pan.  Melt butter and stir in sugar till dissolved.  Pour sugar mixture on bottom of pan and arrange torn bread on top.  Mix up Veganegg with water or beat six eggs.  Add vanilla and pour over bread.  Sprinkle cinnamon, nuts and raisins.  Let soak for 8 hours or over night.  Bake till puffy or about 30 minutes.

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies

Well.....this was a total find!  Thank you Beth and Smittin Kitchen.  This is not your standard peanut butter cookie recipe so don't expect the same consistency.  This is a unique, totally yummy gluten free (a new thing in my life these days) version that is SUPER easy (I'm talkin total 5 ingredient, 1 bowl easy!)

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 3/4 cups golden brown sugar packed

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups smooth peanut butter (one of those 16 oz jars will do if you don't want to deal with the measuring)

Medium grind sea salt for dusting

Preheat oven at 350.  Line baking pan with parchment paper.

In a glass bowl, whisk eggs with the brown sugar until smooth.  Wish in the vanilla.  Wish in the peanut butter (LOL.... Not an easy task!) until it is smooth and there are no ribbons of either mixture.  Should be the consistency of Play Dough but it's ok if it is a bit more runny. I put mine in the freezer for about 20 minutes then it was perfect for scooping out little balls.  I'd highly recommend putting it back in the freeze while they bake so the consistency stays firm.  

Scoop out little balls and place them on parchment paper.  Sprinkle on a little salt and bake for 13 to 15 minutes for the little balls.  Once they are done let them cool so they set.  They are crunchy on the outside and chewy in the center and totally wonderful!

Szarlotka (Polish apple cake)

Yes....I have nothing better to do these days than to spend 2 days cooking for a silent auction dinner.  In the middle of my kitchen at 10 am, I was wondering what the heck was I thinking.  This was due in large part to my desire to do it "authentic" and playing guessing games with the metric system and my recipes.

This beautiful cake is curtesy of my pal Jola (the Jola who lives in Clovis and not the one in Warsaw....if you have been keeping score).  She was kind enough to call her Mom and get the perfect recipe.

Here it is with the non metric measurements:

3 c flour

1/2 c butter 

2 tsp baking powder

2 heaping Tbsp sour cream (or plain yogurt ....which I used since it was organic)

1/2 c powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients then divide into two balls (2/3rds and 1/3rd) and put in fridge for an hour. 

When chilled take the larger ball and press it into a greased spring form pan.  Prick with fork and bake at 350 for 15 minutes

Grate on the largest holes  8 large apples.  Squeeze a little lemon and sprinkle 2 to 3 tsps of cinnamon on top. Toss.

Place apples on top of the cooked crust then grate the last ball of dough so iris crumbles on top and bake again for 30 to 45 minutes until golden brown.

Grilled Eggplant and Yogurt Sauce

Inspired again with my OOOOBY box and the pile of basil and the big fat eggplant, I tried a wonderful new recipe I found in my Cooking Light magazine (but you know me.....put a Dana spin on it!)

1 large eggplant, sliced with skins

Olive oil 

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp amino acid (or soy sauce)

1/2 tsp crushed red peppers

1 1/2 plain organic nonfat yogurt

1/2 c. chopped basil

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 garlic clove minced

1/2 tsp lemon zest

Sea salt and pepper

Prep the eggplant after you slice it by sprinkling with salt.  Let it "sweat" the rinse and dry.  Add a little olive oil in the pan and lightly fry the eggplant until golden brown.  Blot well and cool.  Set aside and sprinkle a little sea salt.  

Mix up all of the remaining ingredients but retain about 2 tbsps of basil.  Drizzle over the eggplant and sprinkle the basil over the top.  Serve at room temperature.

Chicken Breasts with Feta and Figs

Well folks you can't get any more Central Valley than a dish with figs.  It's safe to say that I have made a ton of recipes with figs but this one is new to me and came to me compliments of the @FresnoBee.  Really yummy and served with grilled okra and steamed potatoes from my Ooooby shipment!

4 5 to 6oz chicken breasts, skinless, boneless

Salt and pepper (sea salt is a must)

2tsp chopped fresh rosemary

2 cloves of garlic chopped

4 tbsp of EVO (I used the amazing olive oil I smuggled home from my uncle in Croatia!)

2 oz crumbled feta

1 1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 c white wine (they said red but I only had white home)

8 fresh figs, cut and diced (lovely figs from Kevin and Diane Herman's farm)

1 tbsp honey

Sprig of rosemary for garnish

Pound chicken to flatten but don't make too thin.  Place chicken in bowl with salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic, 2 tbsp oil and 1/4 c wine.  Toss and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Cook chicken in 2 tbsp oil till light brown. Place in oven proof pan like shingles and sprinkle with feta.

Pour remaining wine in pan to deglaze and reduce to half of the volume.  Add thyme, honey and figs, sauté will warm and soft.  Pour over chicken and feta.  Place under broiler to brown and top with sprig

Power Chicken Enchilladas

Coming home from Poland, my first thought goes to Mexican food.  Fresno is the motherland of Mexican food and seriously......nothing else will do!  My dear friend decided to cheer me out of my Mexican food blues by taking me to the "Tia Juana" in Warsaw.  Let's just say......I was lucky it didn't effect me like my meal from a street vendor in Cabo!  When in Poland - eat Polish food.  

Enough said.

I digress.......ok so I was inspired and made th is mostly organic chicken enchiladas.  They are super easy and fill the bill for those of us who have Mexican food withdrawal.

4 cooked chicken breasts, chopped

4 c. power greens (kale, chard, etc.)

2 c. (or 2 cans) green enchilada sauce*

12 oz. bag of shredded Mexican cheese

1/2 round of queso fresco*

16 small flour tortillas (you may need more or less)

A few shakes of hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste

Non stick spray

Cook the power greens till tender.  Toss with chopped chicken, crumbled queso fresco, 8 oz of shredded cheese, salt, pepper, hot sauce, and about a 1/4 cup of the enchillada sauce.  Pour a little sauce on the bottom of the pan (which has been sprayed with Pam or a non stick spray.). Add a few tablespoons of chicken mixture in to a tortilla, roll and place in the pan.  When pan filled, top with remaining cheese and pour remaining sauce on top.  It should make two 9x13 pans....more or less if you don't roll them tightly.  Bake at 350  for about 30 minutes or until bubbly.  Photo forthcoming.... Enjoy!

*not organic