Robot Cake Pops

one of my favorite people in this world is kirsten. 

we met in college, where we happened to be in the same sorority pledge class. we became fast friends, spent countless hours talking, dreaming and almost getting into trouble together (though she did finally break down and get that tattoo.) we even wrote letters to each other all summer, each summer. and sometimes, even still! (wow, remember when there was no email?) shortly after college we took a long, exciting road trip from texas to new jersey together, singing and laughing the whole way. early on, i laid claim to her and have always referred to her as "my kirsten".

my kirsten has a beautiful and precious family... a fantastic husband, jerry, and two adorable boys. her oldest, zach, is turning SIX! he is such an amazing kid... he's overcome obstacles in his little life like a champ, is adored by so many and he loves robots.

happy birthday, z!

Robot Cake Pops

1       box cake mix (i used betty crocker gluten-free yellow cake mix)

1       (16-ounce) container ready-made frosting (i used betty crocker vanilla)
1       (1-pound) bag red candy coating morsels
Lollipop sticks
(Styrofoam block)
Lifesavers
Eyeball sprinkles (i used wilton)

Yellow Circle Sprinkles (i used wilton)

Blue Candy Bracelet
Pink Diamond Sprinkles (i used wilton)
Sixlets Chocolates
Sour Belts (THESE ARE NOT GLUTEN-FREE!!)

1. Bake cake according to package instructions. Allow cake to cool completely.

2. Cut the cake into quarters. Finely crumble each quarter of cake in a large bowl.

3. Add half the container of frosting. Mix into cake crumbles until well combined. Mixture should stick together to form a ball, not too crumbly, not too wet. (Add more frosting, if needed.) Reserve remaining frosting for another use.

4. Shape cake mixture into 2-inch squares. Place on wax paper-lined baking sheet, cover and chill in fridge till firm.

5. Carefully melt red candy coating in a deep bowl in microwave according to package directions.

6. Dip 1/4-inch of a lollipop stick into candy coating mixture; insert the stick straight into the cake square on one end, almost half-way. Holding cake square at the surface of the candy coating, spoon coating evenly over cake square; and carefully tap off any excess. Work quickly, but not too forcefully or the cake ball will fall off the stick. Place end of stick in the Styrofoam block until sturdy and allow to dry. Continue with remaining squares.

7. Dip a toothpick into the coating and use like glue to adhere the Lifesavers as neck piece, eyeballs, yellow round sprinkles for nose, candy bracelet piece and pink diamond sprinkles for antennae, sixlets as ears and sour belt pieces as mouth.
Yield: about 28-30 cake pops.

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Recipe Redux: Ginger Ale

well, folks, it's redux time again. the time when us dietitians and health-nuts post lots of delicious and nutritious recipes. in case you need a refresher, check out last month's post. as for this month, we're all about summer beverages. 

ginger is an underground rhizome, used widely in asia for both cooking and medicine. the spicy and aromatic delight can be used fresh, dried, ground, candied, pickled... the list goes on.

and the health benefits of ginger are impressive. ginger has tremendous anti-inflammatory properties, may protect against ovarian and colorectal cancers and can help you fight the common cold. it does wonders for digestion, safely easing morning sickness, nausea and vomiting. i am, very unfortunately, quite prone to motion sickness. so ginger capsules or candies are always in my purse to ward off any queasiness on trips. it's a miracle! 

i remember as a child, when i was hit with a stomach bug, mom always offered us sips of ginger ale. it is still what i tend to crave on plane trips, knowing it will help a bit to ease any stomach upset. i am not a soda drinker and really don't like that such a great idea of a drink has to come with a major dose of high fructose corn syrup. 

so when the redux gurus announced beverages as the month's topic, i knew i needed to give it a try. honestly, this ginger ale does taste a bit different from the commercial version. firstly, it's made with real, fresh ginger, not "flavorings", therefore it has a spicy, delicious bite to it. secondly, i wanted to use stevia instead of the sugar used in most homemade brews, to avoid a pointless blood sugar spike from a beverage. many homemade versions also include lime or lemon juice, which i have no reason for leaving out other than that i don't usually add those to my ginger ale. feel free if you want to!

 Ginger Ale

2      cups finely chopped, fresh, unpeeled ginger (about 1 large "hand" of ginger)

2      cups water

club soda

liquid stevia

1. Combine ginger and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Cover and let sit 10 minutes. Strain mixture to yield about 1 cup of ginger syrup.

2. Combine 4 tablespoons ginger syrup, 1 cup club soda and 3 drops liquid stevia. Pour over ice to make 1 serving.

Yield: 4-6 servings. 

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check out these refreshing, delicious and healthful beverages from my fellow redux-ers...

dr barb of nutrition budgeteer made triple cherry chiller

carlene from carlene's figments made mint berry seltzer

 kara of peace, love and food made blueberry basil lemonade fizz

deanna of teaspoon of spice made cantaloupe basil agua fresca fizz

jessica of nutritioulicious made blueberry basil cooler

marie of performance nutrition made post-workout power smoothie

elizabeth of don't white-sugar coat it made southern blackberry smash

emily of nutriscientist made apple, pear and strawberry smoothie with chia

kristen of swanky dietitian made fresh fruit and club soda cooler 

regan of professional palate made berry lime bubbly

kat of eating the week made sparkling melon fizz - nice & naughty

lisa of healthful sense made berry refreshing chia seed smoothie

alysa of inspired rd made blackberry banana swirl

ea stewart of the spicy rd made gingery peach float

ann of eat to nourish, energize and flourish made pregnancy mocktails

yuri of chef pandita made green tea ginger limeade with chia seeds

karmen of nutrition adventures made orange mint iced green tea 

cherie of grain crazy made mango strawberry smoothie  

emma of the scoop on nutrition made tangelo-ade

alexandra of delicious knowledge made strawberry splash mojito

janel of eat well with janel made mango melon smoothie

liz and janice of meal makeover moms' kitchen made pint-size pina colada

danielle of food confidence rd made almond iced coffee latte

rebecca of me first made banana split smoothie
carrie miller of nutrition know how made 12 smoothie recipes to beat the heat
dianne from eat well eat clean made watermelon aqua fresca 

Oatmeal Pancakes with Warm Peach Compote

 

breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day. probably because no one looks crosswise at you for having a full plate of sweets and calling it a meal. oh, and bacon too. gotta have bacon.

one of my most memorable plates of pancakes came from a very cool cafe in atlanta. thirteen years ago, i got to call atlanta home for a short while and discovered the flying biscuit cafe. while known for their namesake biscuits, i couldn't ever pass up on their organic oatmeal pancakes with warm peach compote. and they were organic before organic was cool.

these were served just the way i like a pancake. thick and hearty, not too sweet, piled high and smothered with warm, cinnamon-sweet fresh peaches. and a side of real maple syrup. 

i'm so grateful for the many fruit orchards and patches around us, and the opportunity to take my son to learn how things are grown. recently my little guy and i went to a nearby orchard to pick fresh peaches with friends. it was a great day of finding the perfectly ripe peach, climbing ladders to pick them, tripping over the fallen peaches rotting on the ground and rewarding ourselves with delicious, homemade peach milkshakes.

the excitement of picking fresh fruit always results in a heavy bag-full, certainly more than we'd normally buy, so creativity has to enter to find ways to use our bounty. the flying biscuit cafe cookbook has long sat on my shelf, though i frequently flip through and drool over many of the recipes inside. but these pancakes have always called to me. so finally, here they are... gluten-free, of course. surprisingly, they left out the peach compote recipe, so that was left to me. it's all just as i remember...

Oatmeal Pancakes with Warm Peach Compote

2         cups gluten-free rolled oats

2         cups buttermilk

3         peaches, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
2         tablespoons brown sugar
2         tablespoons water
1/4      teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4      teaspoon vanilla extract

2         large eggs, lightly beaten

4         tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1         teaspoon vanilla

65       grams (about 1/2 cup) kumquat all-purpose flour

2         tablespoons sugar

1         teaspoon baking powder

1         teaspoon baking soda

1/2      teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4      teaspoon salt

Cooking spray

1. Combine oats and buttermilk in a large bowl; cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

2. Combine peaches and next 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

3. Add eggs, butter and vanilla to oats mixture. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir flour mixture into oat mixture to combine. 

4. Preheat griddle over medium-low heat. Spray lightly with cooking spray and ladle pancake batter onto griddle with 1/4-cup measuring cup. Flip pancakes with bubbles begin to appear on the surface and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve warm with peach compote mixture and warm, pure maple syrup. 

Yield: 4-6 servings.

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(final photo credit to my friend, shannon)

Gluten-Free Ratio Rally: Vegetable Lasagna

 

well, it's ratio time again and i've found myself attempting a first... pasta-making. i've never before made the stuff, whether gluten-free or not, and was a little shocked and amazed by how easy it is.

given that i don't own a pasta roller, i thought i'd choose one of the easier options... lasagna noodles. and lasagna noodles, to me, require that i share my vegetable lasagna. i honestly have no recollection of where this easy recipe came from. but somehow, along the way, it became mine. i made it frequently for my parents and it quickly became a favorite comfort food for all of us. i think it has found its way into a few community cookbooks, submitted by my mom and grandmother. and even graced the table of a few little catering jobs i took on years ago.

but never, ever before have i made the noodles.

so, ruhlman's ratio for pasta is an easy 3 parts flour to 2 parts egg. once again, most eggs are approximately 2 ounces. therefore the ratio would call for 6 ounces (170 grams) of flour to 2 large eggs. or 1 cup of flour to 2 large eggs, more or less.

my ratio worked out to 2.5 parts flour to 2 parts egg. that's 10 ounces (275 grams) of flour to 4 eggs. i decided to use a little bit corn flour in the pasta dough to add just another layer of delicious vegetable flavor.

if you need a refresher on what this ratio rally is all about, check out previous month's entries... gingerbread fig loaf, maple oat nut scones, cheddar gougeres and danish puff.

Vegetable Lasagna

1       tablespoon olive oil 

1       medium onion, chopped

2       cloves garlic, minced

8       ounces button mushrooms, sliced

3       (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce

1       (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1/2    teaspoon dried basil

1/2    teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2    teaspoon dried thyme

1/2    teaspoon dried oregano

100   grams superfine brown rice flour
90     grams tapioca starch

43     grams corn flour (not corn starch)

42     grams potato starch

4       large eggs

Cooking spray

10     ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained

16     ounces cottage cheese

16     ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375`. 

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic to skillet and cook until onions begin to turn translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until they soften. Stir in tomato sauce, paste and herbs, and cook until combined and heated through. Remove from heat.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, combine brown rice flour, tapioca starch, corn flour and potato starch in a medium bowl. Make a well and add eggs. Stir well until mixture forms a ball. Remove onto a lightly tapioca starched surface and knead well. Roll between two tapioca starched pieces of parchment paper, stopping frequently to rub starch over pasta dough, until dough is 1/8-inch thick. Cut dough with a fluted-cutter (or plain old knife) into 9- x 3-inch strips. Gather left-over scraps, and re-roll and cut to make a total of 9 strips. Cook 3 strips at a time for 2 minutes in the boiling water, keeping remaining uncooked strips covered with a wet paper towel.

4. Spoon a thin layer of tomato mixture into the bottom of 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Lay 3 cooked pasta strips on the tomato mixture. Sprinkle evenly with half of spinach and half of cottage cheese. Spread 1/3 tomato mixture on top. Sprinkle 1/3 shredded mozzarella on top of tomato sauce. Repeat layer once. Top with remaining 3 pasta strips, remaining 1/3 tomato mixture and 1/3 shredded mozzarella. Cover with foil. 

5. Bake at 375` for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 18 minutes, or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Yield: 8-12 servings.

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thanks to jenn of jenn cuisine for hosting the rally this month! please check out the following delicious, homemade pasta recipes created by the others...

brooke of b & the boy made chocolate ravioli with chocolate berry sauce
caneel at mama me gluten free made multi grain fettuccine

charissa of zest bakery made linguini with smoked salmon and creamy vodka sauce

erin from the sensitive epicure made ravioli with shrimp, spinach, mushrooms, & cheese filling in browned butter

jenn from jenn cuisine made tagliatelle with smoked salmon, peas and parmesan
karen from cooking gluten free made homemade pasta 

lisa from gluten free canteen made lokshen kugel

mary fran of frannycakes made pasta with pink vodka sauce

meaghan from wicked good vegan creamy artichoke tagliatelle

meg of gluten-free boulangerie made fettucine with sun-dried tomatoes
pete and kelli of no gluten, no problem made tortellini

rachel of the crispy cook made smoked paprika noodles with garlic scapes and herbs
shauna of gluten-free girl made gluten-free fresh pasta

silvana of silvana's kitchen made lemon-poppy pasta with tomatoes, corn and basil
tara of a baking life made fazzoletti with wild mushrooms and spring onions

tr of no one likes crumbley cookies made tomato basil pork raviolis

and stay tuned next month for cake!

Raspberry Cream Pie

july 5th has been declared pie day. did you know? the declaration was made by shauna, the gluten-free girl i refer to frequently, and a few of her friends. this was a twitter conversation that turned into an event. almost 1400 others are planning to post a pie on their blog or on facebook today. and this pie party is one party i can't refuse.

 this pie allows me to take advantage of the plentiful and lovely berries of the season, and takes care of a sweet craving. i made it for the first time in college... so it also transports me back to a tiny, cramped, dark apartment. the one with the toilet that spontaneously ran. the one with the walls that were too thin to keep out the thudding bass notes of the neighbors loud music. and the one with the window-less bedrooms which compelled us to name the place "the cave". but, oh the fun we had...

 i hope you all had a wonderful july 4th celebration.... full of family, friends, fireworks and pie.

Raspberry Cream Pie

50       grams superfine brown rice flour
50       grams sorghum flour
50       grams arrowroot starch
1/2      cup (8 tablespoons) butter
1/4      cup cold water

38       grams sorghum flour
38       grams arrowroot starch
1         cup sugar
2         large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3    cups sour cream
1         teaspoon vanilla extract
3         cups fresh raspberries
1/3      cup packed brown sugar
1/3      cup chopped pecans
3         tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

1         cup sour cream
1/4      cup packed brown sugar
1/4      teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine brown rice flour, sorghum flour, arrowroot starch and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add water and pulse until mixture clumps together in a ball. Flatten ball into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400`. Combine sorghum flour and arrowroot starch; divide mixture in half. Combine half of mixture, sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla in a medium bowl. Gently fold in raspberries.

3. Carefully roll out pastry dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Fit properly in a 9-inch pie plate and flute edges. Pour raspberry mixture into pie crust. Bake at 400` for 45 minutes or until center is firm.

4. Meanwhile, combine remaining flour mixture, brown sugar, pecans and butter in a medium bowl. Use fingers to mix well and cut butter into mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle mixture evenly over baked pie and return to oven to bake an additional 10 minutes, or until topping is golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.

5. Combine sour cream, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Serve pie with sour cream sauce and additional raspberries.
Yield: 8 servings.

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this recipe is adapted from a fantastic cookbook, stop and smell the rosemary.