Gluten-Free Orange Chicken

Happy Monday! Here’s to another amazing week!

My inspiration for coming up with this recipe was my brother Harrison’s birthday! He absolutely loves Chinese food, so I decided to make a takeout themed menu! This orange chicken is so delicious! It has the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. I made this dish along with a noodle dish, which I shared a sneak peek of on my Instagram yesterday! You will find that recipe on here very soon!

Let’s get to cooking!

 

Gluten-Free Orange Chicken (serves 8)

For the chicken;

• 3 lbs chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 cups white rice flour
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste
• avocado oil, to fry chicken 

For the sauce; 

• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 scallions, sliced (use green and white parts)
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoons orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
• sliced scallions, to garnish
• sliced cara cara oranges, to garnish

Whisk together orange juice, aminos, honey, sesame oil, scallions, garlic, ginger, orange zest, cayenne pepper, and arrowroot slurry in a medium size bowl. Set aside.

Time to fry the chicken! Season flour with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Coat a large pan with avocado oil. Coat cubed chicken in orange juice. Let excess juice drip off, then coat in rice flour. Fry chicken on each side for about 5-6 minutes. Add sauce to pan, stir, and let come to a slow boil. Serve chicken by itself, with rice, noodles, or whatever you desire! Garnish with scallions and oranges. Enjoy!

-Juliet

Ginger Greek Yogurt topped with Strawberry-Mint Reduction & Gluten-Free Granola

Happy Monday! I can't believe February is almost over! Spring is right around the corner!

This creamy ginger infused Greek yogurt topped with a delicious strawberry and fresh mint reduction is SO refreshing! And to top it all off, it is finished with my gluten-free almond butter granola! This dish has the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and crunch! 

Onto the recipe!

Ginger Greek Yogurt topped with Strawberry-Mint Reduction & Gluten-Free Granola (serves 4)

• 2 cups greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons ginger jam 
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1/2 tablespoon water
• 1/2 cup of my gluten-free granola 

Whisk together greek yogurt, raw honey, ginger jam, and fresh ginger in a small bowl. Wrap and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Add strawberries, mint, sugar, and honey to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly, and let come to a slow boil. Add in starch mixture and mix. Reduce and let simmer until mixture thickens. Let cool.

Time to assemble! You can put this in a bowl, parfait cup, or even a small mason jar! Layer yogurt, strawberry mint reduction, and granola. Serve and devour! Enjoy!

-Juliet

Red Wine Chocolate Cake with a Chocolate Buttercream & Blackberry-Sage Ganache

Hey there! Happy Monday! I hope your week is off to a great start!

If you are looking for the perfect gluten-free dessert to make for Valentine's Day, look no further! This red wine chocolate cake is moist, fluffy, and flavorful! The blackberry-sage ganache adds the perfect finishing touch to this elegant dessert. You will have a hard time believing this cake is free of not only gluten, but grain-free as well! Zuvii Banana Flour gives this cake great texture.

Onto the recipe!

Red Wine Chocolate Cake with a Chocolate Buttercream & Blackberry-Sage Ganache (yield; 5 heart shaped layer cake)

For the cake;

• 1 cup banana flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup semi-sweet red wine
• 2 large eggs
• 2 sticks grass-fed butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups organic cane sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• coconut oil, to grease pans
• garnish with chocolate shavings (I used dark chocolate & white chocolate)

For the chocolate buttercream; 

• 1 stick grass-fed butter, softened
• 2 cups organic powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the blackberry-sage ganache;

• 8 ounces hot milk
• 8 ounces 60% dark chocolate infused with blackberry & sage (I used Endangered Species brand chocolate.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 5 small heart shaped pans with coconut oil. Sift together dry ingredients in a small bowl.

Cream together butter and sugar in a stand mixer for about 3-4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time. Beat again. Add in flour blend and red wine. Mix until well combined. Evenly divide batter among cake pans. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Time to make the chocolate buttercream! Whip butter in a stand mixer until fluffy. Add in powdered sugar and continue mixing. Sift in cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

Let's make the ganache! Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat until hot. Pour milk over chocolate and whisk until creamy.

Once the cakes are cooled, it is time to assemble and layer the cakes! Pipe buttercream on each layer, repeating until all five cakes are assembled. Pour ganache over cake and let set for a couple of minutes. Top with shaved chocolate. Enjoy!

-Juliet

Gluten-Free Gougeres

Happy Tuesday! I am so excited to share this gluten-free gougere recipe with you all!

Gougeres are a classic French cuisine staple, that are often enjoyed as hor d'eouvres. If you haven't tried gougeres before, you should definitely try out this recipe as soon as possible! They are SO delicious, and fairly simple to make! I describe them as a light cheese puff bread. They are airy, cheesy, and crispy on the outside! The only ingredients are eggs, grass-fed butter, gluten-free flour, water, gruyere cheese, and pepper! You will have a hard time believing these are gluten-free; they are perfect!

Onto the recipe!

Gluten-Free Gougeres (yields about 40 gougeres)

• 3/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour blend (I used BetterBatter brand)
• 1/4 cup Zuvii banana flour
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt 
• 8 tablespoons grass-fed butter (I used Kerrygold)
• 3/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese (plus more for sprinkling)
• 1 cup water
• 5-6 large eggs

Heat water and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until it comes to a steady boil. Add all of the flour, pepper, and sea salt all at once. Stir vigorously until dough forms a ball. Remove from heat and add to a stand mixer.

Mix dough in a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, until it cools slightly. Add in eggs, one at a time, until dough forms a uniform mixture.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer dough to a piping bag using a round tip. Pipe out small round mounds onto the baking sheet, leaving about 1-2 inches in between each dough mound. Top each mound with a sprinkle of gruyere cheese. Bake for about 22 minutes, or until light in weight and golden brown! Enjoy!

-Juliet

Crispy Italian Potato Pancakes

Happy Tuesday! I hope your week is going great!! 

These Italian potato pancakes are SO delicious! They are perfectly crispy, and are full of vibrant flavors, including pancetta, parsley, oregano, basil, parmesan, and more! These are perfect for breakfast, as a side dish, or an appetizer!

Let's get to cooking! 

Crispy Italian Potato Pancakes

• 2 1/2 cups shredded yellow potatoes (strained through cheesecloth to reduce moisture)
• 1/3 cup gluten free flour
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup diced pancetta 
• 1/2 cup diced bell peppers
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• olive oil, to grease pan

Mix shredded potatoes with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, parsley, pancetta, peppers, parmesan, and shallots. Mix in egg, then flour. Shape into small discs. 

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in pancakes and fry for about 3-4 per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Flatten slightly using a spatula. Serve immediately, or move to a sheet pan and place in preheated oven until ready to serve. Enjoy!

-Juliet

Crockpot Beef Barbacoa

By the time I am done writing this blog post, I know I am going to be hungry! This crockpot beef barbacoa recipe makes such a perfect dinner! If you haven't tried beef barbacoa yet, you should definitely add it to your list of delicious meals to try! Beef barbacoa is a chuck roast, that is seasoned with a blend of oregano, cumin, paprika, and pepper, then slow cooked with whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, broth, garlic, onions, and lime juice. Talk about a whole lot of flavors! 

Also, just so you know, the leftovers from this dinner makes AMAZING tacos!

Let's get to cooking!

Crockpot Beef Barbacoa

• 5 lb chuck roast
• Seasoning blend (2 tsp oregano, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and salt, to taste)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 shallots, minced
• 3-4 whole chipolte peppers, in adobo sauce
• Juice of 4 limes
• 1 cup beef broth

Pat chuck roast dry with paper towels. Season with seasoning blend. 

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chuck roast, and sear on all sides for about 1-2 minutes. Once the beef is done searing, place into your crockpot.

Top seared beef with chipotle peppers, lime juice, garlic, shallots, and beef broth. Cover and let cook for 6 hours on high heat. Serve over rice, or by itself! Enjoy!

-Juliet

Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Pinwheel Cookies

Happy Tuesday!

These gluten-free chocolate peanut butter pinwheel cookies are SO tasty! Not only are these cookies gluten-free, they are dairy-free as well! These cookies are perfectly crispy, and have an amazing flavor! Who doesn't love the classic chocolate plus peanut butter combination?! Although these cookies take a little bit of patience and time, the end result is totally worth it! 

Onto the recipe!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Pinwheel Cookies

• 1 cup spectrum shortening 
• 1 1/4 cups organic cane sugar
• 2 egg yolks 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons almond milk
• 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (I used Better Batter brand)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 7 tablespoons cacao powder, 2 tablespoons melted shortening, 2 tablespoons milk (mixed together)

Preheat your oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat together shortening, cane sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a stand mixer. Add in egg yolks, one at a time. Sift in flour blend, and baking powder. One well combined, remove half of the dough from the bowl into another bowl. Mix dough in stand mixer with cacao blend, and mix the rest of the dough with peanut butter.

Flour surface and rolling pin. First, roll out peanut butter cookie dough into a 1/4 inch rectangle. Now roll out chocolate cookie dough onto the peanut butter dough and line up the edges. Roll dough into a cylinder, then slice into 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Place on baking sheet and bake for about 13 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy these delicious treats! 

-Juliet