Life Lately

I've really been lagging on the posts the past few weeks. I haven't had the energy to post, which is not a very good excuse, but all the time, preparation, uploading, and typing just hasn't been very appealing.

About three weeks ago, after eating some popcorn chips, my stomach starting hurting. I don't really have stomach problems, so I brushed it off and went about my day. Well, that 'stomach ache' never really went away, so I've been in and out of doctor's offices for the past three weeks trying to figure out what's wrong.

So far, nothing has been determined. I'm waiting to see a gastroenterologist this week, so hopefully I will finally have some answers.

Needless to say, I haven't been very comfortable, so I haven't been cooking much. I also haven't been exercising, which is driving me crazy, but I just don't feel right. On top of that, it seems that different foods seem to upset my stomach even more. It feels like a giant side ache, on both sides, and the pain radiates to my back. Occasionally it feels like my intestines are being twisted around and stabbed with a knife. Fun, right?

So while that has been going on, we also have been in the process of relocating to Los Angeles. My husband recently got a new position in LA, so we've been busy with that whole process. Last week we stayed at the Beverly Hills Hotel (we stuck out like a sore thumb in my tiny honda civic) and looked for a place to live.

It was a fun experience, we'll probably never be able to afford that place on our own, so we took full advantage of our stay there. By 'full advantage', I mean I ordered coffee from room service. LIVIN' LARGE!

We found a place to live, a cute little duplex in Silverlake, and we will be moving the first week of June. It will be a fun experience, though I'm sad to leave San Diego. My job, friends, and comfortability of our life here.

Anyways, that's the reason why I haven't posted lately. So this week I'm going to try and do a post or two, from recipes I came up with before I got sick. Hopefully once we find out what is wrong, I can get back to my normal eating routine.

Crispy Gluten Free Flaxseed Baguette

Ladies and gentlemen, it's been done; I made a crispy, gluten-free baguette.

I was really craving a warm, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, baguette straight out of the oven. But I didn't want to feel guilty about eating it. Also, I've been having some serious stomach pain lately, and I wasn't sure if it was due to the large amount of gluten I ate last week.




So I started researching gluten-free breads. Most of them required several different types of flours, or a gluten-free flour, mixed with xantham gum or guar gum. I don't know how I feel about pre-made gf flour mixtures yet, nor am I sure how I feel about xantham and guar gum, so I tried to find a recipe without any.

I came across this recipe from Bread & Companatico for a gluten-free baguette and altered it a bit. (By the way, she's a genius!)The problem (for me) was that the recipe is measured in grams and I do not own a kitchen scale, so my measurements might not be the same as her recipe, however it turned out great.

On my first try I converted the recipe into measurements (or so I thought) and it turned out horribly. The dough was way too wet, so I kept having to add extra flour. Then, the baguettes rose in the oven, but sunk shortly after cooling off. It was more like crispy flat bread...with the insides not baked through. Fail.

I asked my mathematically gifted husband to help me convert the recipe into something I could understand. Apparently different flours weigh different amounts...my bad.



The second try came out great. Crispy outside, soft center, and not dense at all. The bread has a pretty strong yeast flavor, more so than a regular baguette, but I didn't mind. If you're wondering why one of the baguettes in the pictures is darker than the other two, it's because I experimented with that one and covered it in a layer of olive oil before baking. I rolled the other two in brown rice flour before baking. I'm not sure which I liked more; the olive oil baguette was a bit crispier on the outside, but a bit more moist on the inside, and the lighter baguettes were the opposite.



Ingredients:

2/3 cup brown rice flour (plus extra for dusting at the end)
2/3 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons whole psyllium seed husks
3 tablespoons flaxseeds

1 package of instant yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 1/3 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg white
1 tablespoon honey
ice cubes and water for a water bath

In a mixer add warm water, yeast, honey, beated egg white, and olive oil. Mix slightly and let sit for 5 minutes. Mix flours, cornstarch, salt, psyllium husks, and flaxseed together in a bowl and set aside.

Gently knead the flour into the warm water mixture (I used a standard mixer, but you can use your hands. However, I would recommend kneading in a bowl because the dough is extremely liquidy at first). Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, then cover and allow to proof in a warm place for an hour.

After the dough has rested, preheat oven to 475 degrees and place baking sheet or baking stone inside oven to heat up, as well as a metal baking dish (for ice bath. You want to use metal because you will be adding ice to it, and glass/ceramic might shatter).

Turn the dough onto a flat surface and separate into 3 equal portions. Carefully shape each portion into a baguette and roll in a bit of rice flour or add a layer of olive oil. Allow the bread to rest for 30 minutes while the oven is heating.

Score the baguettes and carefully and quickly add the dough to the hot baking sheet/stone and put in oven. At the same time add several ice cubes to 1/2 cup water and add into metal pan. Immediately close oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Garlic Green Beans with Crispy Prosciutto

I'm part of a supper club here in San Diego that gets together once a month. It's pretty much just a group of girls that all went to college together, that decided it would be fun to get together once a month and make new dishes to share with each other. For last weeks supper club, we decided to make extra indulgent dishes, like grown up macaroni and cheese, and cheddar and chive biscuits (just to name a few). So naturally, I decided to make my family's green bean recipe, spruced up a bit.



My family started making this recipe years ago for holiday meals at my grandma's house. In fact, I don't even remember when they started making it. The green beans are so simple and so delicious. My husband, who doesn't even like green beans, likes these. I mean, they're sauteed in garlic and butter and topped with pork, who wouldn't like them?




I changed the recipe up a bit, to add my own little touch. Normally, my parents add bacon bits to the sauteed green beans. I thought crispy prosciutto sounded better. I also used freshly chopped garlic and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top. Served with mashed potatoes or creamy polenta, these green beans won't disappoint.

In this particular recipe I use frozen green beans. You could definitely use fresh green beans, however you will need to add about 1/4 cup of water to the pan while the green beans are steaming (to prevent burning).



Ingredients: (serves 4)

4 cups frozen organic green beans
4 pieces of prosciutto, diced
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a large sautee pan on medium low heat, add olive oil and chopped proscuitto. Cook until proscuitto is crispy, moving proscuitto bits around pan so they don't burn. Remove prosciutto bits from pan and set aside.

Return pan to heat and add butter and frozen green beans. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic granules. Cover with a lid and allow to steam for 3-4 minutes. Remove lid and mix green beans around. Cover with lid and repeat until green beans are cooked through, but al dente.

Once green beans are al dente, add minced garlic and sautee for another minute or two, or until the garlic is fragrant. Transfer to serving dish and top with crispy prosciutto and parmesan cheese.

Caramelized Apple Upside Down Cake - Paleo Friendly!

I came up with this recipe a couple of weeks ago when my friend Megan, who is currently doing the Paleo Diet, came over for dinner. I wanted to make a dessert that she could enjoy too, since she couldn't take part in the crusty bread that was served with the entree. I had some apples on the kitchen table and decided I wanted to attempt an apple upside-down cake. I adapted Mangia's Honey Almond Cake and the result was delicious! At the very last minute I decided it needed some sort of topping or sauce, so I threw this almond butter creation on top. Even I liked this dessert, and I'm not into Paleo desserts.




This cake was moist and slightly sweet. The caramel sauce on top put it through the roof (in a good way). If you're not huge on sweets, I'd recommend skipping the sauce. But man, the sauce...It was the best part, in my opinion. This is coming from a girl who can eat a jar of maple almond butter in one sitting, however.



Looking at these photos is making me want to make this cake again. Sadly, I'm trying to stay away from dessert after over-eating this entire weekend.



Ingredients:


1 large apple, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
dash of cinnamon


2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup olive oil or coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg yolk (room temp)
4 egg whites (room temp)

Caramel Sauce:

2 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons almond milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9 inch cake pan and set aside. In a sautee pan on medium-low heat, add apples, coconut oil, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Sautee apples until sauce starts to thicken and apples start to become tender, about 5 minutes. Add apples to cake pan and evenly distribute along the bottom of the pan.

Meanwhile, mix together one egg yolk, honey, oil, and vanilla. Add almond flour, baking soda, and cinnamon and mix well. In a separate bowl whisk egg whites until they begin to form stiff peaks. Fold whipped egg whites gently into batter, until just mixed, and pour over apples in cake pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean once inserted.

While cake is cooling, add all ingredients for caramel sauce into a small pot on medium heat. Whisk until all the ingredients form a thick caramel sauce.

Once cake has cooled, gently flip cake over onto a serving plate. Serve hot or cold, with caramel sauce on top.

The Best Brown Butter Banana Bread

Last week I decided to treat my husband to a special breakfast loaf, instead of my usual low-sguar, low-fat, gluten-free loaf. He loves banana bread, so I thought I'd kick it up a notch and use brown butter in the loaf.

 

This bread was so delicious, I honestly felt kind of guilty eating it for breakfast. My sweet-toothed husband absolutely loved it. It was moist, sweet, and had this decadent nutty flavor from the brown butter. It tasted like a cupcake almost. I just love banana bread.



You can easily swap out the whole wheat flour for an all-purpose gluten free flour if you want it to be gluten free. I just felt like spoiling my husband with a deliciously fluffy gluten-filled loaf of banana bread.



Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 ripe, mashed bananas (about 1 cup)
3 eggs (room temp)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour (or gf all-purpose flour)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heat-proof glass add brown sugar and maple syrup, and set aside. In a small pot, heat the butter on medium-low heat, swirling every once in a while, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the butter starts to brown and turn an amber color. Carefully transfer butter into heat-proof glass with sugar, mix, and allow to cool.

Once butter and sugar has cooled, add eggs, vanilla, and mashed bananas. In a seperate bowl add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Incorporate wet ingredients into dry until just mixed. Pour into a 9 x 5 loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes (watch closely, as mine went from not quite done to almost overcooked in a matter of minutes).

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

I have a thing for soups. They're filling, and delicious, and (sometimes) low calorie.

 

I was craving chicken tortilla soup, but we didn't have any chicken at home and I wasn't about to go to the store for some. So I came up with this veggie-filled tortilla soup recipe. Of course, you can always add shredded chicken, pumping up the protein and adding even more flavor.



I also used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth (sorry vegetarians!) because I am not a fan of vegetable broth. It tastes too much like celery, which I hate. This recipe, however, calls for vegetable broth so that it stays true to the recipe name. I also crisped up some tortilla strips in the oven and added them to the soup, not just for garnish, but also to give the soup some depth and more substance. Topped with cheesy, gooey goodness, and some avocado slices...ugh...there are few things better than a good bowl of soup. I think only a person with a savory-tooth would say that. Brett said it's the best soup I've ever made. I guess you can be the judge!



Ingredients: Serves 4

1 box organic vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 tablespoon cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped white mushrooms
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup canned corn
1 15oz can black beans
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
juice of two limes
1/4 cup gf red enchilada sauce
6 gf corn tortillas
cooking spray
salt and pepper taste

GARNISHES:
shredded cheese
chopped cilantro
avocado

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut tortillas into 1/2 inch strips, as long as you like, and spray them with cooking spray. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake them about 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from baking sheet and sprinkle with salt; set aside.

In a pot add oil, chopped zucchini, onion, mushrooms and sauté on medium low heat for about four minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle veggies with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add cherry tomatoes and continue to sauté until tomatoes start to wilt and let out their juices. Add minced garlic and cook about 30 more seconds. Carefully pour broth into pot and add cayenne, cumin, lime juice, black beans, enchilada sauce and corn. Allow to simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Ladle into bowls with tortilla strips and top with cheese, cilantro, and avocado.

Coconut Sweet Potato Bread (GF)

A couple of weeks ago my boss made this delicious coconut loaf and offered me a slice. I'm not a very big fan of coconut, but I decided, why NOT?!

This loaf was surprisingly hardly coconut-y at all, besides the shredded coconut that was hidden in each bite.




It was so good that the next week I decided that I needed to make it for myself, only healthier. I decided to use gluten free flour and coconut milk, and that I would sneak in some sweet potato. However, when I looked into the calories and fat in coconut milk, I opted for coconut milk lite.



Since I am not a huge fan of the texture of shredded coconut, I decided to chop up the coconut shreds so they would be less noticeable.




If you're not a fan of coconut, this bread is definitely for you. It has a mild coconut flavor, but tastes like vanilla and cinnamon as well. I opted for an optional honey coconut glaze for those who REALLY want the coconut flavor. This bread was like a delicious light dessert. In fact, I'm sure you could heat it up and toss a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and you wouldn't even know it was meant for breakfast.

I made a second loaf with organic whole wheat flour and it turned out just as tasty, so you could use either flour.



Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour (I used Trader Joes')
1 cup shredded coconut, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup pureed baked sweet potato
1 cup canned coconut milk (I used a light version)
1/8 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Coconut Glaze: (OPTIONAL)
1/8 cup melted coconut oil
1/8 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together flour, coconut, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and set aside. In another bowl beat together sugar, eggs, sweet potato puree, coconut milk, coconut oil, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just mixed.

Pour into a well-greased 9 x 5 loaf pan and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Top with coconut glaze or enjoy as is.