{Print Via LilyandVal}

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup green or red bell pepper, chopped

12 ounces patty pan, zucchini, or yellow summer squash, diced (about 2 medium squash)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon Ancho chile powder (or mild chili powder)

1/8 -1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (or to taste)

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, well rinsed and drained

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons lime juice

1 can enchilada sauce (or 10 ounces homemade sauce)

8 corn tortillas

chopped green onions, for serving

Directions:

Saute the onion in a medium-sized saucepan until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the bell pepper and squash and cook, stirring, for about two minutes, until squash is just beginning to become tender. Add the cumin, chile powders, black beans, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the nutritional yeast and lime juice. Check seasoning and adjust to taste.

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray one large rectangular baking dish or 4 individual baking dishes with olive oil. Place a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of each dish, reserving most of it to go on top. Microwave the tortillas for about 20 seconds to soften them. Place a tortilla in front of you and arrange about 1/4 cup of the bean mixture across the center. Roll up and place seam-side down into the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and beans. Pour the remaining sauce over the top.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with sliced green onions to serve.

Sweet Potato Biscuits with Honey Butter

Adapted from a recipe in Taste of Home

2 c. Gluten Free all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. xanthan gum

4 tsp. sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 c. shortening

1 c. mashed sweet potatoes

1/2 c. half-and-half

Honey Butter

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients.  Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Combine sweet potatoes and cream; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened. 

2. Using a tablespoon, scoop the mixture and drop onto a greased baking sheet to create drop-biscuits, placing the biscuits about 1 inch apart.  (You could also roll out and cut with a biscuit cutter.)

3. Bake at 400 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. 

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the butter, honey and cinnamon until blended.  Serve with warm biscuits.

Jell-O Cookies

Enjoy these light, flavorful cookies as a allergen-free alternative for baby showers, birthday parties, or a simple springtime treat.  A twist on the classic sugar cookie, this simple dessert can be easily adapted using any Jell-O fruit favorite. (Pictured above: Strawberry and Berry Blue)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup non-dairy butter substitute, room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 3 oz package Jell-O (any flavor)

Egg Replacer for 2 large eggs (3 tsp. Egg Replacer + 1/4 c. warm water)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups Gluten Free all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening, sugar and Jell-O.

3. In a separate bowl, prepare the Egg Replacer mixture.  Dissolve completely.  Add the vanilla.  Pour into the sugar mixture.  Beat well.

4. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and xanthan gum.  Add slowly to the sugar mixture while beating.  Mix just until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

5. With a small spoon or cookie scoop, scoop out the dough and roll into a 1" ball.  Place the ball onto a nonstick cookie pan, leaving about 2" between cookies.  Once all the cookies are on the pan, take a small bowl and gently press the cookies down into a circle.  Sprinkle the top with granulated sugar.

6. Bake for 6-8 minutes.  Let cool.  Serve.

  Yield: approximately 30 cookies

{Picture via familyfreshcooking.com}

“Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.”

- Henry David Thoreau

Raspberry Peach Coffee Cake

Savor the dog days of summer with this fresh, fruity coffee cake.  The sweetness of the peaches and raspberries seems to hold the shortening days at bay, for a time at least.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup non-dairy butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

Egg replacer for 2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups Gluten Free all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup soy milk

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1 cup fresh or frozen peach slices

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9" round cake pan with nonstick baking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg replacer and vanilla.

3. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add to the butter mixture alternately with soy milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.

4. Pour into the prepared cake pan.  Evenly spread the peaches and raspberries on top of the cake batter.

5. Bake for 1 hour.  Remove and cool over a wire rack.  Slice and serve, sprinkling with powdered sugar if desired.

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

- Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

"Laughter is brightest where food is best."

- Irish Proverb

Granny's Chocolate Cobbler

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman:

1 cup Gluten Free All-purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

¼ teaspoons Salt

7 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder, Divided

1-¼ cup Sugar, Divided

½ cups Milk

⅓ cups Melted Butter

1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

½ cups Light Brown Sugar, Packed

1-½ cup Hot Tap Water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. First stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons of the cocoa, and 3/4 cup of the white sugar. Reserve the remaining cocoa and sugar.

3. Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla to the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

4. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8-inch baking dish. I prefer my small oval Corning Ware glass dish.

5. In a separate small bowl, mix the remaining white sugar (it should be 1/2 cup), the brown sugar, and remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter.

6. Pour the hot tap water over all. DO NOT STIR!

7. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the center is set.

8. Let stand for a few minutes if you can hold yourself back. Serve with homemade ice cream using the gooey sauce to spoon over all.