Vanilla Cupcakes With Lemon Vanilla frosting

This blog is the beginning of my gluten free endeavors. So If you've been following the chronology, you'd definitely know by now that my biggest love, besides God, my dog and men in uniforms is CHOCOLATE! This time around I thought I'd proceed in order. I feel like on the 8th day God made Vanilla bean, and then He made chocolate don't you think? I say this because I think vanilla is by far the most popular flavor of all time. I use to regard vanilla as boring. It was the adjective I'd use in replacement of boring. In my mid 20's I discovered that I had been duped and really what I was consuming most of the time was artificial vanilla. Very rarely was I lucky enough to be graced by the appearance of real vanilla bean. Vanilla is native to Mexico and it grows in black pods. You cook with it by extracting the content inside the pod. It's potent and a little will go a long way.

Vanilla is one of the most expensive spices second to saffron. Despite this "Author Frederic Rosengarten, Jr. described in The Book of Spices as "pure, spicy, and delicate" and its complex floral aroma depicted as a "peculiar bouquet.""

So what do you do if you can't find pure vanilla or can't afford it? Get the second best thing and find yourself at the organic food store and buy yourself some 100% pure vanilla extract. It may cost more, but you will use less since the flavor is more potent, therefore in the long run you might break even.

So I have never, NEVER made cupcakes from scratch before. I have always used Betty Crocker's box mix. After having had real cupcakes, I should call her Betty Crooker for having stolen my childhood from knowing the glory of knowing real goodness.

So this recipe is the one where I "Modified" because I was too lazy to go out and pick up the two ingredients I needed. BIG mistake. There is no "skipping" anything-substituting yes, but you have to be super subbing savvay. So, I ended up with muffins instead. Therefore for this baking experiment I did not modify anything. If you have been faithfully reading, hopefully you have been building up your gluten-free pantry along with me. To go out and buy every single thing needed all at once is indubitably overwhelming. However starting with just a few essentials and finding out how they work, will surely help build your baking confidence. In return, it will make shopping enjoyable and fun. Less of a headache, and more free flowing.

There are two recipes I'm about to share with you. Both are straight out of "babycakes" One is for the cupcake and the second is for the gluten free vegan frosting. I know it sounds questionable, how can you make frosting without dairy??? It's possible, I never knew I could be this healthy and feel this good but I'm doing it. I am living proof that anything is possible. Moreover you and only you are your own mind killer. I know it's cheesy but before we start lets do a few mantra chants shant we? I think this comes straight out of Tony Robinsons mantra:

Everyday in every way I will be healthy.

Everyday in every way I will be happy.

Everyday in every way I will be strong.

Everyday in every way I will loose weight.

Everyday in every way I will invest into myself.

Everyday in every way I will (add your own).

If you are thinking this is a bunch of rah rah crap, shut up! You don't deserve to be reading this. When I'm running my third mile, I'm feeling sick, tired, stressed, worried and unmotivated. When music on my ipod isn't working, and watching the TV is just annoying, when zoning out doesn't work and my legs just don't want to move anymore, what do you think gets ME through??? Sucking it up and believing in myself. Believing that I have made it this far, and giving up is never an option. I was born with short legs, small lungs and a predisposition to diabetes, cholesterol and hypertension. None of these things will mean anything at the end of the day. Let nothing define you, give in to no excuses. If you decide that today isn't a good day to work out. Then by all means stay home. But DO NOT make up a lame ass excuse.

Alright if you survived my rant lets get on to some good ol' cupcake bakin!

Vanilla Bean cupcakes with Lemon Vanilla Frosting

Courtesy of "Babycakes"

Ingredients for the cake:

2 Cups Garbanzo beans (bobs red mill)

1 cup potato starch

1/2 cup arrowroot

1tbs plus 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp salt

2/3 cup melted coconut oil (omega brand)

11/3 cups agave nectar

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 fresh vanilla bean or 3tbs pure vanilla extract

1 lemon zested

1 cup hot water

I discovered the joy's of shopping in the bulk bins at the natural food store. Its sooo much cheaper. In these bags are whole grain spelt, white spelt and the little bag is arrowroot. YEY

This is used only if your making red velvet cupcake. I'll be tackling that next. =)

Directions:

• Preheat oven 325F
• need 24 cupcake liners
• in a medium bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients
• add oil, nectar, apple sauce, vanilla, and lemon zest to dry ingredients to combine. Stir in hot water and mix until batter is smooth
• pour 1/3 cup of batter into each cup, almost filling it.
• bake in center rack for 22 mins
• rotating the tin 180 degrees after 15 mins
• when the cupcakes are ready they will be golden brown and bounce back at the touch
• let cupcakes stand to cool for 2 mins. Remove from tin and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
• spoon about 1 tbs frosting on cupcake and frost away.
• store cupcakes in air tight container and fridge for up to 3 days.

Ingredients for the frosting:

1 1/2 cup unsweetened rice milk

3/4 cup dry rice milk powder

1 tbs coconut flour

1/4 cup agave nectar

1 tbs pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups coconut oil

2 tbs fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Add all the ingredients except oil and lemon juice into a blender for 2 mins on high. Turn to low and slowly add the oil and juice in until its fully incorporated. Fridge for 6 hours. lasts 1 month.

Ingredients for natural Color dye:

Pink/Red: cherry, raspberry, cranberry, pomegranate or beet juice

Purple: Blueberry juice

Green: chlorophyll, yes the same green pigment found in plants can be found in liquid form at the health food store

Yellow: turmeric or saffron. Just a pinch

Blondie Mini muffin

This recipe is my take on combining the dynamic of a Blondie and the wholesomeness of a muffin. This recipe is modified in part because I didn't feel like running out to the store for some missing ingredients. One of my students actually made this. It taste a bit like a bran muffin. I think its moist and not at all dry and crumbly like some bran muffins are. Its not on the sweet side because although I love pastries, I'm not a fan of things that reek of sugar. I've also trained my taste buds for the past 7 months to become sensitive to flavors again. So you make and feel its not sweet enough there are two things you need to know. First of all, you prob need to lay off the sweets. And the kinder approach to this is to add strawberries or some berry. the slight tartness of the berry will enhance the sweet of the muffin.

This recipe is spotted from my new favorite book "Babycakes" By Erin McKenna. Urban souffle blogger bought it for me and surprised me with it when it. Erin owns the amazing bakery "BabyCakes" in NYC. Growing up she had gluten, sugar and dairy allergies. Even though her cakes are not at all conventional, they taste amazing. If you can't get out to Babycakes NYC, do the next best thing and get her cookbook. Its very thoughtful and it much like my own cooking journey, she chronicles her search for the best of the best. I am honored to take a stab at Erin's recipes. So get off your lumpy butt and join me. Oh and one last thing, if you haven't realized by now, with each recipe, please read thoroughly and follow precisely. I know its painful but its very necessary to cook well. I've taken the time to painstakingly explain to you every detail, the least you can do is "DON'T SCREW UP!" =) As the Greeks would say "Yamas!" (Cheers and enjoy!)

The Blondie Mini Muffin
This recipe is gluten free

Ingredients:

3/4 cup agave syrup
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 apple sauce unsweetened or sweetened (used as a canola oil sub)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. preheat oven 350F
2. place rack into the center
3. 24 cupcake liners and place them in the tin
4. beat eggs and sugar in large bowl at medium speed for 1 min. Add flour salt, baking powder, xanthan gum, applesauce, milk, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed for 1 min.
5. get a 1/4 ice cream scooper and scoop into tin
6. bake for 20 mins or until center springs back to the touch. muffins will come out light brown.
7. cool for 5 mins, then remove from pan completely to cool on a rack. You can frost these of you wish or slice them in half, slice up strawberries and enjoy! YAMAS!

This ain't your grandma's Banana Bread

I think I've come to realize that I will always be a teacher. When did I become a huggy, helpful, do-good, happy-face-stickers teacher! Well not exactly, I don't do happy face stickers, and its an inside joke among my students when they attack me with hugs everyday since I'm not a exactly huggie person. I like hugging my high school students. However when I taught Fifth grade they use to mob me and they always smelled like dirt and sugar. yuck.

Tonight I decided that rather then bake alone, I'd invite some students over too. So we made a night of it. We made classic chocolate chip cookies because its comforting. Then moved on to gluten free, sugar free banana bread. The night ended with some Gluten free cupcakes.

This may sound silly but it wasn't until college that I discovered you could bake outside of a box mix. I had no idea how to build a cake batter with raw ingredients. The concept sounded too domestic for a city girl. I soon learned it was better and just as easy to work with raw materials. Yet I was still just following a list of instructions. It was only recently that I really learned the purpose of each item added. I needed to know these things so that I could figure out how to replace it. For example, "why did I need canola oil for certain baked goods?" -- It was basically used for moisture, of which I could easily replace with cold pressed coconut oil. It has the same consistency but is much healthier.

Learning the necessity of each item allowed me to spot a conventional recipe, modify it and make it better. The best part was being able to teach it to someone else. Showing my students that the healthy sub can taste just as good as the real thing. Ok that's a lie. You can't replace the taste of buttery goodness that is needed to make a puff pastry or a pie crust, BUT, What is true, is that knowing what your putting into you body is healthy and fresh...for me at least, it allows me to feel good, happy and guilty free. As always moderation is constant must.

Cooking tip:
In this recipe I've replaced its original call for a few items, please read below to understand what I did:

Canola oil Replacement: Cold pressed coconut oil. It comes in a solid state, you need to heat it up in a pan until it liquidfies. When any recipe calls for a fat you want to replace with coconut oil, whether it be butter, margarine, or oil the ratio is always 1:1. Its very easy! Coconut oil is great for frying or baking because it can withstand high heat with out burning and become carcinogenic. It also helps the body metabolize fatty acids.
Brown sugar replacement: Dark Brown agave syrup. Agave syrup may cause baked items to brown more quickly, so you may want to reduce the heat by 15-25 degrees. For each cup of white sugar replaced, use 2/3 of a cup of agave and reduce other liquids by 1/4 to 1/3 cup. This substitution will also work for Demerara Sugar, Turbinado Sugar, Evaporated Cane Juice, or Sucanat. These sugars are better then white, but keep in mind sugar is sugar. Because the moisture content of Brown Sugar is higher than that of white sugar, liquids may not have to be reduced as much when substituting agave nectar.

White Sugar replacement: Sucanat- SUgar CAne NATural, a natural sweetener

Kosher salt replacement: Sea salt, Substitute sea salt for your regular salt reducing the amount by at least one-half; three-quarters if you are using course grind sea salt.

White Flour replacement: Bob's Redmill Gluten free all purpose flour. The replacement is 1:1 for any flour.

(was impatient and took it out of the pan before it cooled so it broke, oh well)

Not your G-ma's Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Cold pressed coconut oil melted

• 1/2 cup Dark Brown agave syrup

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp. Vanilla

• 1 3/4 cup Bob's red mill Gluten free all purpose baking flour (is a combo of 4 different types of flours)

• 2 tsp Baking Powder (makes dough rise)

• 1 1/4 cinnamon (metabolizer)

• 1 tsp xanthan gum

• 1/3 tsp Fine sea salt

• 1 1/2 cup Banana-mashed (the more ripe it is the sweeter your recipe, I prefer my bananas fresh and yellow but grandma will definitely like them spotted, less sweet means less sugar, your choice)

• Add other things that may tickle your fancy--in this batch my students wanted chocolate chips, shredded coconut and walnuts. (each a small handful)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 360F

• Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper, or grease with coconut oil

• Cream together oil, vanilla, sugar, eggs in large bowl with electric mixer

• Add flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, cinnamon to wet mixture. beat. till mixed

• beat in bananas until smooth

• fold in chocolate chips, coconut shavings and nuts

• batter will be somewhat soft

• transfer to pan

• bake for 1 hour (check with toothpick, stick it in several places around 50 mins. If toothpick comes out clean its ready to come out)

• let cool serves 10.

I apologize for my photos this time around. Its hard to bake, instruct and photograph. But I tried anyways just so you have an idea what it could look like. I actually didn't make this I just instructed. For their first stab at baking, I don't think they look half bad. Good job girls!

And just for fun some chocolate chip cookie shots:

Basil & Zuchinni Wrap "(Curtosy of RAWmazing)

This recipe is a bit tedious because it calls for you to make your own wrap shell, and moreover, it needs to be consumed immediately. I love wraps but I'm hard pressed to find anything I can eat when I'm detox. On detox not only do I have to stay away from gluten, but I have to fast from most of the flours that are used as white flour subs. Not because they are unhealthy. But because everything has a carb count. And carb counts for potatoes and other saturated starches are a little too high to consume. For example, it's fine to eat sweet potato, but on detox I should really have a fourth to a half. It also teaches one about moderation.

I use to binge, and even if you binge on the good stuff, sometimes it can still hinder your detox/weight loss progress. I don't count count carbs, but I do keep a mental note of volume of consumption, and for some keeping simple carb counts are helpful. For example to know how many carbs is in Almonds will help you figure out how many you can eat a day. I measure in handfuls. Since My hands are small, I can have a handful a day, EASY!

Alas I have found a way around this dilemma because I have spotted the RAWAMAINGLY COOL BASIL AND ZUCCHINI WRAP!--This is also a great recipe if you hate zucchini but want to eat it because its goo for you. I feel that way sometimes, I really wish I liked eggplant because of it nutrition content. However I simply hate it. So I discovered I could make eggplant tacos and I couldn't taste the eggplant...but that recipe is for next time.

This recipe is Gluten free

* 3 cups chopped zucchini
* 1 young coconut, flesh from
* 3/4 cup ground flax
* 12 leaves fresh basil
* pinch Himalayan Salt
* pinch ground pepper
* black sesame seeds

1. Place all ingredients except black sesame seeds in blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Spread in a thin layer on non-stick sheets. Don’t spread too thin or you will have holes.
4. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
5. Dehydrate at 115 for 3 hours. When tops are dry, peel off of sheet and dry until bottoms are dry to the touch but still pliable.
6. Cut into 5 squares. Makes 12.

Spinach Cream Dressing

* 1 cup macadamia nuts
* 1/4 cup water
* 2 tablespoons oil
* 1/4 cup young Thai coconut flesh
* 1 clove garlic
* 1/3 cup spinach
* 2 teaspoons lemon juice
* pinch Himalayan Salt
* pinch pepper

1. Place all ingredients in high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

Assembly:

* 2 carrots, cubed
* 2 cucumbers, cubed
* 2 avocados, cubed
* 2 tomatoes, cubed
* 1 cup jicama, cubed

1. Mix all vegetables together.
2. Add spinach cream to the mixture by spoonful. (to taste). Combine.
3. Place a layer of lettuce on the wrap. Spoon filling on lettuce and wrap up.

Makes enough filling for 4 to 6 wraps

Pasta on the Fly

Its cold, rainy and about to snow here. I had 15mins today to eat. I could have eaten more pre-made stew. But I was starving! And what happens when I'm a hungry monster? I crave all things bad. I badly wanted pasta. So I made myself pasta! I used Spinach and tomato Semolina penne which is comparable to whole wheat. I my pasta really aldente. Sometimes even on the slightly chewy side. This again is a one pot wonder recipe that seriously took me 12 mins from start to finish.

Ok I cheated everything was pre cut already, its all the left over bell peppers and asparagus chopped. The main ingredient is the pasta, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. In each dish you make. Pick a star ingredient. Keep it simple so that ingredient really shines. In this case I really craved the chewy starch from the pasta and the salty of the parm.

This recipe is so simple yet very satisfying! Oh and whats better then pasta for one? Pasta for two, so this recipe makes enough for two.

Super simple penne pasta in pasta water sauce (totally made this up on the fly)

Ingredients:

• 2 handfuls of semolina penne pasta (I love penne because when its aldente its chewy and dense)

• a small scoop of butter

• chopped veggies such as asparagus and bell peppers

• salt/pepper

• minced garlic

• 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano)
• sliced up cured meat of choice (I used french salami and Italian speck, fatty yummy chewy goodness!)

Directions:

• Bring a small pot of salty water to a boil, drop in your penne
• prep all your veggies and protein
• once the pasta is aldente (about 8-12 mins) pull off the stove and pour out most of the water, keep about 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta water
• pour the penne and water into a bowl
• in the same pot, the butter and olive oil garlic and veggies (season with salt and pepper)
• stir in half the cheese
• once everything is warmed up (not overly cooked) about 2 mins, pour back in the pasta and the rest of the cheese. season very lightly and add in the meat
• give it a few toss until the cheese is melted, and serve immediately. pasta is best served HOT!

The starchy pasta water provides the bind you need to give the dish a slight sauce. The cheese and meat will be salty so you want to under season. Let your pallet pick up the sweet from the pasta against the salt of the meat and cheese and the fresh of the veggies.

I could easily make this gluten free by using corn and quinoa pasta. However today was one of those days I needed real carbs! So if you need them to, just do it smart use whole pasta and eat slow and you'll realize how little you need. Tomorrow I'm giving it all up and I'm back to my strictly veggie routine, need to shock my body back to health and keep my eye on the prize, 8% body fat to lose and I ain't givin up the fight!

So whats for dinner? Its grapefruit season! I could inhale a box of them! yum! Yup my dinner was 2 grapefruits! It was glorious!

Basil and Zucchini wrap courtesy of "RAWmazing"

This recipe is a bit tedious because it calls for you to make your own wrap shell, and moreover, it needs to be consumed immediately. I love wraps but I'm hard pressed to find anything I can eat when I'm detox. On detox not only do I have to stay away from gluten, but I have to fast from most of the flours that are used as white flour subs. Not because they are unhealthy. But because everything has a carb count. And carb counts for potatoes and other saturated starches are a little too high to consume. For example, it's fine to eat sweet potato, but on detox I should really have a fourth to a half. It also teaches one about moderation.

I use to binge, and even if you binge on the good stuff, sometimes it can still hinder your detox/weight loss progress. I don't count count carbs, but I do keep a mental note of volume of consumption, and for some keeping simple carb counts are helpful. For example to know how many carbs is in Almonds will help you figure out how many you can eat a day. I measure in handfuls. Since My hands are small, I can have a handful a day, EASY!

Alas I have found a way around this dilemma because I have spotted the RAWAMAINGLY COOL BASIL AND ZUCCHINI WRAP!--This is also a great recipe if you hate zucchini but want to eat it because its goo for you. I feel that way sometimes, I really wish I liked eggplant because of it nutrition content. However I simply hate it. So I discovered I could make eggplant tacos and I couldn't taste the eggplant...but that recipe is for next time.

Basil and Zucchini wrap

This recipe is Gluten free

* 3 cups chopped zucchini
* 1 young coconut, flesh from
* 3/4 cup ground flax
* 12 leaves fresh basil
* pinch Himalayan Salt
* pinch ground pepper
* black sesame seeds

1. Place all ingredients except black sesame seeds in blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Spread in a thin layer on non-stick sheets. Don’t spread too thin or you will have holes.
4. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
5. Dehydrate at 115 for 3 hours. When tops are dry, peel off of sheet and dry until bottoms are dry to the touch but still pliable.
6. Cut into 5″ squares. Makes 12.

Spinach Cream Dressing

* 1 cup macadamia nuts
* 1/4 cup water
* 2 tablespoons oil
* 1/4 cup young Thai coconut flesh
* 1 clove garlic
* 1/3 cup spinach
* 2 teaspoons lemon juice
* pinch Himalayan Salt
* pinch pepper

1. Place all ingredients in high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

Assembly:

* 2 carrots, cubed
* 2 cucumbers, cubed
* 2 avocados, cubed
* 2 tomatoes, cubed
* 1 cup jicama, cubed

1. Mix all vegetables together.
2. Add spinach cream to the mixture by spoonful. (to taste). Combine.
3. Place a layer of lettuce on the wrap. Spoon filling on lettuce and wrap up.

Makes enough filling for 4 to 6 wraps.

Gluten free, Dairy Free, Deep fried CHICKEN!

Sometimes I wonder what my cooking and eating habits will become when I have kids. I have friends who were health nuts but once had kids, started eating meat because it was good protein for their kids. Allowed their kids to eat fast food and oreo's because their friends were eating it and they wanted it too. If I could I think I would screen each kid at the school to make sure my kid wouldn't hand out with so-and-so. I use to work with kids and I know how your children primarily pick up bad habits from other kids. Picking up bad words, behavioral problems and germs. YUCK!

At any rate, one thing is for sure I could never give up meat. I've eaten less of it now then I ever have, it now accompanies my veggies. Whereas before it was like most people who used the meat to be the star. This is fine for parties and dining out. But if you continue to eat too much meat. You will die of cholesterol. But I love my meat! In fact I love it so much I'm willing to name my child Fillet. It's a play on words, get it? "Fillet Mignon," "Fish Fillet," you can even cut it short "Fille" to mean "little girl in french." Its cute, don't steal it.
What better way to eat meat, then to deep fry it!!! Being healthy would never be worth living for if there weren't alternatives. One of which, I had given up for the longest time but realized now that in moderation and only on special occasions I can have fried chicken. I loveeee fried chicken. What's not to love about deep fried goodness. Every country has its own version of it. Thusly I have formed the Republic of Linda and created the: GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE, DEEP FRIED SORT OF HEALTHY CHICKEN! I spotted this recipe on Larie Colwin's gluten free cook book. As always I spot, steal, and make it better ;)

I hope you enjoy. This is one of the more rather complicated recipes, but its a fun one and I promise you won't know the difference. Gluten free has a bad rap. I use to buy gluten free granola from TJ's that tasted like cardboard. Truth is some times to be healthy you have to eat more bland. But in realty if you hone your taste buds and give them a break from the over indulgence of flavors, your buds will heal and you will realize how amazingly sweet asparagus can be. Or how flavorful cucumber is. Real chefs understand this, and therefore you won't see ketchup bottles or excess dipping sauces at a fine restaurant. You should be able to eat food as is. There's no point in eating a salad if your going to drown it in ranch dressing. Let Hidden Valley stay hidden.

The Republic of Linda's: GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE, DEEP FRIED SORT OF HEALTHY CHICKEN!

Buttermilk alternative:

Equivalent: 1 cup of Buttermilk

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 teaspoons Lemon juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, or Cream of Tartar
• Plain or Unsweetened Milk Alternative (soy, rice, oat, etc.)

Directions: Add enough of the milk alternative to the juice, vinegar, or cream of tartar to make one cup. Let the solution stand for ten minutes before adding to your recipe.

Pat your chicken breast dry and submerge in the buttermilk. Cover and brine for 24 hours.

Breading Ingredients:

• 1 three pound chicken, cut into parts
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 cup quinoa flour
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon pimentón dulce (smoked paprika)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
• Several cups of Rice bran oil for frying (you can use olive, peanut, or coconut oil which is highest in saturated fat)
• Light sesame oil

tips:

• Fried chicken should be served warm. It should never be eaten straight from the fryer – it needs time to cool down and set.
• Contrary to popular belief, fried chicken should not be deep fried.
• Fried chicken must be made in a chicken fryer – a steep-sided frying pan with a domed top. Ed. Note: A deep sauté pan or a Dutch oven work just fine, as long as you have a lid.
• It must never be breaded or coated with anything except flour (which can be spiced with salt, pepper and paprika). No egg, no crumbs, no crushed Rice Krispies.

Instructions

1. Chicken pieces should be roughly the same size – this means that you should cut breasts into quarters. If you don’t quarter the breast, you’ll end up with large underdone pieces.
2. Put the flour in a deep, wide bowl and season with salt, pepper, and optional smoked paprika and cayenne. Laurie recommends paprika because she adores paprika and feels it gives the chicken a smoky taste and beautiful color.
3. Mix the chickpea flour, quinoa flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne in a bowl. Mix well and then sift together to make sure everything is completely distributed.
4. Now, coat the chicken with the flour. To do this, lay a few pieces of chicken in the bowl and “pack the flour on a if you were a child making sand pies. Any excess flour should be packed between the layers. It’s important to make sure that every inch of chicken has a nice thick cover.”
5. Let the chicken sit while you work with the frying oil. I used rice bran oil with light sesame oil mixed in, and it worked fabulously.
6. The oil should come up to just under the halfway mark on your chicken fryer – say, about 1 to 1-1/2 inches deep. Over a medium flame, heat the oil to 360°F (or until a piece of bread on a skewer fries as soon as you dip it on).
7. Carefully slip into the oil as many pieces as will fit in the pan. Laurie says that the rule is to crowd the pan a bit. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover the pan. She says, “the idea of covering frying chicken makes many people squeal, but it is the only correct method. It gets the chicken cooked through.” Ed. note: don’t mess with your chicken while it’s cooking. Poking and prodding will knock off your coating… so just let it alone!
8. The chicken must be just done to that it is crispy but still juicy. She recommends about six minutes per side, turning only once. Dark meat will take a little longer, and use a sharp form to test the chicken to see if it’s done – when the chicken just slips off the fork, it is done inside.

9. Take off the lid and turn up the heat to medium-high. Fry the chicken until it is a dark honey color.

10. Remove the chicken from the oil and set it on a platter, then put the platter in the oven. If your oven has a gas pilot light, that should be enough heat. If you have an electric oven, flip it on ahead of time to the lowest setting and turn it off after two minutes. Let the chicken sit until it has cooled to a warm temperature.

SiiiI'm not really at the point in my wt loss/athletic training where I can actually eat this. Mainly because it will hinder my overall progress time. But it is something I would eat. And I would even say I'd make it sometime next month on a Sunday in thanksgiving for the upcoming Easter season. For those of you who are just allergic to gluten or looking for a healthier kick. This is a great way to start. Enjoy

Waste nothing! Ratatouille: A one pot wonder

So if your never home long enough to eat all the fresh produce you buy, this recipe is for you. I travel a lot and sometimes I over estimate how much I can eat. Depending on the temperature of your fridge, produce has a very short shelf life. Certain things will go bad before others. Basil is a needy plant is only good fresh from the store or from your garden. The best basil you will ever have is the one you grow yourself!

This is a no brainer recipe, but I actually spotted something similar by Chef Jacques Pepin. The founder of the French Culinary Institute NY. Its my spin on Ratatouille. While the cute Pixar movie has put this dish on the pallet of many foodies. The origin of the dish is a humble one. It was served on the side, and often made with the left overs in the kitchen. It's a simple vegetable sautee, traditionally with onions, bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, marjoram, thyme, basil etc. However Americans have adapted and added protein, since then it has also been know to be served as an entree.

Some of you ask, "how does one have time to cook to eat healthy?" I'll tell ya what, God invented refrigerators. NOT man, man only assembled it. Because it is simply a divine appliance. It's always more desirable to eat things fresh but c'mon, Only rich people have time to eat 100% fresh all the time. So yeah, I'm a humble teacher who only has time to cook once a week.--and shameful to say, sometimes once a month.

This is a stewish soup. It is very hardy packed with veggies and because you made it, you will feel great knowing exactly what is in it. This recipe is sugar free, gluten free and if you wish, protein free.

Before you impatiently scroll down past my very poetic ramblings to peep the recipe here is a few notes you'll miss if you do so...First of all with french cooking it is always important to mind the details. Each recipe starts with a mirepoix. This is chopping up onions, celery and carrots. It is crucial to always chop all of your veggies into the same size. This will allow them all cook evenly. plus it looks bad if they are oddly shaped. Secondly, Always add things that take longer to cook first. And thirdly, taste, taste, taste. Otherwise you'll end up with a huge pot of yuckiness...and you will feel like a fool and give up cooking forever.

ok onward to this SUPER SIMPLE RECIPE!!!

Ratatouille A La Linda

Ingredients:
for the Mirepoix
1 tbs Sesame oil (or any oil of your preference)
5 cloves of garlic ( I really love garlic)
1 onion diced
1 carrot diced
1 Celery diced

Into the broth:

• Organic Beef broth (you can make your own or use chicken broth, or veggie stock)

• 3 handfuls of brown or mixed grain rice

• 2 handfuls of lentils

• sea salt

• 1 tbs crushed red peppers (Capsaicin is healthy for you, if you want to avoid high sodium, add more pepper to mask the bland taste of low sodium).
  

• a generous pinch of thyme

• a generous pinch of safflower
  

• (add more spices to your liking. In this recipe i like to broth to be simple to let the veggies shine.
• the most important part is: ALL THE VEGGIES IN YOUR FRIDGE! Whatever you have that's fresh and left over chop it up. I had some bell peppers, asparagus, kimchi cabbage, potato, tomato.

Directions

• Mirepoix into the pot to saute for one min
  
• Pour broth into pot and bring to a boil. once boiled reduce temp to medium
• add in lentils and rice (they take longest to cook, stir occasionally to not stick to the pot
• add in all the spices. I just toss it in , but if you need measurements, 1/2 tbs of each will work.
  
• Chop up all your veggies
• add the ones that take longest to cook
• let your soup simmer on medium for 1o mins
• add in the veggies that cook fastest (this ensures they aren't over cooked and retain more nutrients)
• turn heat to low to simmer for 20 mins.
• taste to see if its seasoned to your liking. Scoop up some rice and lentil to taste, once they are cooked thoroughly, turn off stove and serve.

In my case I had left over salmon I broiled with lemon pepper and olive oil. So now my fridge is clean and my belly is warm. What to do with all that's left? immediately take what you can't eat now and put it in the freezer. section it off if your going to take some to lunch or eat it tomorrow. Don't forget to date it. Soup can last a week in your fridge.

I know its boring, but I eat this for lunch and sometimes for dinner too. I eat it for two weeks at a time everyday. I know the average person can't do that. I've programmed myself for the past 6 months to do this. I've coupled that with detox, and working out. I run 3 miles a day, 3-5 times a week. I've lost 61 lbs and still losing. I've come to prefer this boring meal. Its energy and its brainless. I don't have time to think about what to eat. I grab and go. I think this is far more beneficial then having to feel starving, then crave something, that like a really bad date, I'll regret in the morning. The fallacy is, "I work out more, I need to eat more." NOT TRUE. you just need more substance to your meals. Small portions more meals. I can't stress this enough.

Don't get me wrong, When I party, I go all out, and I eat. I'll call up friends and get the best restaurant food money can buy. But that's once a month. Its also practical, it makes eating out special. I use to eat out so much it was no longer an event, it was just part of life. How sad...don't be sad make yourself some warm soup to warm your belly on this sickeningly cold Northern California winter night.

Enjoy.

Fear not the fish (Slow cooked salmon)

"You don't have to necessarily copy recipes all the time, the gaining of experience and confidence allows you to find your own style and be creative. But you have to always think with a certain logic, the logic is, "is it tasteing good?" its not about being overly creative, its not about creating a miracle. Its about creating an edible dish. "- Chef Eric Ripert

Fish is a protein that had alluded me for most of my life. My parents ate alot of catfish and when I was young choked on this boney fish and was traumatized. It was only when I discovered fresh Salmon, that my horizons opened and my life changed forever.

I admire Chef Eric, owner of my fave french restaurant Le Bernardin in NYC. I like him because his pallet is simple yet he has such a deep understanding of how to give simplicity to so much life. In this recipe I spotted, he takes something simple such as slow braising leeks, moves on to something unique such as laterally cooking a fish, and finishes it with the complexity of creating a sauce. You might think, "how hard is it to make a sauce?". In truth it can be very easy. The complexity comes from honing your techniques to refine your pallet. It is all about tasting each step of the way. "Taste, taste, taste" as Chef Ripert would say. Mixing a ingredients into a pot can be simple enough, but does it taste fantastic?

Your task: start with choosing the protein of your liking. Second pair a vegetable that will help highlight the star quality of your meat, then finish it with a flavor that will tie it all together.

This time I will go in-depth on a Barely cooked Salmon with leeks in a Red-wine butter sauce

Barely cooked Salmon

Ingredients

½ cup red wine
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon shallots, minced
4 sprigs tarragon
2 leeks
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin off
Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

The Garnish:
1 teaspoon sliced tarragon
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon finely minced shallots

1. In a small sauce pot, combine the red wine, red wine vinegar, black peppercorns, shallots and tarragon. Bring the wine to a boil and reduce slightly. To about 6 tablespoons. Reserve in pot.

2. For the leeks, before its washed prepare them on a cookie sheet. Sometimes there will be sand in the stalks of the leeks that would get into the cracks of your cutting board. Trim the ends of the leeks, remove the tough outer greens and wash thoroughly. Split the leek in half lengthwise and thinly slice the leeks into juliennes; place the leeks in a shallow pot and cover with water and 1 tablespoon of butter. Bring to a simmer, lightly season with salt and pepper and cook slowly until the leeks are very tender, about 10 minutes, adding more water as needed.

3. Finish the red wine butter sauce by whisking in the remaining butter 1 tablespoon at a time
until fully emulsified. When your adding fat to a sauce, make sure the sauce is boiling. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove the aromatics by straining the sauce through a fine mesh sieve and keep warm.

4. For the salmon, put about ½ cup of water in a pan (just enough to cover the surface); season with salt and bring to simmer on medium heat. Season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the salmon in the pan; cook at a bare simmer until the top of the fish is just warm to the touch (about 5-7 minutes). This method allows the top of the salmon to retain its pink color but still be thoroughly cooked. This is a Scandinavian technique called lateral cooking. (make sure you move the salmon around just a bit to ensure it doesn't stick to the pan)

Meanwhile, gently reheat the leeks in the cooking liquid. Spoon the leeks onto each plate,
remove the salmon from the pan and drain each fillet on a towel. Place a salmon fillet on top of each bed of leeks. Sprinkle tarragon (which has an anise flavor), black pepper and shallot over each fillet. Careful not too add too much you don't want the shallots to overpower the star of the dish.

Spoon sauce around and serve immediately. The green from the leeks, the pink of the salmon and the red of the wine creates a harmoniously festive dish.

Enjoy!

Baked Brie & Best Buddies

I have come to terms with the fact that I am just an average girl. I'm not really superb at anything. I'm pretty mediocre. At best I'm "proficient." I'm good at being stubborn and mildly competitive. However I think I'm pretty good at rockin at being average. What I am is lucky. Lucky that what I do have is above average friends who despite my quirks, my neurotic need to analyze and scrutinize, love me anyways.

I guess I say this, because if you really are interested in your well being, losing weight, getting healthy, whatever it may be. You have to have a strong and line of support. It begins with yourself. It begins with realizing God is ever present and will be in every fiber of your being. It extends to your friends, family, coworkers, even down to how you treat the barista at your local coffee hangout. Why? Because most people are more fragile then they'd like to admit. I don't buy into the "I'm emotionally constipated because I'm a guy" nonsense. People express themselves and require affection in different ways, nonetheless they need it somehow. So before you do anything, ask yourself, who is there for you?

This tangent was based on a request for the baked brie recipe. This recipe isn't spotted but rather poached from one of my best friends Allyson . She taught me this simple recipe and ever since I've claimed it as my own and it had been a hit at parties, late night snacks to sober up. Or even as a romantic appetizer for two at dinner. The key, is really good bread and really good rum. To not screw this up as I've done only once, make sure the oven is actually heating up properly =) Oh and I haven't had time to make this recently and therefore do not have an original photo, I apologize. Oh and the look of Al's brie kicks ass over any photo of the brie I could google. When I do make it I will have to amend this post.

Recipe for: Al's Baked Brie
Tastes: Like a warm hug from the unexpected breeze of the Santa Ana winds on an otherwise cold winter afternoon.

Ingredients:

• 1 full wheel of brie (Presidente brand is most common to find, but the better the quality the better the dish)
• 1 generous handful of pecans (coarsely chopped) -add any other nuts you'd like
• generous handful of cranberries
  
• brown sugar about 2 tbs to 1/4 cup (depends on your sweet tooth)
  
• 1/4 cup rum, whiskey or sangria (or juice for sobriety sake)
• 1/4 vanilla bean (optional)
• 1 loaf of french or Italian bread sliced into 1/2-1/4 inch thick
  

Directions:

1. Place whole wheel of brie onto nonstick baking pan and throw into the oven at 350F for about 10 mins
   
2. In the mean time in a bowl, toss in the chopped nuts with the cranberries, enough brown sugar to coat then pour in enough rum to coat mixture.
   
3. With a sauce pan turn on heat to medium Spoon the mixture in and slowly caramelize. If there's excess rum, leave it. too much liquid will hinder the caramel process. If you don't know how to caramelize, I will not teach you, figure it out. Or click the highlight.
   
4. Turn heat off once it begins to simmer, you don't want it to fully caramelize just yet.
   
5. open oven and pour mixture over your brie. close oven. approx 1o mins
   
6. On a cookie sheet place your bread slices on it and toss it in the oven to toast along with the brie.
   
7. allow the brie to heat up and melt inside and the nuts will begin to brown, make sure you keep an eye on it as to not burn.
   
8. Whole process takes about 20 mins.
9. When you feel everything is sufficiently heated and bread is toasted to your liking, take it out and serve immediately.

When you take the brie and bread out, cut into the brie wheel, it should ooze out completely melted. It's the molten hot mess that's sweet from the topping, salty from the brie, and crispy from the bread. If the brie isn't melted enough just throw it back in the oven.

This recipe is incredibly simple, but just a few things that I'll be anal about since it makes or breaks this dish. One, the brie is completely melted, and the topping caramelizes, and two the bread is good bread.

This recipe is fatty, but you can make it more healthy by slicing up fresh granny smith apples to replace bread. The tart adds its own dimension.

Santé, cheers to life and happiness. Enjoy.