Chocolate Covered Cherries-sugar & corn free

1 (10) ounce package frozen cherries
½ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon water
1 cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao

1. In a medium saucepan, heat cherries, agave, vanilla and almond extract to a simmer
2. Combine arrowroot and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl to form a paste
3. Raise heat a bit and stir the arrowroot paste into the cherry mixture
4. Stir for about 1 minute until mixture thickens, scraping bottom of the pan with spoon, to evenly distribute the arrowroot, which can tend to settle on the bottom of the pan
5. Remove cherry mixture from heat and set aside
6. Melt chocolate in a small saucepan over very low heat
7. Spoon scant 1 teaspoon of the melted chocolate into each of the candy molds
8. Spoon one cherry (with some of the sauce) on top of the chocolate
9. Cover with another scant teaspoon of chocolate
10. Place in refrigerator to set, about 20-30 minutes
11. Remove from refrigerator, pop candy out of molds
12. Serve

Garlic Soup (aigo boulido)

A soup that is good for when your sick!

From Gluten Free & Sugar Free
Serves 2

5 cups water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 cloves of garlic, minced
4 fresh sage leaves
1 medium bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 egg, lightly beated
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped

Place water, salt, garlic, sage, bay leaf, and thyme in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove a ladle full of soup and place it in a bowl to cool slightly. Once cooled, add it to the egg while whisking. While whisking the soup, pour in the egg mixture. Remove sage leaves, bay leaf, and thyme sprig. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Peppermint Bark Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1 bag of chocolate chips (any kind you like)

1 bag of white chocolate chips

24 mini candy canes, crushed *do not crush using a food processor – place candy canes in a zip lock bag and use a hammer to crush into small pieces

DIRECTIONS:

Line the bottom of a 9×13 pan with parchment paper. Pour (brown) chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave chocolate chips in increments of 30 seconds stirring the chips each time until chocolate chips have completed melted and mixture is smooth. Spread melted chocolate as evenly as possibly into lined pan. Place pan into freezer for 20 minutes. Repeat the same melting process with the white chips. While chocolate is still smooth, stir in half of the crushed candy cane mixture. Allow the white chocolate to slightly cool for a minute. Remove pan from freezer and spread white chocolate/crushed candy canes mixture on top of the chocolate layer. Spread white chocolate as quickly as possible. Top off with remaining crushed candy cane and gently pat down with the back of a spatula. Return pan to freezer for 20 minutes. Remove from freezer and gently lift the whole mixture from the pan with a butter knife. You should now have a solid sheet of peppermint bark. Remove parchment paper and break into pieces. Store any left over bark in a ziplock bag and place in the freezer. Enjoy!

Christmas Chocolate Bark

2 cups dark chocolate chips 73% cacao
⅓ cup pistachios (mine were unsalted)
⅓ cup dried cranberries
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt (I used almost 1 teaspoon, as I like salt a lot)

1. In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate
2. Pour chocolate into a parchment paper lined 8x8 pyrex baking dish
3. Sprinkle pistachios and cranberries over chocolate
4. Using a metal spatula, spread the mixture evenly back and forth to around ½ inch thickness
5. Sprinkle salt over bark
6. Allow to sit out until set, 1-2 hours
7. Cut into 16 squares and serve

Gluten Free Snickerdoodles

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 3 Tbsp sugar ½ cup trans-free shortening 1 ½ cup white sugar 2 large eggs 1 large egg yolk 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 tsp cream of tartar 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp kosher salt 1 tsp xantham gum 1 cup sweet sorghum flour 1 cup superfine white rice flour 1 cup millet flour 1/2 cup tapioca flour/starch 1. Take the butter out of the refrigerator and cut it into ½” chunks. Put the chunks into a mixing bowl of a standing mixer (outfitted with the paddle attachment). 2. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F 3. Line a baking sheet or cookie sheet with silpats or parchment paper 4. Combine the cinnamon and the 3 Tbls of granulated white sugar together in a shallow bowl. Put aside. 5. Put the shortening in the bowl with the butter and turn on the mixer to medium, beating them together until they are well blended. 6. Add the 1 ½ cups of sugar, and continue to beat until light and fluffy. 7. Add the eggs, one at a time beating after each addition and scraping down the sides with a spatula. Add the egg yolk and beat again. Finally add the vanilla and beat again. 8. Add the cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and xantham gum into the butter mixture and beat well. 9. Add the flours and beat until smooth. 10. Roll 1 tablespoon amounts of dough into 1” balls into the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place on the baking sheets about 2” apart. 11. Bake for 12 minutes of until the tops of the cookies start to crack a little. Try not to over bake them, but don’t underbake them either. You want them them to crack on top, but not to look to dark brown. Let them cool on the pan for 3 minutes and then move them to a rack to cool. Makes 48 cookies. Note: the warmer the butter, the more the cookies will spread so don't let the butter get to warm.

Cheese-Stuffed Italian Chicken

adapted from the White House Cookbook (from simply sugar &free gluten free)
serves 2

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 medium onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional- don't do mushrooms)
2 tablespoons shredded carrots
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, divided
pinch of cinnamon
8 – 10 drops liquid stevia
4 ounces tomato sauce
3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese
a few grinds of black pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 375F. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat olive oil in a medium nonstick pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until starting to soften. Add celery, mushrooms, carrots, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, cinnamon, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let the sauce reduce while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Once sauce has thickened, taste add 8 drops of stevia. Taste and add more if necessary. The sauce shouldn’t be sweet – instead, the stevia will just balance out the acid from the tomatoes.

Mix cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, and black pepper. Set aside.

Butterfly chicken breasts, then cover with plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thick with a meat mallet or a skillet. (I use my small, stainless steel saute pan.)

Divide cheese evenly between the two chicken breasts, roll, and place in prepared baking dish seam side down. Top with tomato sauce. Cover and bake for 30 – 40 minutes, until baked through. Top with shredded cheese, return to oven uncovered until cheese has melted. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Carob Dipped Pecan Shortbread Cookies

makes about 30 (2 1/2 inch) cookies
from simply sugar and gluten free

1 cup toasted pecans, divided
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
pinch of kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons Basic Flour Blend (follow link)
1 1/2 – 2 cups unsweetened carob chips
1 1/2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening
sea salt for sprinkling

Process 1/2 cup of toasted nuts in a food processor using the pulse button until finely chopped and set aside.

Cream the butter and the agave in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. (Please note that this is a different type of light and fluffy than when using white sugar – it’s a little darker in color and looks a little heavier.) Add salt, vanilla extract, and flour blend, and mix on the lowest setting just until blended. Add the processed nuts and mix again just until incorporated. Cover the dough and refrigerate it for 20 – 3o minutes to make it easier to handle.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Process the remaining 1/2 cup of toasted pecans using the pulse button until finely chopped. Put the chopped pecans on a plate. Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough evently, spacing about 1 inch apart. Once the first sheet is full of cookies, roll each dough ball in the nut mixture to coat, roll into a ball and place back onto the tray. Use a flat bottomed glass to press the cookies 1/4 inch thick. Put the first tray in the oven. Repeat process with remaining dough.

Bake one tray at a time for 15 – 18 minutes until the edges start to turn lightly golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack lined with a paper towel to cool completely.

Once cool, bring one inch of water to boil in a 4 quart saucepan. Put the shortening in the bottom of a glass or stainless steel bowl that will fit snugly on top of the pan. Add 1 1/2 cups carob on top of the shortening. Once the water reaches a boil, turn the heat off and put the bowl on top of the saucepan. Let it sit for several minutes, stirring occasionally to help the carob melt.

Once melted, remove the bowl from the saucepan and dip the cookies halfway into the carob. Shake gently to remove any excess carob. Set coated cookies on waxed paper, sprinkle lightly with sea salt, and allow it sit until carob is fully set.