Gluten Free Cinnamon Streusel Breakfast Cake

 

I've been in the mood for breakfast cake for a few months now, but have had a hard time finding a recipe that I liked.  I wanted something simple with cinnamon so that my kitchen would smell like fresh baked cinnamon rolls without the effort or disappointment I've had from trying to bake them gluten free.  I also wanted a recipe using ingredients that I always have on hand so that I could make breakfast cake whenever the craving came. I ended up adding and subtracting things from a few recipes to come up with the following.  This creates a moist and delicious breakfast cake that our entire family loves!

Gluten Free Cinnamon Struesel Cake

Cake Batter:

1-1/2 cups gluten free flour mix

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon xanthum gum

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Cinnamon Streusel: (double if you want to put a layer of streusel in the middle of the cake**)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon gluten free flour mix

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

Combine the cake batter ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Combine the dry streusel ingredients with the melted butter.  Sprinkle over the batter.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Serve warm. 

**For a sweeter breakfast cake, double the streusel topping and layer as follows: Spread half of the cake batter into the pan.  The layer will be thin.  Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter and cover with the remaining batter.  Sprinkle the rest of the streusel on top.  Cook as directed above.

Gluten Free Cafe Rio Chicken Salad

 

There are a bazillion copy-cat Cafe Rio salad recipes out there - I've got at least 3 different variations in my recipe box. (Cafe Rio is a yummy fresh Mex restaurant out West).  In my humble opinion, they are all super delicious and really similar so it doesn't really matter which one you make!  This salad involves making 3 recipe (4 if you're making gluten free tortillas): Green Chili Rice, Creamy Tomatillo Dressing, and Seasoned Chicken.  

Cafe Rio chicken salad is served in layers.  First cheese is melted onto a flour tortilla (delicious with a gluten free tortilla, corn tortillas or no tortilla!) then it is filled with the green chili rice, black or pinto beans (we prefer black) and shredded chicken.  All of this yumminess is topped with the salad greens of your choice (they use romaine, but we use spinach because it's so good for you!), and if you're really ambitious you can add pico de gallo, guacamole and tortilla strips before drizzling on the amazing Creamy Tomatillo Dressing.  Yum!  I'm already looking forward to having leftovers tomorrow!

Seasoned Chicken

5 pounds chicken breasts or tenders

1 bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing (always check ingredients for gluten!)

1 Tablespoon Chili powder

1 Tablespoon cumin

Place everything in the crockpot and stir to coat the chicken.  Cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-6 hours.  (If chicken is frozen, cook on high 4-5 hours) Shred chicken before serving.

Green Chili Rice

3 cups water

4 teaspoons gluten free chicken bullion

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 bunch chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon cumin

1 can mild diced green chilies

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 cups rice (not instant)

1 Tablespoon butter

Combine ingredients in a rice cooker and cook per manufacturers directions or cook stove top following the directions on the rice package.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

3 medium tomatillos, peeled and rinsed

1 package dry ranch buttermilk dressing (double check ingredients for gluten)

1 cup gluten free mayonaisse

1/2 - 1 cup buttermilk (start with 1/2 and add more if dressing is too thick)

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 clove garlic

1/4 -1 jalepeno (depending on how spicy you like it)

juice of 1 lime

Dump everything into a blender and mix until smooth.  Add more buttermilk if dressing is too thick.  Chill until ready to serve.  

Additonal ingredients for salad:

black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

gluten free tortillas

shredded cheese

salad greens

Optional Ingredients for salad:

Salsa (pico de gallo)

guacamole

tortilla strips or chips

any other topping that sounds good to you!

!BUEN PROVECHO!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are not only quick, easy, and delicious, but they also don't contain flour of any sort.  Since they don't have any special ingredients, this is a great recipe to share with friends or family when they want to make you a treat.  Make sure the peanut butter has not been contaminated with gluten!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
optional:
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or 1 unwrapped Hershey kiss for each cookie

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Combine all ingredients (except chocolate) in a small mixing bowl and stir until blended. If adding chocolate chips, stir them into cookie dough just until combined.   Drop dough on an ungreased cookie sheet, using slightly rounded teaspoonfuls.  Do not flatten or crisscross with a fork as they will turn out too flat. Bake 9 minutes or until cookies are puffed and golden.  Cookies will be very soft so let them stand 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing. 

For Peanut Butter Blossoms put an unwrapped Hershey kiss on top of each cookie after they’ve cooked 8 minutes and then stick them back in the oven for the last minute.  

Gluten Free Chicken Divan

I've kind of been on a food blog hiatus ever since we put our house up for sale in February. It's hard to cook and keep a clean kitchen. I'm a bit messy when I cook and the stress of having our house ready to show ALL the time makes me a bit reluctant to start something in the kitchen! Posting recipes is something that makes me happy, and who couldn't use a bit more happiness? My food blog is going back on my list of priorities!

Chicken Divan is one of my favorite dinners in the world. This is what I've had for my birthday dinner almost every year of my life! I was reluctant to post this picture because it doesn't look half has good as it taste...casseroles are kind of like that, aren't they.

GlutenFree Chicken Divan

1 1/2 cups milk
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 gluten free chicken bouillon cubes
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 cups cheddar cheese, grated.
32 ounce bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1 pound chicken, cooked and cut into 2 inch pieces (or use tenders)
salt and pepper to taste
Cooked rice

Combine milk, cornstarch, pepper, and GF chicken bouillon cubes in a saucepan on medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add butter. Cook and stir until melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. To this, add the mayonnaise, curry powder and lemon juice. Combine until the sauce is smooth (my mom usually double this sauce and puts half of it in a gravy boat to serve at the table for those who want extra).

In a greased 9x13 pan place broccoli followed by the cooked chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce on evenly over the casserole. Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees 35-40 minutes. Serve over warm rice.

Triple Chocolate Cookies - Gluten Free

My husband loves chocolate so to celebrate our anniversary I made him his all time favorite cookie: triple chocolate. The name says it all. These cookies have a decadent brownie like chocolaty base loaded with semisweet and white chocolate chips. YUM! Don't be surprised if they become your favorite too!

Mommy's little helper

Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup gluten free flour mix
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon xanthum gum
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and creamy for about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat for 1-2 minutes. Sift together dry ingredients (except chocolate chips) and gradually add to the butter mixture. Mix until blended and stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Enjoy.