rural route lupiac’s gluten free brioche – bread that’s as easy as making a cake

Rural Route Lupiac is one of our favorite gluten free recipe sites – especially when it comes to breads and pastries. Often she uses Expandex in her recipes which we can’t get here in Alberta, so we were thrilled when she converted her brioche dough to omit the modified starch.

As you can see, the results are fantastic. The crumb is tender and rich – chewy but not gooey. It reminded Geoff of the texture of a cruller. And the taste was slightly sweet with a hint of yeast. See below for more of our review and for a link to the recipe.

Wondering what to do with left over mashed potatoes? Why not make cake!

This chocolate potato cake is one of the lightest gluten free cakes we’ve tried. It has a fluffy, crumbly texture and a mild chocolate flavour. You’d never guess that the recipe uses mashed potatoes!This is a conversion of a recipe that I came across in our local paper. (I also halved the recipe which explains some of the odd measurements.) The caption in the paper says that the potatoes boost nutrition, but I’m not so sure about that!

gluten free beef stew

We think that the trick to an excellent stew is a lot of beef flavour – we are from Alberta after all! With a triple hit of beef stew meat, beef stock, and beef bouillon, this recipe fits the bill. Oh, and carrots – for some reason I love lots of carrots in stew. In honour of St. Patrick’s Day, we decided to try making gluten free bread bowls. Our Crusty Bread recipe was just the right size and held up well!

♣  HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY ♣

gluten free onion soup mix

Once you have this around for a while you’ll wonder what you did without it. This onion soup mix is great to use for a quick cup-of-soup, for dips, a rub for meats, or a base for sauces, soups, stews, and gravies. Stored in an airtight jar, it will last for at least a month.

Below you will find a recipe for the onion soup mix as well as some suggested ways to put it to good use.

gluten free brown sugar cookies – just in time for St. Patrick’s Day!

These cookies are light and sugary with a texture that’s slightly crispy at first but then dissolves into melt-in-your-mouth buttery goodness. And with only five ingredients, they are also incredibly quick and easy to make.

While the cookies themselves are quick and easy, these linzer-style sandwiches take a bit of work to put together (instructions below) but they are certainly worth it for a St. Patrick’s Day treat!

Roasted Sweet Orange Chicken

Marinated in a honey-orange marinade, this chicken comes out of the oven soft, tender, and juicy.  The zest in the marinade really adds the flavour of  oranges to the dish which also has a hint of spice from the chili pepper and sweetness from the honey.  Goes well with a tossed salad, or for something heartier, pair it with rice.

Pina Colada Almond Flour Muffins

Inspired by our trip to Maui, Geoff and I decided to try to make something that would bring together some tropical island flavours. Made with Tahitian vanilla, shredded and ground coconut, and chunks of fresh pineapple, these Pina Colada Muffins certainly do the trick. On top of all that, the almond flour base makes them hearty and the applesauce keeps them moist for days. We will certainly be making these again!   These are based on the almond flour raspberry muffins we posted earlier. Like those muffins, these should be stored in the fridge and taste even better the next day when the flavours have a chance to meld.

Sweets for the Sweet

Around here, Valentine’s Day is usually pretty understated, celebrated with a nice meal, a glass of good wine, and always … always … something sweet. So here are some of our favorite decadent desserts – perfect for your gluten free valentine!

Gluten Free Turnovers (These take a bit of work, but they certainly say “I love you.”)

Gluten Free Ferrero Rocher (Amazingly simple to make and who doesn’t love these sweet treats.)

Home Made Almond Roca (Nothing says “love” quite like butter – especially when it comes with sugar!)

Sinful Chocolate Mousse Cake (Because there’s just something about romance and chocolate!)

And for those of you in warmer climes:

Sinful Chocolate Mousse Cake: The Freezer Version

Stuffed Raspberries

Happy Valentine’s Day!

dark chocolate quinoa brownies with nutella cream cheese icing – these are not your six-year-old’s brownies

With a texture that’s beyond fudgy, these brownies have just a hint of sweetness and a whole lot of dark chocolate goodness. Just to be extra decadent, we coat them with a not-too-sweet cream cheese and Nutella icing. The brownies are really good, but the combination with the frosting is to die for!A very kind neighbour gave us this brownie recipe. Thanks Christine!

black licorice and coconut caramel candy

If you like black licorice and caramel, you’ll love these. The initial bite reveals the sharp taste of anise that soon mellows to a sweet caramel with just the faintest hint of coconut. Uhmmm, please excuse me while I go grab another one….These will be fine if stored on the counter for a day or two, but after that should be kept in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving.