Angel Sugar Cookies, Gluten-Free

(http://artofglutenfreebaking.com)   -adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From an Accidental Country Girl, Ree Drummond -makes about 4 dozen 3 inch cookies Special Equipment Needed -a stand mixer is nice, but not necessary Note: This recipe uses my gluten-free flour mix: Jeanne's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix (mix together and store in fridge): 1 1/4 C (170 g) brown rice flour 1 1/4 C (205 g) white rice flour 1 C (120 g) tapioca flour 1 C (165 g) sweet rice flour (also known as Mochiko) 2 scant tsp. xanthan gum (you can also use the gluten-free flour mixture (not baking mix) of your choice--just be sure it contains xanthan gum. Or, you can add 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum per cup of gluten-free flour. If you use bean flour, it will add a bean taste to the cookies) Ingredients 4 C plus 2 TBL (580g) Jeanne's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cream of tartar 2 sticks (1 C;  225g) unsalted butter, softened 1 C (235 ml) neutral oil--I use rice bran oil, but you can also use an oil like canola 1 C (190g) granulated sugar, plus more for the tops of the cookies 1 C (120g) powdered sugar, sifted 2 large or extra large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter, oil, and the 2 sugars.  The mixture will be quite runny.  Beat for about 2 minutes.  Add the vanilla extract.  Beat to combine.  Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.  Beat for a minute more to combine all.  Or you can mix it all by hand with a spoon. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.  Cover your bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  The dough is quite soft and you need to firm it up enough to work with. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put some granulated sugar in a shallow bowl.  Cover the bottom of a drinking glass with butter and then dip it into granulated sugar.  The sugar should now coat the entire bottom of your glass. With your hands, grab blobs of dough that are a bit smaller than a golf ball and form them into balls--place each on an ungreased baking sheet.  Place the unused dough back into the refrigerator--it is very soft and only gets softer at room temperature.  Now press down on each ball with your sugar and butter covered glass--this will flatten each cookie and place a topping of sugar on each.  Dip your glass bottom into the granulated sugar before flattening each cookie.  There should be about 2 inches between each cookie on the sheet because they will spread as they bake. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes.  You want the edges to be just barely brown--but not too brown.  Cool on sheets for about 1 minute or two and then remove to racks to cool completely. These cookies are truly lighter than air and are fragile.  They are the perfect treat for anytime you want a little something sweet.  I also like them with my cup of tea in the afternoon.  They are quite addicting--it is hard to stop eating them once you start! Enjoy!

Naan (going for the gluten-free version)

Naan: Indian Oven-Baked Flat Bread
Recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeira

Prep Time:15 minInactive Prep Time:3 hr 0 minCook Time:15 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
6 loaves

If there's anything that will make you fall in love with Indian food, it's naan. This flatbread from the North of India is juxtaposition at its most beautiful: pillowy and elastic, with dark charred bubbles and a crispy bottom. It's usually made in a tandoor oven, a clay oven that can reach up to 900 degrees F! That's hard to replicate at home, but this stovetop version comes pretty darned close.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling, see Cook's Note*
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kalonji (nigella seeds), optional, see Cook's Note**
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, optional, see Cook's Note**
Melted butter for slathering on the finished naans
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Directions
In a large glass, dissolve the dry yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar with 3/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees F). Let it sit on your counter until it's frothy, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar and baking powder into a large, deep bowl.

Once the yeast is frothy, add the yogurt and the olive oil into the glass, and stir to combine. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and add the kalonji and fennel seeds, if using, and gently mix the ingredients together with a fork. When the dough is about to come together, use your hands to mix. It will feel like there isn't enough flour at first, but keep going until it transforms into a soft, slightly sticky and pliable dough. As soon as it comes together, stop kneading. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it sit in a warm, draft-free place for 2 to 4 hours.

When you're ready to roll, make sure you have two bowls on your counter: one with extra flour in it, and one with water. The dough will be extremely soft and sticky-this is good! Separate the dough into 6 equal portions and lightly roll each one in the bowl of extra flour to keep them from sticking to each other.

Shape the naan. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a teardrop shape, narrower at the top than at the bottom. It should be 8 to 9-inches long, 4-inches wide at its widest point and about 1/4-inch thick. Once you've formed the general shape, you can also pick it up by one end and wiggle it; the dough's own weight will stretch it out a little. Repeat this method with the rest of the dough. (If you're making the gluten-free version, you'll have better luck pressing the dough out with your fingertips, than rolling.)

Warm a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it's nearly smoking. Make sure you have a lid large enough to fit the skillet and have a bowl of melted butter at the ready.

Dampen your hands in the bowl of water and pick up one of your naans, flip-flopping it from one hand to the other to lightly dampen it. Gently lay it in the skillet and set your timer for 1 minute. The dough should start to bubble.

After about 1 minute, flip the naan. It should be blistered and somewhat blackened, don't worry - that's typical of traditional naan! Cover the skillet with the lid and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more.

Remove the naan from the skillet, brush with a bit of butter and sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt. Place the naan in a tea towel-lined dish. Repeat with the rest of the naans and serve.

Cook's Notes:

* If you would like to make this gluten-free, you can substitute in 2 1/4 cups of a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix for the regular flour, plus 1 1/4 teaspoons of xanthum gum.

**The kalonji and fennel seeds are not traditional, but I love the burst of onion and mild licorice flavor they add. You can find them pretty cheaply at your local Indian market.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_572006_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html?oc=linkback

Aloo Gobi

Ingredients for aloo gobi masala :

450gms Potatoes
450gms Gobi (Cauliflower florets)
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 no. Chopped green chillies
1 tsp Coriander paste
1 tsp Cumin paste
1/4 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric paste
1 tsp Chopped coriander leaves
Salt To Taste

How to make aloo ghobi :

• Par boil the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the cumin seeds for about 2 minutes, until they begin to splutter. Add the green chilli and fry for a further 1 minute.
• Add the cauliflower florets and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, the ground spices and salt and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the vegetable are tender.
• Garnish the aloo gobi with coriander and serve with tomato and onion salad and pickle.

Saag Chicken

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken pieces, skinned 

5 cloves garlic, minced 

2 large onions, minced 

2 large tomatoes, crushed 

1-inch piece ginger, minced 

4 tbsp milk 

4 bunches spinach, washed and chopped 

2 tbsp butter 

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 

1 tsp coriander powder 

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 large cardamom pods 

2 cloves 

7 tbsp vegetable oil 

1 tsp garam masala 

1/2 tsp salt

How to make chicken saag :

• Fry the chicken lightly in 4 tablespoon of oil for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned and set aside.
• Put the spinach into a deep pan; add 1/4 cup water. Bring to boil and remove from heat. When cool, grind in blender and set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil and add ginger, garlic and onions; sauté until lightly brown. Add tomatoes, salt, cayenne, coriander powder, turmeric, cloves, and cardamom.
• Sprinkle with one tablespoon water. Cook for 10 minutes over low heat. Add chicken and milk. Simmer until the chicken is tender.
• Add spinach and garam masala. Cook until spinach starts sticking to pan. Remove from heat. Add butter to chicken saag and cover until ready to serve.

http://www.indianfoodforever.com/non-veg/chicken/saag-chicken.html 

Frosty Paws

This is a dog treat called frosty paws. You make the "smoothie" and then put it in the freezer and serve it to them frozen. I opted for ice cube trays but traditionally they are made in a disk like shape. Enjoy! Bark bark!

Frosty Paws are a frozen treat for dogs created in the 1970s by an Ohio State professor of animal science after a challenge from local ice cream parlor patrons. A dog-friendly alternative to sugary, lactose-laden ice cream, Frosty Paws have a yogurt base that contains less lactase than ice cream, so your dog can tolerate it better. But as tasty as the Frosty Paws treats are to your pooch, they may be cost-prohibitive if you are on a budget. If you want to reward your dog with dog ice cream at a low cost, you can whip up your own frozen treat at home.

Recipe Version 1

Step 1

Place the banana in a blender or food processor. Add 32 ounces plain yogurt. Scoop 2 tsp. of peanut butter and 2 tsp. of honey into the mix. Alternatively, try goat's milk yogurt for a treat containing much less lactose.

Step 2

Mix ingredients until well blended.

Step 3

Round up paper cups, small plastic containers, ice cube trays or muffin tins to use as molds for the mixture. Pour small amounts into the cups, muffin tins or plastic containers. Aim for a hockey puck shape and thickness to resemble the original Frosty Paws size.

Step 4

Fill an ice cube tray with the concoction to create handy bite-size pieces you can give to your dog when a regular-size frozen treat is too much.

Step 5

Freeze the treats, then put them in a freezer bag for easy storage.

Recipe Version 2

Step 1

Prepare the basic recipe as above, using 32 ounces of yogurt and banana and omit the honey and peanut butter.

Step 2

Add 1/4 cup strawberries, cranberries or blueberries for an antioxidant boost for your pup.

Step 3

Alternatively, add one can of pumpkin to the basic recipe and add 1/8 tsp. of carob powder.

Step 4

Mix and pour the mixture in the same manner as the basic recipe, and freeze.

http://www.dailypuppy.com/articles/how-to-make-homemade-frosty-paws-dog-ice-cream_1505.html

Momofuku Ramen

David Chang inspired me to make ramen during one of his episodes of Mind of a Chef. The show is definitely worth checking out: 

http://www.pbs.org/food/shows/the-mind-of-a-chef/ 

I got his cookbook MOMOFUKU from the library but found someone online who recreated it at this link if you are interested in trying it.

http://the-cooking-of-joy.blogspot.com/2012/12/momofuku-ramen-broth.html 

Or here:

http://foodnouveau.com/2011/02/destinations/asia/japan/david-changs-momofuku-ramen-with-pickled-shiitakes/

This is a wonderful recipe, lots' of fun if you have the time to dedicate to it. 

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

Total Time: 20 min

Yield: 12 pancakes

Level: Easy

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

2 extra-large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Unsalted butter

2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving

Pure maple syrup

Directions

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/banana-sour-cream-pancakes-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

My First Ramen