Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Chocolate is just one of those things you cannot live without!  My good friend is allergic to gluten and planning on attending a mutual friends birthday party, not wanting her to feel left out, I decided to make her a chocolate cake that she could eat. This perfectly light and delicious cake is perfect for any chocolate cake lover and you won't even notice it's gluten free. See some of my other gluten free recipes and subscribe for more great gluten free recipes to come. Enjoy!

Ingredients:


Dry (in own bowl)
2 cups Gluten Free Flour ( I buy Bob's Red Mill, its not organic, but its "all natural)
1 cup cane sugar (if grainy sit in water for a little bit to help break it down, if this is the case add in with liquids rather than dry ingredients ;)
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt



Wet ingredients: (in own bowl)

1/3 cup veggie oil
2/3 cup water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees, next mix dry ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls
2) Slowly mix wet ingredients into wet and whisk til clumps are very small
3) Baking times will be different for what ever you make, the only way to know if your cake is done is if a fork or toothpick is poked in and comes out with out any liquid. Bigger cakes take up to 45 mins.
4) Frost, see recipe above for a lovely frosting to try out.

Italian Chicken Caccitore- Gluten Free Options

Serves 4
Prep time 20 mins
Cook time 40 mins or longer

Ingredients:
Approx 4 pack of chicken thighs
2 large chicken breasts
1 egg
Flour (make this dish gluten free by using gluten free flour or just simply fry chicken in oil and skin)

Sauce:
2 Jars of marinara (I can my own tomatoes every summer)
2 tbsp. capers
3/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 cup red wine/ or dry white
1/2 medium white onion diced
1 sliced red bell pepper
2-4 cloves fresh diced garlic
oregeno, basil, thyme

Pasta of choice, use polenta or other gluten free pasta (watch for gluten free pasta recipe, soon to come)


Directions:

1) Start marinara, seasonings, wine broth, and capers into crockpot* or larger pot on medium-low.


2) Start skillet with olive oil coat at medium-high and saute onion, bell, and garlic til onion begins to brown. Add to marinara and stir  in, taste, and add more seasonings if needed




*if using a crockpot I suggest starting the sauce earlier, so you assure its hot enough so when you add chicken it won't sit at a dangerous temp.





3) Use same hot skillet on medium-high with light coat of olive oil. In small mixing bowl, crack egg and whip. Dip chicken in egg batter then coat with bread crumbs (or alt.) and place into hot skillet.

4) Once chicken is cooked throughout add to bubbling marinara, let cook at least 40 mins, you want the chicken to just fall off of the bone when you eat it.



5) Test chicken with a fork to see if it is falling apart, Start pasta noodles, once pasta is done to your liking, you can dish up. I like au dente which means its still a little hard in the very center, but just slightly.

Enjoy this savory Italian dish over your pasta of choice and plenty of Parm!

Enchiladas- Vegetarian or Low Carb or Gluten Free Versions

Hello, there and welcome to my blog! I am so glad you stopped by and hope you will follow us, make a comment, and come back to see what we are up to next! This recipe has become quite the Pinterest sensation and I am so happy to share my kitchen with all of you! 

Enchiladas are great because they are so tasty and so versatile. You can make many variations of enchiladas for almost any diet needs from gluten free, dairy free, and even vegetarian or vegan. I have made so many variations on enchiladas its kind of ridiculous. If I weren't afraid of getting sick of one of my favorite dishes, I would devote a whole blog just to variations of enchiladas. Instead I will leave the choices up to you, I hope you enjoy the endless possibilities are seriously delicious!

See more of my recipe ideas here! 

Also, if your interested, my story, my urban garden, or my inspiration, I'd love for you to stay for a minute! 

Serves 4-6   Cook time 40 mins

Ingredients:
1 fresh tomato
1 can red enchilada sauce (bigger the more you like the sauce)
1/2 sauteed onion
3 chicken breasts or 1 lb of meat of choice or 1 pkg tempeh
Flour, corn, or low carb tortillas, your choice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Olives, fresh tomatoes and cilantro

Different Variations to try:
Creamy Enchiladas- Use 1 pkg. cream cheese to melt with chicken, but use green sauce rather than red
Red and Green Enchiladas- Use green and red sauce and mix the two
Leftover Turkey Enchiladas- Use that leftover turkey from thanksgiving for a delicious flavor
Vegetarian- Saute up some veggies to fill the tortilla and add beans of your choice, and tempeh or tofu
Vegan- Corn tortillas, sauteed veggies, beans, cooked tofu or tempeh, top with extra sauce or cheese replacement of your choice.
Low Carb and Gluten Free- Use corn tortillas rather than flour, don't use tempeh or beans

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) Boil water in saucepan and drop in chicken, once cooked cool, add seasonings and use for filling for enchiladas. Skip this step if not using tempeh instead. If you want to make creamy enchiladas now is the time to add cream cheese.
3) Empty 1/2 of your enchilada sauce and coat the bottom of a 9x12 baking pan. Make rolled "burritos" with tempeh or chicken, cheese, a little sauce, onion, and roll up. Lay in baking pan until full.
4) Add sauce over top and coat with cheese, more onions, and olives if you so choose. Bake 30 mins, let cool for 10 before serving, Enjoy with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa, and don't forget, change it up and make them a little different everytime!!!

Let me know what you think and what you tried at home, I'd love to hear about your "takes" on enchiladas, happy cooking and as always, Thanks again for stopping by!
-Stacy