Gluten Free Apple Cake

As a child, my parents owned a 6 family home. We lived in one of the apartments, my aunt and uncle lived in another, and the rest were rented. We had many tenants over the years we lived there, and my mother made friends with each and everyone of them. She was very social and always had a pot of coffee on the stove and would invite the neighbors frequently for coffee and even for meals.

One of the tenants I remember was Mrs. Bea. She was an elderly woman who had lost her husband just before she moved into our apartment. My mother invited her frequently since she was living alone. I remember she made the best Apple Cake and she would share it with us when she made it. She gave my Aunt the recipe (my Aunt was the baker in the family) but my aunt could never replicate Mrs. Bea's cake. It just wasn't the same. When Mrs. Bea passed, so did her delicious Apple Cake secret.

Over the years I also tried to replicate her recipe, but wasn't successful with the recipe she gave my Aunt. I recently tried to make a gluten free version using different recipes. They were good, but just not the same. Hers had just the right amount of apples to cake. So far this one has come the closest to the one I remember, it is a Martha Stewart recipe, German Apple Cake. The only substitution I made was to use gluten free flour instead of the all-purpose flour.

Gluten Free Apple Cake                                                          Printable Recipe
1 cup gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 baking flour)
1 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsps baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1- 1/3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
3-4 tart apples

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a deep dish pie plate. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder, set aside.

Cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined. Spread evenly in the pan.

Peel, core and slice the apples onto thin slices into a bowl. Add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Toss to coat all the apples.

Arrange the apples in rows on top of the batter, close to each other, pressing each slice into the batter.

Bake for 40 minutes, a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Chicken Stew

When I broke my arm, my husband did the cooking. I stood next to him and he followed my instructions. He was a really good student and now he is on his own and he has dinner waiting for me when I get home from work. All of the meals are gluten free, there are no gluten foods in my pantry or refrigerator, so he can be free to experiment.  Most of the recipes are mine, but he has come up with a few of his own. This one is my favorite. Chicken thighs with potatoes and string beans simmered in a tasty tomato sauce. I'm calling it Chicken Stew. It's never the same each time, he always changes it a bit, but this is the basic recipe.

2 cloves minced garlic

1 large onion, diced

Olive oil

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Italian seasoning

Salt/pepper

1 can Rotel tomatoes (I like the "original" but you can use the spicier ones if you want more heat)

1 - 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 -small can tomato sauce

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup white wine (optional)

10 baby white or red potatoes, halved

1 lb fresh green beans (or more if you like)

(I like to microwave the beans and potatoes until tender before adding them to the stew, otherwise they take a long time to cook)

                                                    

Saute the garlic and onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil until softened. add chicken thighs and brown on both sides. Season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

Add tomatoes, chicken broth, wine, potatoes and beans. 

Stir until combined. Simmer for about 1/2 hour or until chicken is tender.  

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese to serve.

Creamy Penne with Chicken, Spinach and Bacon

It's March 21 and we are having another snow storm! Snow all day and 8-12 inches expected. I don't think Spring is ever getting here! This is the kind of day to stay inside and eat some comfort food. I've been wanting to try this recipe and today seems the perfect day for something warm and creamy. Easy and quick for a weeknight dinner and impressive enough for dinner guests!

Creamy Penne with Chicken, Spinach and Bacon                  Printable Recipe

2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. boneless chicken breast or breast tenders
6 strips bacon
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt/pepper to taste
1 -14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb baby spinach
5 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 cup shredded Parmesan plus additional for serving
1 lb Gluten Free Penne

Cook bacon until, crisp, put on paper towel to drain. Cut into bite size pieces.

Cook Penne until al dente.

Season the chicken with paprika, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. In a large fry pan, saute the chicken in olive oil until no longer pink and cooked thru. Remove from pan and set aside. Cut into bite size pieces.

In the same pan, add tomatoes, spinach, garlic, pepper flakes(optional, omit if you don't want a spicy dish). Saute until spinach is wilted. Add half the bacon and chicken pieces. Mix together.


Add half and half to chicken mixture and bring to a boil. Add the Parmesan and stir until cheese is melted. Add the drained pasta. Top with bacon and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

Gluten Free Bagel

Bagels are probably the food I miss the most on a gluten free diet. Gluten free bagels just do not taste the same, and I have tried quite a few different brands. I never thought about making my own because I thought they were complicated. I came across this simple recipe looking for Weight Watcher recipes on Skinnytaste.  Just 5 ingredients-flour, Greek yogurt, salt, baking powder and egg white! Doesn't seem possible, right? Super easy, fast and they are delicious! They are light, fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside.. AND, they are only 4 points on Weight Watchers freestyle plan versus 9 points for an Udi's gluten free bagel!!!!  I don't think I will ever buy another packaged gluten free bagel again.

Gluten Free Bagels                            Print
(Makes 4 bagels)
1 cup Gluten Free Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill 1 for 1 flour mix)
2 tsps baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1 egg white, beaten
Optional toppings: I used sesame seeds, but you can top with everything bagel seasoning or poppy seeds.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use top rack.

Combine flour, salt and baking powder in bowl, add yogurt and mix together with fork until dough comes together. Move the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until it is no longer sticky. (this is quick about 10 kneads)

Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each piece into a 3/4 inch ropes, join ends to form a bagel.

 Place on a baking sheet sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Brush with beaten egg white. Sprinkle with toppings.

Bake for 25 minutes, tops should be golden brown. Cool before cutting.