GF Chinese Food Recs for A Night Out or A Night In

Chinese food has always been my delicious downfall, and finding great gluten-free options is my epic food quest. But fear not, my precious penguins, because I have stumbled upon some amazing GF chinese food, and I'm hear to share my discoveries with you.

I present to you, two easy and different but both delectable ways to enjoy GF chinese food. Cheers!


For a Night in Make: 

Ivy's Garden Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken

Ivy's nails their sweet and sour chicken. It's relatively easy to make (I used the oven and skillet option) and it tastes fantastic. I wish it came with quick cook rice, but I have no problem making that on my own. Restaurant quality without having to put on pants. 4 1/2 stars. I hope they come out with a General Taos next!

(Picture from the Ivy's website. I didn't have time to take my own before I ate it...)

And for Dessert: 

Whole Foods Market Gluten-Free Bakehouse Salted Caramel Cake

One of my coworkers brought this cake in for my and another co-workers, birthday, and when I bit into this cake, tears of joy filled my widened eyes. This cake does not only taste gluten-free, but it tastes better than your normal non-gluten free cake. I really can't think of the right words to describe how magical eating this cake is. It'd be like if a unicorn married a golden statue of Brad Pitt floating on rainbow colored clouds. 

(Picture courtesy of me, ignore the bite missing from the corner of the cake)

For a Night Out Eat:

PF Chang's GF Spicy Chicken

I've always loved PF Changs (even before I knew I had celiacs) so you can imagine how thrilled I've been to discover their gluten-free menu. I ordered the Spicy Chicken AT AN AIRPORT and it was FANTASTIC. Yes, airport food blew me away. I never thought I'd admit that, but there you go. I shouldn't have been surprised, as PF Changs has always been great, but this meal was so delicious that after one bite I called the waiter back over to verify it was gluten-free.  Honestly, it wasn't until I'd gone 48 hours without celiac symptoms that I truly believed it was GF! I can't wait to get this one again. As soon as they make their Sesame Chicken GF I probably won't need to eat anywhere else!

(Picture from the PF Changs website. Another instance of eating my food too fast and forgetting the picture.) 

And End the Night with:

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix

(picture links to amazon for your culinary convenience) 

I think these may have been the first gluten-free brownies I made years ago, and I haven't found any brand that tops them. No one has ever been able to tell the difference between the gluten-free and gluten-full, and its my go-to when I bring a dessert to parties. They are simple to make, so yummy, and easily adaptable if you want to put your own twist on the dessert (think walnuts, caramel, etc). Should definitely be a pantry staple for all GF girls and boys with a sweet tooth. 

That's all for now. Feel free to comment with your favorite GF chinese foods and desserts. And in the meantime, I hope you have at the ready a pair of loose pants and a big appetite. Bon appetite! 

Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies

"I'm not a vegetarian! I'm a dessertarian!" - Calvin and Hobbes 

There's no denying it, I have a huge sweet-tooth! But one thing I've noticed since I've gone gluten-free (GF) is that there is a huge lack of GF sweets, at least ones that don't taste bitter or have that 'GF texture'--you know the one that I'm talking about. I blame GF flour. There are some great products out there, but I think we have a long way to go in terms of perfecting GF all purpose flour and other baking necessities.

This recipe is super simple (one of the most simple recipes I've posted!), bypasses the flour problem, and tastes great! I made them for a work celebration and many people told me that they liked them better than regular cookies. Feel free to give them a try and let me know what you think!  The quality of these cookies greatly depends on the quality of the peanut butter that you cook with, so I really do insist that you use natural crunchy peanut butter! Otherwise they won't turn out nearly as good. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup natural peanut butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Coarse salt (I used Himalayan pink salt, but you don’t have to get that fancy!)

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl mix brown sugar, white sugar, and peanut butter. Stir until thoroughly mixed.

Step 2: To the dough add vanilla extract, baking soda, and egg. Stir for at least 2 minutes.

Step 3: Form one inch balls by rolling them in your hands. Press flat gently with a spoon (you can add a design here as well!). Put them on a cookie sheet with tin foil. Bake for 10 minutes, until light brown.

Step 4: Remove cookies from the oven and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until done. 

 Makes a dozen cookies.

Super Soft Sugar Cookies

That's the way the cookie crumbles...

Confession: Until this batch, I'd yet to have a gluten-free cookie that I loved. So many gluten-free cookies are dry, bitter, and fall apart the instant you bite into them.  So how did I come up with a recipe that finally worked? I changed my thinking--I morphed cookie and cake recipes to make the ultimate soft sugar cookie!

I brought these cookies to a volunteer meeting, and upon announcing they were gluten-free, I was meant with huge groans. Apparently I'm not the only one with a gluten-free cookie prejudice. But after the first kid took one, and proclaimed it was amazing, everyone dug in--and every cookie was eaten with gusto!

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cup gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons xanthum gum
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup softened butter
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350. 

Step 2: In a small bowl, mix all dry ingredients (sugar, egg, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and xanthum gum).  

Step 3: In a large bowl, mix egg, vanilla, and softened butter. Slowly add the dry ingredients and stir in a little at a time. Stir until all ingredients are completely mixed.  Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

Step 4: With a ice cream scooper or spoon, put a 1-2 tablespoon sized dollop of dough on a baking sheet covered with tin foil. Space cookies 2 inches apart.       

Step 5: Place cookies in oven and cook for 15 minutes. When cookies have cooled, top with your icing of choice.

Apple Crisp Cravings

"Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why." - Bernard M. Baruch

Apple crisp was one of those things I was worried I would have to 'give up' due to going gluten-free, but this recipe is just as good as the gluten version, if I do say so myself! I posted a picture of it to my facebook and was quickly asked to post the recipe, so here it is by popular demand.

 

Ingredients:

4 apples, sliced and peeled
butter spray (or any non-stick spray)
1/2 cup softened butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all purpose gluten-free flour
3/4 cup certified gluten-free oats 
1 tsp xanthum gum
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 8x8 oven safe dish with butter spray or non-stick spray. Layer sliced and peeled apples loosely in the pan.

Step 2: In a small bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, white sugar, gluten-free flour, oats, xanthum gum, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Unless you are using a mixer, I highly recommend slowly adding the ingredients to the softened butter for ease of stirring.

Step 3: Crumble the flour mixture on top of the apples until everything is covered.  Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until topping is crispy and brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream!

Serves 6-8.