Easy Herb & Garlic Chicken - perfect over pasta

A tasty, easy chicken recipe that my whole family has enjoyed.  The kids are happy I serve it with pasta, and the adults are happy because it's packed with basil, chives and garlic.   The drippings get tossed into the pasta, with or without the chicken, depending on your preference.  A nice, easy meal, that makes you feel like you're eating something fancy despite it's simplicity.  Enjoy!

Herb and garlic covered chicken, ready to pop into the oven! 

Herb & Garlic Chicken - perfect over pasta
Makes 5 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 425 F.

In a bowl, mix together:
1/2 cup olive oil 
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, minced finely
3-4 Tbsp minced fresh chives
4-5 Tbsp fresh basil, sliced
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Drizzle a little of the mixture on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.   Place chicken breasts in pan, slicing thick areas, if needed, so all the chicken is at a similar height/thickness in the pan.  Spread the olive oil/garlic/herb mixture evenly over all the chicken breasts.

Bake at 425 F for ~25 minutes, until the chicken measures ~170 F at the thickest spot.

Fresh from the oven - ready to dice and toss with pasta - or collect drippings and toss and serve the chicken over-top! 

The chicken can be served directly over GF pasta*, using the olive oil and drippings to toss with your GF noodles.

OR

You can dice/slice up the chicken and toss the chicken and olive oil drippings with GF pasta to serve.

* My favorite GF noodles are the ones made from a mixture of brown rice, white rice, quinoa, and corn.   My ultimate favorite noodles are homemade gluten-free pasta, but these do take a bit more effort and mess, though not too much overall time because the boiling time for fresh noodles is so short. 

Fabulous Gluten-Free French Bread!!!

We have a winner!  French-style bread with a crispy outside, light, chewy inside, and delicious flavor.  It's been requested many times now, and inhaled whenever I make it.  I've had people eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.   We had it at a large family dinner buttered and toasted alongside homemade seafood chowder, which was a hit.  We've had it alongside pasta & sauce, with jam for breakfast, alongside eggs & bacon, and just eaten with butter just for fun.   Every single time I make this recipe I am amazed by two things: 1. how amazing tasting this bread is with the crispy edges and chewy inside, 2. how easy it is to whip together. The rise and bake time are lengthier than most of my bread recipes, but it's so easy to whip together that it makes up for the wait time.  And, unlike most gluten-free breads, after cooling, you can leave it in a tupperware or ziploc on the counter top overnight and the texture and taste will still be amazingly delicious in the morning!  (Usually, GF breads do best if you freeze on the day of making).  The texture is equally amazing - retaining it's flexibility and not crumbling as one so often finds with gluten-free breads. Hurray! Enjoy!

A fresh loaf of gluten-free French bread, sliced and ready to eat!  YUM! 

Fabulous Gluten Free French Bread!!! 
Makes 3 loaves

Line desired pans with parchment paper (3 loaf pans, large round glass bowls w/ flatter bottom, bagette pans, if you're lucky enough to have them). 

In a mixer, combine thoroughly:
2 cups tapioca flour/starch
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
6 Tbsp potato starch
3 tsp xanthan gum
1 Tbsp quick/rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar

Add and mix in, beating 4 minutes:
1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup oil (avocado oil is my preferred choice)
1 cup egg whites (these can be purchased at the store near the eggs)

Scoop bread into 3 pans lined with parchment paper.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise 45 - 60 minutes in a warm location, until bread has doubled and is getting cracks in the tops from rising.  Yes, you can make this in different shaped pans!  I've made it in normal bread loaf pans, but also in a med-large round glass Pyrex dish, lined with parchment, for a nice round-loaf look.  Same great taste! 

Bread after rising and doubling in size.  Ready to bake! 

Bake at 375 F for 55-60 minutes.  This length of time will allow the outside to get nice and crispy, but also allow the inside of the bread to fully cook.  If you cook it for less time, you'll find the inside is too sticky.   Let the bread cool before slicing (although yes, we do eat it warm quite often, but it slices more cleanly if cooled).  Sliced bread can be left in a sealed container on the counter and will still be delicious the next day! The crust will soften after being sealed, but a reheat in the oven will crisp it back up!   This has become the uncontested new family favorite bread recipe!

A fresh loaf, just out of the oven. Pop it out of the pan and cool on a cooling rack. 

I've made round loaves a couple times now, and they can be made larger or smaller (just add a little extra rising/baking time).  Same crispy outside and deliciously chewy inside! 

Salted Caramel Frosting - made with homemade caramels

A wonderfully tasty salted caramel frosting - made with fresh, homemade caramels/sauce.  It's tasty with vanilla or chocolate cake.

Salted Caramel Frosting over cake made with my Vanilla Cupcake recipe. 

Salted Caramel Frosting: 

Make a small batch of homemade caramels:
Homemade Caramels: 

Butter one 8"x8" pan.

In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, combine:
2 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup whipping/heavy cream
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
pinch salt, plus an extra pinch (or two good cranks with a salt grinder)

Cook until caramel reaches ~225-230 F on a candy thermometer.  Immediately remove from heat and mix in:
3/4 tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract

Pour caramels into buttered 8 x 8 pan and set on wire rack to cool.  You can make the frosting while these are still warm, but not hot.

Mix together, heating briefly briefly, if caramels have been allowed to cool. (You can heat 30 - 60 seconds in the microwave)
1/2 pan caramels (with an extra crank/pinch of fresh ground salt, heated to 225-230 F)
1/2 cup whipping/heavy cream

You'll want the caramel mixture to be a bit warm, but not hot, for it beat well into the other ingredients.

Beat in a mixer, starting slowly and building to medium to medium-high speed:
1 cup salted butter, softened
2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
caramels & whipping cream, from above

Let frosting beat for 2-3 minutes, then add extra powdered sugar to reach desired consistency.    You'll want it nice and fluffy, but not runny and not stiff.  It's okay if there are chunks of caramel that get stuck to your beaters - just leave them out when you're using the frosting (though you can eat them).  If you beat this A LOT, then you'll end up with a very fluffy frosting, thanks to the added whipping cream.

Very well whipped frosting.

This frosting tastes amazing on vanilla cupcakes.  It has a flavor reminiscent of penuche fudge (my favorite).  And, it is perfect in a chocolate layer cake, or on top of chocolate cupcakes, too! 

Herb and Lemon Baked Cod or Salmon

Happy New Year! I'll start the year off with a healthier dish - one we all love. The nice thing about making simple salmon or cod in this way is it's both aesthetically pleasing, and the lemon keeps the fish nice and moist during cooking.  I love the flavor of fresh dill, chives and lemon on the fish.  For a little extra flavor, you can add a sprinkling of thinly sliced red onion or minced garlic.  Great served with a salad or rice.  Enjoy!

Salmon and cod, ready for baking! 

Fresh out of the oven, and ready to eat! 

Herb and Lemon Baked Cod or Salmon


Preheat oven to 400 F.
Line baking pan with aluminum foil, turning up the sides to avoid drips spreading around the pan.

Place slices of salmon or cod on the foil-lined pan.  You can make as much or little of this recipe as you need.  The above pan is a 9x13 pan, and served 6.   

Sprinkle the top of the fish with the following:
fresh dill, diced
fresh chives, minced
salt & pepper

Drizzle the tops of the fish with:
lemon-infused olive oil (regular olive oil works, too, but the lemon-infused adds a richer flavor)

Top fish with thin slices of fresh lemon.

Bake at 400 F for ~16 - 20 minutes until thoroughly cooked.  This depends on the thickness/cuts of fish - check with a fork if it's flaking in the thickest part.  (Thicker/wider pieces may need a few extra minutes and thinner/narrow pieces will be more like the 16 minute time-frame).

Fresh baked fish is wonderful served alongside a fresh salad or with rice or potatoes.  

Blueberry Banana Breakfast Bake

Alliteration at it's finest.  A healthy, breakfast bake that's tasty, too!  I am always looking for breakfast meals that I can make in advance.  I also actively search our recipes that don't use dairy (although I find butter to be not a problem - and if it is, just replace it with your favorite oil).  This breakfast bake can be made to eat on the day, but it's also great cooked in advanced - you can bake, cool, slice, and freeze.  Easy breakfasts or snacks during the day!  Enjoy!

A fresh slice of blueberry banana breakfast bake, ready to eat! 

Blueberry Banana Breakfast Bake
Makes one pie-dish size breakfast bake - serves about 8

Beat well, until nice and frothy:
2 small, overripe bananas
1/3 cup organic sugar
3 eggs

Add and mix thoroughly:
1 cup canned coconut milk (mix together the thick/liquid parts (can easily be done if you heat it all a little))
1 tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
6 Tbsp melted butter

Add, mixing until well combined:
3/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Fold in:
1 - 1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Pour into a buttered pie dish.  Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.  This stores perfectly in the refrigerator and you can reheat pieces any time!  Enjoy!

Freshly made blueberry breakfast bake! 

Real Pumpkin Donut Holes!!!

Delicious hot, gluten-free pumpkin donut holes, made with lots of freshly baked (or canned) pumpkin puree!  These were a huge hit among all the family and friends that enjoyed them together.  I was grateful the recipe made so many, so we had a few extras.  For us, it's the time of year when we celebrate Hanukkah by frying anything and everything. (Maybe not everything, but it's a fun excuse to make and eat fried foods.  Our favorite savory food to make is  latkes (potato pancakes).  They're delicious served with homemade applesauce or sour cream.  I love stacking them with smoked salmon and a dollop of sour cream.  But, it's also fun to make donut holes, too!  These are a fun late fall/early winter treat!  Enjoy! 

Real Pumpkin Donut Holes!!!
makes ~60 donut holes

I love to bake my own pumpkins, for that extra fresh pumpkin taste.  You can bake similar-style squash, like acorn squash, if pie pumpkins aren't available anymore. 

Whisk together in a large bowl:
1 3/4 cups Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 - 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Start heating 1" Avocado Oil (or other frying oil of your choice, but this makes the MOST delicious crisp edges on the donut holes) in a high-sided frying pan over medium to medium-high heat OR in a deep-fryer.  *I aim for 350F to 360F*

I have fallen in love with a small deep-fryer that I have now.  I find it eliminates a good deal of mess.  I tend to strain and then re-use frying oil several times, just adding extra oil as needed, particularly if frying non-meat/fish items like donuts.  I'll use this again for Navajo tacos, hand-held fruit fry pies,  samosas,  and even latkes (potato pancakes)! 

Add to your dry ingredients, and mix in thoroughly until smooth:
1/4 cup oil (i like avocado oil, but any will do)
1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (fresh, homemade or canned 100% pumpkin)
4 eggs

Mix with a spoon until thoroughly combined.  Let rest 5-10 minutes.

Line 1 cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper to place donuts after cooling a bit and/or rolling in cinnamon-sugar.  Line 1 cookie sheet with a double layer of paper towel to place cooked donuts to drain.

Prepare a small bowl of cinnamon sugar to roll donuts after frying:
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon 

Use a small (1 Tbsp) sized cookie scoop to scoop pumpkin batter into the hot oil.

Let the pumpkin donut holes cook until browned on one side before flipping to the other side. (Often, I find they mostly flip themselves).  I usually give them about two minutes per side.  A lighter brown will give you a softer donut hole and a darker brown will give you a more crispy donut.  I prefer a darker brown.

Remove donuts to paper towel-lined pan to drain/cool.   Repeat with remaining batter.

When pumpkin donut holes have cooled enough for you to touch but are still hot, roll donuts in cinnamon-sugar and place on parchment paper or foil-lined pan OR transfer directly to foil or parchment-lined pan to eat later.

This tray was packed with donut holes by the end of frying. Yum!

Pumpking donut holes are delicious rolled in cinnamon-sugar

Enjoy!!!

I decided to make a GF pumpkin spice layer cake as an extra Thanksgiving dessert for one of my daughters who doesn't like pie unless it's a chocolate pie. But, I wanted something a little different in look and shape to accompany the pies.  My daughter LOVED this.  So much so, I made it the following week for a family dinner.  It's remarkably easy, but because of the layering, it has a fancy look.  A fun dessert that's delicious and looks beautiful.  Enjoy! 

Yum! A delicious slice of homemade pumpkin spice layer cake!

Layered & chilled. The frosting was piped for a neater look.

Serving a slice of pumpkin spice layer cake. This one was not chilled before slicing - we couldn't wait! Yum!

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a metal quarter-sized baking pan, approximately 9" x 13", 10" x 10", or 11" x 11" in size, with parchment paper.

Mix in a large bowl (It is important to mix dry ingredients first in gluten-free cooking, or you will end up with inconsistencies in the batter):
3/4 cup Kristin's gluten-free flour mix
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice + pinch of cloves (OR 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp ginger, pinch of cloves)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Add, and mix in thoroughly:
1/2 cup oil (I love avocado oil, but any cooking oil will work)
2/3 - 3/4 cup sugar

Add and mix in until nice and smooth:
2 eggs
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree will work)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (vanilla bean paste is best)

Pour into your parchment-paper lined metal baking pan.  Smooth top of batter.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, until nicely browned on top.  Cool 5-10 minutes in the pan, then remove to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, slice cake into three even pieces.  Frost and layer as follows:

Beat the following by hand OR in a mixer until nice and smooth:
2 Tbsp butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
1-2 tsp milk, added slowly, until desired thickness

You can spread the frosting with a spatula OR you can put it in a ziploc bag, then snip the corner, to pipe for a neater look. Optional, but I found this worked well for a neater looking cake: Line an oversized bread pan (just larger than the size of each slice of cake) with plastic wrap.  Gently place one slice of cake in the plastic-wrap-lined pan. Pipe the frosting on, and continue layering as desired. Top loosely with the plastic wrap and set to chill. 

It works neatly to layer in an oversized bread pan, if you have one. But if not, just on a plate or tray works well. 

TWO frosting options: 

1. Frosting on all layers & top
Spread the cream cheese frosting on top of each third of pumpkin cake.  Carefully pick up and layer the cakes on top of each other on a serving dish. *I find using two spatulas works well to pick up each piece of cake* 

2. Frosting between the layers - nothing on top. 

Pipe or spread half the frosting on one of the cake slices. Top with another cake slice. Add the remaining frosting. Top with the last piece. 

Chill frosted cake 2-3 hours, or overnight before serving.  This cake slices best when it's chilled completely.  Slice with a serrated knife when serving.   Enjoy!     

Chilled cake, slicing neatly. 

Neat slices, prepping to share with a friend. Yum!

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!