The Happiest Day of my Life! 12/27/13

I know that I intended this blog to be a place to share recipes, but this post is a little different as it is a recipe for the happiest day of my Life.

Ingredients:

1 amazing Groom
1 lucky Bride
1 handful of beloved family and friends

Directions:

Mix all ingredients with love and happiness.  Sprinkle with California sunshine and live Happily Ever After!

All I Wanted Me Was a Little Gluten Free Cornbread!

Mark and I have several favorite films, but one film that we watch over and over again is The Green Mile with Tom Hanks.  One of our favorite scenes is where William 'Wild Bill' Wharton (played by Sam Rockwell) after being put in solitary confinement, says "All I wanted me was a little cornbread, motherf*#@!ers! All I wanted me was a little cornbread!"

Here is a GF culinary nod to The Green Mile.

Ingredients

• 1 cup gluten-free cornmeal
• ½ cup rice flour
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 T baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup unsweetened Silk almond milk 
• ⅓ cup canola oil
• Egg replacer to equal 2 large eggs (prepared according to package directions)  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Grease an 8x8-inch square glass baking dish & place in heating oven
3. In a bowl, whisk dry ingredients together.
4. Add almond milk, oil, and egg replacer and corn; stir until batter is smooth.
5. Carefully remove hot pan from oven and pour the batter into the hot pan (this ensures a crisp edge on your cornbread).
6. Return the pan to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown on top.
7. Serve warm on its own or drizzled with honey.

A Taste of New York

Aunt Mary's Marinade for Chicken

Mark brought this recipe from New York and we're not sure who Aunt Mary is, but this chicken is delicious!  We love you Aunt Mary!!!

1 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp Bell's poultry seasoning

Combine all ingredients and marinade chicken for a minimum of 3 hours.  Drain chicken and bbq until done.  It tastes like Summer!

Happy New Year French Onion Soup

Mark and I decided to start a new "New Year" tradition, French onion soup!  It is such a simple recipe with simple ingredients, but it yields such complex flavors.

Ingredients
2T olive oil
3lbs yellow onions
1 pinch of sugar
1T scant all purpose flour
3/4 cup good quality dry vermouth or dry white wine
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
7 cups beef stock
Salt & pepper
Toast rounds
Shredded gruyere cheese

Peel onions, cut off root end and slice thinly on a mandoline.  Drizzle the olive oil in the bottom of a large French oven over medium/ low heat.  Place sliced onions in the pot and sprinkle with pinch of sugar.  Saute slowly for 30-45 minutes or until carmelized.  Sprinkle the onions with flour and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Add the dry vermouth and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add the worcestershire & beef broth and simmer for another 35 minutes to let the flavors meld.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Spoon soup into bowls, top with toast rounds, sprinkle with shredded gruyere and place bowls under broiler until cheese is bubbly.  Serve immediately.

Happy New Year!