Country Gravy

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk
3 Tbsp butter
1-2 tsp black pepper
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp cayenne or red pepper
(*optional - 1 tsp chicken bullion paste or 1 Tbsp beef/pork drippings)

In a medium saucepan melt butter at a medium-high heat. Add flour (*and optional bullion paste/drippings) and whisk together to create a loose paste. Pour in milk, add salt and pepper, whisk to combine. Bring to a sustained rapid boil for approximately 5 minutes, whisking frequently. Reduce heat to a high simmer for a rolling boil, whisking frequently, for approximately 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low simmer, whisking intermittently, for approximately 5-10 minutes until desired thickness is reached.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Quesadilla

aka Make Yerself a Dang Quesadilla, Napolean!

(imagine the heavenly voices of cilantro angels singing in chorus)… ♪Ahhhhhhhh!♫

Our menu called for quesadillas tonight, but I wanted to change things up a little. I’m a pretty lazy with my quesadilla assembly: cheese, grilled chicken, cheese. Blah. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good…and cheesy (did I mention the cheese?), but…blah.

Anyway, I’ve been growing some herbs in my windowsill the last few weeks (you can see my basil and cilantro in the picture above!), and have been dying to do something with the cilantro. I just happened to have some limes on hand as well. And nothing pairs with cilantro better than lime. I can’t believe I actually had them BOTH at the SAME TIME! Now, you may call it luck. And you may call it fortune. But meself, I call it fortuosity…(I can hear an Irishman singing “"Fortuosity"” in my head now. You too? Uncanny!) *ahem*

So I grilled up a couple of chicken breasts seasoned with seasoned salt and then shredded them. Then I chopped up the cilantro really fine. I watched this video and this video on how to chop herbs and found them very instructive. (I can’t do it like the second guy, but it was fun to try anyhow.) I added a dash each of cumin and garlic powder. Then I squeezed half a lime over the chicken and gave it a quick toss. I layered the chicken with shredded mozzarella between two medium flour tortillas and voila! Quesadilla City, baby. Population: us.

As a means of self-gratulation, I would like to add that the “Picky Three” scarfed these down almost as fast as I could make them. The youngest, pickiest of the gang even ate his full share. That. Is. Amazing.

Next time, I think I’d like to add some black beans and red or green peppers, and this would be fantastic with Sarah’s guacamole.

Here’s the breakdown:

Cilantro Lime Chicken Quesadillas

(makes 5 quesadillas)

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
dash ground cumin
dash garlic powder
juice from half a lime
1 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
10 flour tortillas

In a small bowl, combine chicken, cilantro, cumin, and garlic powder. Add lime juice and toss. On a flour tortilla, layer chicken mixture with 1/4 cup cheese and top with a second tortilla. Place in quesadilla maker and cook 6 minutes or until slightly crispy. Serve with sour cream (we like to substitute plain yogurt), salsa, and guacamole.

I used a quesadilla maker, but you can also bake two quesadillas at once on a cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes at 400°.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Desserts For Those Going Gluten-Free

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

YIELD: 3 dozen cookies

• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, applesauce, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, baking soda and xanthan gum. Using a rubber spatula, carefully push the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and combine until dough is formed. With the same spatula, gently fold in the chocolate chips just until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Using a melon-baller, measure out the dough and place on the prepared baking sheets. Space the portions 1-inch apart. Gently press each with the heel of your hand to help them spread. Bake the cookies on the center rack for 14 minutes, rotating the trays 180 degrees after 9 minutes. The cookies will be crispy on the edges and soft in the center. Remove from the oven.

Let cookies stand 10 minutes. They’re best served warm, but to save them use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely before covering. Place in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Lemon Poppy Teacake

YIELD: about 10 slices

• 2/3 cup rice milk
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup poppy seeds
• 3/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, plus more for pan
• 3/4 cups agave nectar
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons pure lemon extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 7 × 4 × 3-inch loaf pan with oil.

Pour the rice milk, apple cider vinegar, and poppy seeds into a small bowl – but do not stir – and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, applesauce, vanilla, and lemon to the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the poppy seed mixture into the batter, and combine just until all ingredients are blended. The batter will expand slightly.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the center rack for 35 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees after 18 minutes. The teacake will be golden brown and springy, and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

Let the teacake stand in the pan for 20 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edge of the bread. Cover the top of the pan with a cutting board, and invert onto the board. Carefully lift the pan away and re-invert the teacake onto another cutting board. Either cut and serve warm, or wait until it is completely cool before storing. Cover the uncut teacake with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Cupcakes

YIELD: 1 dozen

• 1 cup garbanzo and fava bean flour
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2/3 cup agave nectar
• 6 tablespoons applesauce
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hot water or hot coffee
• Frosting for serving (see recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line one, standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, potato starch, cocoa powder, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, applesauce, vanilla, and hot water directly to the dry ingredients. Stir until the batter is smooth.

Pour 1/3 cup of the batter into each prepared cup. This portion will almost fill the cup up entirely. Bake the cupcakes on the center rack for 22 minutes, rotating the tray 180 degrees after 15 minutes. The cupcakes will bounce back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. Remove from the oven.

Let the cupcakes stand for 20 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack right side up and cool completely. Using a frosting knife, gently spread 1 tablespoon of Frosting over each cupcake. Place the cupcakes in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Vanilla Frosting

YIELD: enough for 1 dozen cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups soy milk
• 3/4 cup soy “Better Than Milk” powder
• 1 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice

In a blender or food processor, combine the soy milk, “Better Than Milk” powder, coconut flour, agave nectar, and vanilla. Mix the ingredients for 2 minutes. As the machine blends, slowly add the oil and lemon juice, alternating between the two until all parts are incorporated. Pour the mixture into an airtight container. Place the container in the refrigerator for 6 hours, or for up to 1 month, before using.

All the recipes listed here were created by Babycakes NYC Vegan Bakery and were posted online by GOOP.com. Additional Babycakes recipes can also be found on their blog. ;-)