Andes Mint Cheesecake - Gluten Free

You know you want a slice of this. I would gladly share with you if we were neighbors, but since we aren't you will simply have to make it for yourself to taste the creamy goodness. After you make this *dynamite* gluten free Andes Mint Cheesecake I highly recommend the following: First, cut yourself the biggest slice you can. Next, turn off your phone, put on some cozy slippers and curl up in your favorite chair (it would be a bonus if you could talk someone into giving you a foot massage at this time). Then, close your eyes as you put the first bite into your mouth and savor the insanely smooth, rich texture. Smile, as you experience the perfect balance of chocolate and mint. Finally (and a bit dramatically), throw your head back and laugh out loud to celebrate the sheer indulgence of it all. Gluten free? YES! Compromised? NO WAY! This Andes Mint Cheesecake is perfection, even your gluten-eating friends will agree. Do you want to make someone really, really happy? Bake this winner of a cheesecake and share it with them. Be ready to receive lots of hugs, and compliments galore. I would never steer you wrong my friends. I take my desserts very seriously. Do be advised that it is a tad bit addicting... don't say I didn't warn you. :)

Andes Mint Cheesecake - Gluten Free

1 1/2 cups gluten free animal cookies (I use EnviroKidz Organic Gluten-Free Vanilla Animal Cookies ), crushed into fine crumbs

(Tip: Buying the EnviroKids Animal Cookies in bulk from Amazon (follow link above) offers a substantial savings; they are a perfect substitute for replacing graham crackers or vanilla wafers in all of your cookie crusts and other dessert recipes. I always keep multiple boxes on hand!)

6 tablespoons confectioners sugar

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

6 tablespoons butter, melted

4 packages (8 oz. each) , softened

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 package Andes Creme de Menthe Thins (28 candies), chopped

1 additional package Andes Creme de Menthe Thins (28 candies), left whole

3 tablespoons whipping cream

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.

For crust, combine cookie crumbs, confectioners sugar, and cocoa powder. Stir in melted butter until well blended. Press onto the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Bake at 325 degrees F, for 10 minutes. (Tip: wrap the bottom of your spring form pan with foil to catch any butter drippings). Cool on a wire rack.

For filling, beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; mix on low speed until JUST blended; do not over mix. Stir in 1 package (28 pieces) chopped Andes Mint candies.

Bake at 325 degrees F, 1 hour and 5 minutes or until center is almost set. Run a knife between the rim of the pan and the cheesecake. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature.

For topping, set aside 10-12 whole Andes Mint candies for decorating the top of the cheesecake. Place remaining Andies Mint candies and whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds. Stir until mints are melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over cooled cheesecake, spreading to cover the surface and drizzle down sides of cheesecake.

Refrigerate cheesecake 3 hours or until serving time. Decorate each slice with 1 of the reserved mints.

Yield: 10-12 servings

*This recipe was adapted from a recipe on www.tootsie.com

Enjoy!

Crustless Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Pie - Gluten Free

I love this easy to prepare, perfectly seasoned, savory pie. The coolest part is that my family loves it too. I nearly fell off my chair when my youngest daughter ate this willingly. Usually foods with multiple ingredients mixed together in the same dish freak her out (especially if one or more of the ingredients are green). Not this time. She digs this quiche-like meal, and ate the whole slice. Can anyone say VICTORY? Fewer things make me prouder than getting my kids to eat healthy foods and knowing they are truly enjoying them! This dish is just right for brunch, lunch or dinner. It is excellent served with fresh melon or fruit salad. I know you will appreciate the cheesy goodness of this pie... it tastes as good as it looks! It's beautiful colors make for a nice presentation on the plate. It slices up easily, and holds it's shape well. If you are lucky enough to have left-overs, it tastes just as good re-heated. This is the kind of recipe that you can fall back on time and time again (you know, those recipes that never let you down and earn you rave reviews every time you serve them). Try this super-yummy pie soon... I know it will be one of your favorites too!

For more tasty dinner ideas visit the Gluten Free Homemaker and check out What's for Dinner?Wednesday.


Crustless Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Pie - Gluten Free


1 16 oz. container low fat cottage cheese


1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained


1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese


1 cup shredded cheddar cheese


1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese


4 eggs, lightly beaten


6 oz. roasted red peppers, chopped (1/2 of a 12 oz jar)


1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves


1/2 teaspoon salt


3 dashes hot pepper sauce (or to taste)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Pour into a greased 9 inch pie plate. Bake 45 minutes or until center is set. Yep, that's all there is to it!


Enjoy!

It's National Doughnut Day!

Did you know that National Doughnut Day was originally created by the Salvation Army in 1917? Apparently, doughnuts were fried in an American soldiers helmet in an effort to boost the morale of the troops. Since then, National Doughnut day has always been celebrated on the first Friday of June. Both Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts are giving away free doughnuts today. A lot of good that does us Gluten free folks! No worries, you can make your own delicious doughnuts using my Gluten free Unbelievably Good Cake Doughnuts recipe. Happy dunking!

Tagged...

I have been "tagged" by Jen from Feeling Better Gluten Free. I just found out that we live very close to one another... how cool is that? A real-live Gluten Free foodie-friend within driving distance. Love it!

The rules for getting tagged are: Link to my blog on yours in your post, then write a list of 7 things people may not know about you. Next, pick the people you want to tag and write the links to their blogs on your post. No hard feelings if you want to skip out on the game of tag. None. Nada. :)

7 Things You May Not Know About Me

~ I grow my own organic produce

~ I shamelessly admit to owning 33 David Bowie albums (yes, albums)

~ I have relentless bouts of insomnia (oh gee, look at the time... it's 2:27 a.m. right now!)

~ I despise driving and have no sense of direction at all

~ I'm a professional make-up artist and face painter (see lion photo above)

~ I do believe in Faeries... I do! I do!

~ Someday I intend to write a series of children's books


Tag... you're it!

Vanessa from Celiac Princess

Brian from Fire and Salt

Kate from Gluten Free Gobsmacked

Rachel from Living Without Wheat

Esther from The Lilac Kitchen

Grilled Marinated Portobello Mushroom Salad with Creamy Herb Dressing - Gluten Free

This colorful salad is bursting with textures and flavors. It is so satisfying that it is a meal in itself. Portobello mushrooms have a magical way of making any dish extra special. When they are marinated they are out of this world, especially if you toss them on the grill to intensify their flavor. The perfect marriage of grilled and raw veggies really come to life in this dish when drizzled generously with the homemade herb dressing. The thread that ties all of these tasty elements together is the feta cheese. It adds just the right amount of saltiness. Think your kids wont eat this? You might be surprised! My daughter used to profess her disdain for mushrooms until I talked her into trying a bite of this salad. She surprised me (and herself) by eating the entire thing. She now requests this salad regularly, and I am happy to oblige. This is the perfect meal for warm summer days when you don't want to heat up the house by using the oven. It is both beautiful and special enough to serve when entertaining. I'm happy that I found this recipe on Gluten Freeda last year, it is definitely a keeper. I adjusted the ingredient quantities to suit my personal taste and to make the salad a main course. Go ahead; grill yourself some delectable portobello mushrooms this week. You won't be sorry!

Too see more delicious dinner ideas check out What's for Dinner?Wednesday at the Gluten Free Homemaker.



Grilled Marinated Portobello Mushroom Salad with Creamy Herb Dressing - Gluten Free

2 Portobello Mushrooms, stemmed and gently rubbed clean

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped (and ground with a mortar and pestle if desired)

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste

2 slices red onion

2 slices beefsteak tomato

4 cups mixed salad greens

2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Place portobello mushrooms in a glass baking dish, gills up. Drizzle each equally with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Allow mushrooms to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl combine thyme, rosemary, parsley, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat grill to medium.

Place mushrooms on grill, gills up, for 5 minutes. Flip and continue to grill for 5 more minutes. Remove from grill and transfer to a dinner plate.

To assemble, place 2 cups mixed greens on a large salad plate. Top each salad with a portobello mushroom, a tomato slice, and an onion slice. Drizzle generously with Herb Dressing and sprinkle with feta cheese. Yield: 2 main dish salads

Enjoy!

Unbelievably Good Cake Doughnuts - Gluten Free

Just look at these babies! You're probably thinking "Oh sure they look good, but how do they taste?" I am here to tell you they taste UNBELIEVABLE! You're talking to a true doughnut lover here. Maybe it's genetic because I grew up with a doughnut-crazy Mom. We could put away a dozen like nobodies business. As a result, I take my doughnuts seriously, and these are seriously the best Gluten free cake doughnuts I have ever had. I got the recipe from the Pamela's Products web-site and made some revisions to suit our personal taste. I don't know what I would do without my Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix, which is the primary player in this recipe. When I wake up on Saturday mornings (after sleeping in of course), I often have a hankering for these delectable beauties. It thrills my entire family when these doughnuts come to the table still slightly warm. It puts a smile on my face when I hear their "oohs" and "ahhs" and watch them munch happily away with their little frosting covered mouths. You never need to pay nearly $10.00 for store-bought frozen Gluten Free cake doughnuts that are dense, dry and strange tasting ever again. This recipe is so easy.... anyone can do it! All you need for success is a deep Fryer (even just a small one like I have). They are relatively inexpensive and you will find many uses for it. You can customize your frosting flavors and toppings to suit your personal tastes. The sky is the limit... have fun!

Unbelievably Good Cake Doughnuts

4 1/2 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix , plus some for handling dough

1/4 cup melted butter

2/3 cup milk or buttermilk ( I used buttermilk; if you do not have buttermilk add 1 tablespoon

vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk).

2 eggs

1 cup white or brown sugar (I used white)

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oil in deep fryer to 365-375 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Dust counter with additional Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix. Scoop out about 1/3 cup dough at a time. Coat top and bottom with Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix. With thumb, pierce center of dough and create doughnut shape. Place on a large plate covered with wax paper. Continue until all dough has been shaped. Using the metal spatula that came with your deep fryer CAREFULLY lower doughnut into oil. Fry for approximately one minute on each side. Drain on paper towel lined plates, changing paper towels occasionally if too much oil has been absorbed into paper. Frost and add toppings if desired (glaze recipes below). Serve immediately, or store in a loosely covered container (like a cake keeper). Best if eaten the the same day they are prepared. Yield: approximately 13 doughnuts.

Glaze and Topping Ingredients:

4 cups powdered sugar, divided

Milk

Pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Syrup

Coconut, chopped peanuts and sprinkles if desired as toppings

If you want half of your donuts to be frosted with chocolate glaze and half with vanilla then you will do this:

For vanilla glaze mix 2 cups powdered sugar with 1 tsp vanilla and 2 tablespoons of milk (mixture will be very thick). To thin glaze add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until desired spreading consistency is achieved and glaze is lump free.

For chocolate glaze mix 2 cups powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon milk (mixture will be very thick). To thin glaze add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until desired spreading consistency is achieved and glaze is lump free.

If you prefer only one flavor of glaze, then double the recipe for that flavor.

Sprinkle your desired toppings onto separate dessert sized plates (chopped peanuts, coconut, sprinkles, etc). Frost one doughnut and turn it upside down, pressing the frosted side into the toppings on the plate. Press the sides of the doughnut into glaze to ensure toppings are everywhere that there is glaze. Repeat with remaining doughnuts. Serve.

Enjoy!

**Recipe Revision**

Mark's Awesome Fried Rice recipe used to read: "Move rice to the outside perimeter of skillet"; it now reads: "Move vegetable-egg mixture to the outside perimeter of skillet".