Life Got Full.

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DOLLOP + I AM A CELIAC


Happy Cooking,

amy and ann

{delightful} Gluten Free Chocolate Candy Bites

Today's recipe is a little something sweet. Who doesn't like a good chocolate candy recipe?



I know these will be gone at my house in less then 30 minutes. Enjoy! This is a great recipe to get your kids involved in. My kids love taking turns stirring...and sampling along the way of course.

Gluten Free Chocolate Candy Bites

by amy twomey

ingredients

3 packages of gluten free German Chocolate

6 c. big marshmallow's

2 c. crushed up pecans

1 T. cream

Using a double broiler melt the chocolate and marshmallow's until smooth. Add pecans and cream. Stir well. Remove from heat and begin dropping spoon size drops onto a sheet of wax paper.

Let cool and harden. I put mine in freezer to speed up process!

photo by ann west

photo by amy twomey

photo by amy twomey

photo by ann west

{nibble} drunk manchego spread

Something easy and yummy for company!

I LOVE cheese. All kinds, all textures, love it. Lately I have been taken with Manchego. I just love saying it. I feel like I should be in spain walking on a cobble stone street. I might stop in the local dive and order some wine, manchego and chorizo. Doesn't that sound fun?

here is a fun fact: Did you know that Manchego is named for the Spanish region of La Mancha, which is also the home of Don Quixote!

drunk manchego spread by ann west

1-2 wedges of an aged manchego. Ask for one with a nice bite to it!

olive oil

roasted garlic

salt

pepper

red pepper flakes

italian seasonings, basil, oregano etc...

paprika

a squeeze of lemon

chunk your cheese and cover with olive oil. Add your spices as you like and let sit for at least 8 hours. A day would even be better. Serve with a sturdy cracker or some nice bread. enjoy!

ps. i could also see adding a little more lemon and drizzling this over grilled asparagus - yum!

photo by ann west

photo by amy twomey

by amy twomey


photo by ann west

{companions} Stuffed Hummus Jalapenos

Sinfully good...roasted Jalapenos. Typically I make them stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon but today I decided to try something new. They are infused with sizzling goodness. I use the oven *see below, or if I am in a huge hurry I will broil them, watching them very carefully and flipping them along the way.


Stuffed Hummus Jalapenos
by amy twomey


ingredients

12 jalapenos
1 container of hummus or homemade hummus even better
Queso Fresco Mexican cheese


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove inner seeds and wash well. Stuff each jalapeno half with hummus. Cut strips of Queso Fresco Mexican cheese and put one slice in center of each jalapeno. Arrange wrapped jalapeno halves in a single layer on a medium baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 45 minutes, or until bacon is evenly browned and crisp.

* I also stuff with whipping cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese with bacon wrapped around the jalapeno for another time. Both are different and each mouth-watering-good!

photo by ann west




photo by amy twomey

photo by amy twomey

photo by ann west

{crave} the ultimate theta burger

All I can say is Johnnies, in OKC. If you haven't been there it is a must. A childhood staple for me. The caesar burger, the old fashioned, and the famous THETA were among my favorites from their extensive menu. The Theta though, she is a beauty!

Of course I took a little liberty on my "mock" theta burger. These are bison!

I used colby - jack .... Johnnies had good ole american (shredded for extra melt effect)! Pickles, mayo and a sweet and smokey BBQ sauce. Nothn' better!

So here it is ... be prepared ... it is not for the light at heart and fair warning it will soon become a {crave} for you as well!

The "mock" Theta by ann west

A bun - soft and friendly

your burger grilled just for you with the cheese of your choice (cheddar or colby jack)

thin sliced onion

hickory smoked thick BBQ sauce of your choice

pickles (here for my recipe) or bubbies a great brand pickle!

mayo - on the top side of the bun

There you have it friends... pure bliss!

photo by ann west



photo by amy twomey

photo by amy twomey

photo by ann west

{companions} minted coleslaw & new mexican corn bread

Below are the first two posts we had as a team. Amy posted her yummy cornbread and I posted my favorite minted coleslaw. Both of these are great for summer food! enjoy.



photo by ann west

Green is always an inspiring color for me. In the past, it has normally been attached to spring and it was Kelly green or nothing. But now we have so many varieties of green ... lime, avocado, celery, green apple ... greens are happy, serious, silly ... green compliments most other colors as well ... yellow, blue, pink, purple, brown ... I love my grey couch with green pillows they make all the difference. And who doesn't love Kermit the frog!



Enjoy this all green fresh spin on coleslaw!


A Hint of Mint Coleslaw
recipe by ann west


green cabbage sliced thin (I like to keep this an all "green" & white slaw)
green onion
fresh mint - sliced
fresh basil - sliced
cilantro chopped


I believe that these herbs should be used to taste - but just in case I use around 8 -10 leaves of mint and basil and a handful of cilantro


______


dressing...


3/4 cups mayonnaise
black pepper & salt to taste
1 tsp sugar
dash of cayenne
juice of 2 limes


Slice your cabbage and cut your onion, mint, basil and cilantro. Mix your dressing and toss with the cabbage. Add the herbs and onion and toss again. I love this fresh, yummy and beautiful green slaw. It is wonderful with spicy BBQ or fish tacos.


photo by amy twomey

If I was told that I could only have one food for the rest of my life it would be a serious toss up between beans and cornbread. I am a huge fan of cornbread, who isn't right? I had to re-workand dig for amazing new recipes when I discovered I was Celiac and had to 100% commit to a gluten free diet for life. So, along with that came a new recipe for cornbread given to me by my Mom who makes this for my Dad who also is a Celiac. I love it. My friends who come over to eat love it. My kids love it. It is a recipe I now make for my family all the time and I hope it is a recipe that my children will one day make for their kids too. It is an easy to make, delicious-must-try.

new mexican cornbread
recipe by amy

1 can (14-16 oz.) cream style corn
1 ½ cups corn meal
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs, slightly beaten
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
¾ cup milk
1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilis

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except cheese and chilis. Mix well.
Pour half the batter into greased 9” square pan. Sprinkle with half the cheese and half the chilis.
Add the remaining batter and top with the rest of the cheese and chilis.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 30-45 min.
Cool slightly and serve warm.

photo by ann west

photo by amy twomey

photo by amy twomey

photo by ann west

{the dish} cream cheese chicken enchiladas

Amy and I got together last year a couple of times to cook for our families. It was great ... we spent time talking, solving world problems and knock out 2 large casseroles of chicken enchiladas for our families. Of course we had the best intentions of cooking together every other week ... then every month ... now we just get it in when we can ... life sometimes takes precedent. I hope this year we get to spend more time cooking together, inspiring each other and feeding our families and friends! enjoy!

I can not remember where I got the idea of adding cream cheese to my enchiladas, but throughout the years this recipe has changed so many times until this. This is by far the best way to eat chicken enchiladas. Filling and a completely satisfactory meal. A great meal for entertaining a big group of people. They are super easy to make, and I believe taste better then any enchiladas you will get out at a restaurant. I love this recipe.

cream cheese-chicken enchiladas

by amy twomey

ingredients
3 big packs of chicken breasts
1 large yellow onion
4 hatch green chili's
1 bag of shredded Monterrey jack cheese
3 bricks of cream cheese
2 TBS butter
white or yellow corn tortillas
1 box of gluten free chicken broth
buttermilk
salt and pepper to taste
avocado

*avocado salsa verde by ann west
[see ann's post for this here]

Saute your chicken and turn heat off and cool. Move chicken from pan and into a bowl. Use pan to saute butter and chopped onion and salt and pepper until onion is browned. Now shred chicken into the bowl and add into the pan with the onions. Add chicken broth and turn heat to low and cover for 15-20 min. Drain broth. Sometimes I prep chicken the night before I actually make enchiladas and place shredded chicken in a zip lock bag in fridge if you have limited time to cook.

make your Avocado Salsa Verde and set it aside.

in a saute pan saute some butter and add cream cheese until melted. Add in chicken and stir well. May add more salt and pepper to taste.

warm a huge handful at a time of corn tortillas wrapped in a damp paper towel in microwave for 90 sec to 1 min. remove

set out your casserole dishes and fill bottom of each dish with about 1/2 inch of buttermilk.

using a towel hold one warn enchilada in your hand and use a spoon to scoop chicken mixture into center of tortilla and roll it up and begin placing in rows in the casserole dish on top of buttermilk. Continue until dishes are full of enchiladas.

spread avocado verde salsa all over tops of enchiladas, add the chopped hatch green chili's all over and cover entire enchilada's with handfuls of shredded cheese.
cook @ 350 for 25-30 min until cheese is melted.

will serve 2 big families. So invite friends over to share this yummy meal.
We always eat this with rice and my lazy day pinto beans.

photo by amy twomey

photo by ann west