Kelly's Gluten Free Nutty Shortbread

By now I've eaten way to many Christmas cookies, but I wanted to share my absolute favorite of the season - Kelly's Gluten Free Nutty Shortbread! She adapted the recipe from Sunset Magazine and uses a combination of Cashews, Pecans, Walnuts and Almonds mixed up in a Honey Caramel on top of a traditional Shortbread, only this time it is Gluten Free. I cannot even tell you how delicious these are - you are just going to have to make them and see for yourself!

Kelly's Gluten Free Nutty Shortbread

adapted from Sunset Magazine

Heat oven to 325 degrees

For Shortbread:

Lightly grease an 9 x 9 inch baking pan

1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted Butter

1/2 cup Sugar

2 cups of Gluten Free Flour blend (with Xanthan Gum or add 2 teaspoons)

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Blend the Butter and Sugar together in a food processor or stand mixer until creamy. Then add in the GF Flour and Salt and mix until the mixture is like fine sand and just comes together when you pinch it. Press the mixture into the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and put on the Nutty Topping. Cook for an additional 20 - 25 minutes. The Nut mixture should be bubbling and just slightly browning.  Cool and cut into squares. 

For Nutty Topping:

3 cups of mixed Nuts (we used Cashews, Pecans, Walnuts and Almonds)

3 Tablespoons Butter

1/3 cup light colored Honey

1/3 cup Sugar

Put the Butter, Honey and Sugar in a non stick frying pan. Heat to boiling and then add in the Nuts. Toss to coat and pour over the Shortbread.

Five Element Analysis

Since this is a sweet cookie made with both Sugar and Honey, this is definitely mostly and Earth treat. Almonds and Cashews add even more Earth. But, the Walnuts and Pecans bring  in the Water Element and the Rice Flour in the GF Flour adds in some of the Metal Element and the Butter brings in a lot more. Only the Wood and Fire Elements are missing, but serving these Nutty Shortbread with Coffee or Tea fixes that and then just be sure to add a Wood Food at another meal. 

Gluten Free Date Bars

Every year I try to add one different cookie to the usual assortment and of course usually leave off one too. so we are not inundated with cookies. As it is, I do give away as many as I can!  This year I made Date Bars, which I haven't made since I was a teenager and that was a very long time ago!  This was one of my Father's favorites, so it has a special kind of nostalgia attached to it. So, I pulled out an old recipe card and adapted the recipe. I have no idea where the original recipe came from, but it was a very popular cookie way back then.

I needed to make it Gluten Free, which wasn't difficult at all and I lowered the amount of Sugar because I think Dates are very sweet enough all on their own. I also added just a little more Butter, as I think Gluten Free Flour Blends are a little drier. And I thought a pinch of Salt would balance the flavor. Anyway, it turned out wonderfully and I had forgotten how delicious Date Bars are!

Gluten Free Date Bars

8 ounces of pitted Dates, chopped

1/2 cup Water

pinch of Salt

1 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend (with Xanthan Gum or add 2 teaspoons)

1 cup Rolled Oats

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

10 Tablespoons unsalted Butter

Butter an 8x8 inch square baking pan.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Place the Dates and Water in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring often until the Dates soften or until they become a paste - about 7 - 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

In a food processor or a big bowl, cream together the Butter and Brown Sugar. Add in the Oats and Flour and blend until the mixture is crumbly but sticks together when you pinch it. 

Pour half of the crumb mixture into the prepared baking pan and press down. Spoon the Date filling over the crumbs carefully with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the remains crumbs on top, pressing down lightly. 

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown.  Cool and cut into squares.

Five Element Analysis

Dates are very sweet and very sticky so they are certainly Earth foods. The Oats and Brown Sugar add even more. The Butter brings in the Metal Element as does the Rice Flour in the baking mix. But this is clearly a Earthy treat!

Savory Potatoes

I've been on a Potato kick lately and since I was a bit tired of eating them the usual ways, I wanted to try something different. I love the recipe from Edna Lewis for Potato Casserole (previous post) so I decided to deconstruct it. I ended up cooking the Potato slices in Chicken Broth and then putting them on a baking sheet, pouring some melted Butter on top and cooking them until they were browned. Oh my goodness, they were so good - savory and buttery and delicious! The advantage to doing it this way is that it takes a lot less time. Plus, the leftover Chicken Broth is perfect for soup, as it is already a little bit thickened. I think it's a great side dish for the holidays as the Potatoes can be cooked ahead and then put in the oven after the main dish has come out and is cooling.  I'm going to be making this dish again and again

Savory Potatoes

2 large Russet Potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4" slices

4 cups of Chicken Broth

4 Tablespoons Butter, melted

Optional:  1/4 teaspoon Maldon Sea Salt

Place the Chicken Broth in a pot and add in the Potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes,or until the Potato slices are fork tender.  Drain, reserving the Chicken Broth for another use.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees

Place the Potato slices on a parchment covered baking sheet. Spread them out and drizzle with the melted Butter. Sprinkle with Salt, if using. Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes or until the Potato slices are golden brown.  

Five Element Analysis

Potatoes belong to the Earth Element, so this is clearly an Earthy side dish. The Butter adds a bit of the Metal Element and the forms of cooking - boiling, which is the Water Element and Baking, which is the Fire Element add a little bit of those Elements too.  

Red Flannel Hash

I used to go to this breakfast cafe where I would have to wait a long time to get a seat and every time I went, I ordered their Red Flannel Hash. I decided long ago that it was better if I learned to make my own, since standing in the rain in Seattle isn't fun. And, the restaurant is pretty far away too. So, I had some leftover Corned Beef and I also had a package of cooked Beets the other day and voila - Red Flannel Hash was ready to be made once again.  

For those of you who have never had this dish, it is simply Corned Beef Hash with chopped cooked Beets added in. It makes the whole dish red and since the ingredients kind of mush together, it is supposed to look a lot like red flannel cloth. Although I've made Hash many times with cubed pieces of Potato, I think Red Flannel Hash turns out better when you grate the Potatoes, although you can certainly use leftover Potatoes and it will be even faster. I took a tip from Serious Eats as I soaked the Potato Shreds in cold water, drained them and then microwaved them quickly before cooking them in a frying pan. I also don't add in the Onion or the Beets or the Corned Beef until the Potatoes are already somewhat crisped up or they will overcook. You can leave out the Beets if you want and then you will have just Corned Beef Hash, which is also delicious.  Served with a Sunny Side Egg, I think this is the perfect breakfast!

Red Flannel Hash

2 medium large Russet Potatoes, peeled

3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil, divided

1/2 of a large Red Onion, chopped

1 cup or more of diced, cooked Corned Beef

1 cup diced, cooked Beets

To serve:  2 fried Eggs

Grate the Potatoes and place them in a bowl and cover with cold water. Drain and place on a microwave safe plate. Put in the microwave and cook for 2 minutes. 

Heat a large frying pan on medium heat. Add in the Potatoes and press with a spatula to flatten and cover the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Cook (be patient!) until the Potatoes are golden brown on that side. Turn over in sections and cook until that side is also browned. Then push aside the Potatoes and then add in the additional Tablespoon of Oil  and the Onions. Cook until the Onions start to soften. Then add in the Corned Beef and Beets. Stir to combine thoroughly  Flatten the mixture and crisp up again on one side and then the other. Put onto two individual plates and top with fried Eggs to serve.

Five Element Analysis

Beets and Potatoes both belong to the Earth Element, so that's the dominant element in this dish.  The Onions bring in some Metal and the Eggs bring in some of the Water Element. Serve this dish with Coffee or Tea and you add the Fire Element. If you serve it with Wheat Toast, you add in the missing Wood Element or you can serve it with a tart juice, like Pineapple or Orange to create a balanced breakfast too. 

Lebanese Green Beans

When I used to live by the beach in Redondo Beach many years ago, there was a small Lebanese restaurant near my apartment that I used to go in to on a regular basis. My standard was their wonderful Lentil Soup, but one of the other dishes that I loved was their slow cooked Green Beans in Tomato Sauce. Nowadays, most people cook their Green Beans so that they are still crisp, but once in a while, I really like soft, tender Green Beans. That restaurant has long since closed and I don't live down there anymore either, so I've been making Green Beans their way ever since. I found out that the special seasoning was Allspice, which is one of those spices that goes so perfectly with Tomatoes. I like to use fresh Tomatoes, as I think the flavor is so much better, but in the winter, canned Tomatoes work well too. Just be sure to add a bit of Sugar to sweeten up the somewhat acidic canned Tomatoes. I've also found out that it is common for Green Beans to be cooked until they are soft in many Mediterranean countries. But, if you only like your Green Beans crisp, just don't cook them so long!

Lebanese Green Beans

1 pound Green Beans, washed with the ends snipped off

6 Roma Tomatoes (or 1-14 oz can of chopped Tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon of Sugar)

1 small Onion or 2 Shallots, chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 cup of Chicken or Vegetable Broth

1/2 teaspoon ground Allspice

1/4 teaspoon of Salt

a pinch of fresh ground Black Pepper

Bring a small pot of Water to a boil and drop in the Tomatoes for 1 minute. Remove and peel. Then scrape out the seeds and chop.

In a large frying pan (with a lid), heat the Olive OI land add in the Onions (or Shallots) and Garlic Cloves. Cook until you can smell their fragrance. Then add in the Tomatoes and cook until the Tomatoes break down to form a sauce. Add in the Broth and bring to a boil. Then add in the Green Beans, sprinkle with the Allspice, Salt and Pepper and toss. Return to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook the Green Beans for 30 - 40 minutes or until the Green Beans are very soft. 

Five Element Analysis

Green Beans are a Wood Food and either of the Broth and Olive Oil both add some more. The Tomatoes bring in the Fire Element and the Metal Element is found in the Allspice, Onions and Garlic.  If you serve this side dish with a Water main dish, like Fish and serve a sweet dessert, you will have a completely balanced meal!

Spiced Cranberry Sauce

It's almost Thanksgiving and I am going to my daughter-in-law's family Thanksgiving Dinner and I am bringing my Gluten Free Dressing and Gravy. But I also decided to make a Cranberry Sauce because I like mine to be a bit more tart and more like a Chutney. My son Stephen was over today and he commented that he always liked the Cranberry Relish that had the flavor of Orange, except that it didn't keep well and thought we could use those same flavors in a cooked sauce and I wanted to add some spice. So, we zested the outside of one Orange and squeezed the juice out of it along with another Orange and then added in some Cinnamon and Cloves. We were going to add in some grated Ginger, but I had the idea of using candied Ginger instead, as I just bought some. We only used 3/4 of a cup of Brown Sugar, but you can add more if you like it sweeter  We loved this Cranberry Sauce so we are sharing it with you and will happily serve it alongside our Turkey in two days - Happy Thanksgiving!

Spiced Cranberry Sauce

12 ounces fresh Cranberries

1 cup fresh squeezed Orange Juice (from about 2 Navel Oranges)

¾ cup – 1 cup Brown Sugar

¼ cup minced Candied Ginger

1 teaspoon Orange Zest

½ teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground Cloves

Use a microplane and zest one of the Oranges. Then squeeze the Juice our of the Oranges and add to a saucepan (If you don't have 1 cup, add in some Water). Rinse the Cranberries in a strainer and pick out any soft ones and place them in the saucepan. Add in the Brown Sugar, Candied Ginger, Orange Zest, Cinnamon and Cloves. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the Cranberries pop and the sauce thickens, about 10 - 15 minutes. Cool and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Five Element Analysis

Cranberries belong primarily to the Fire Element due to their bright red color. But they are very sour so they also bring in some of the Wood Element too. The Orange Zest brings in even more of the Fire Element and the Juice, because it is sweet, adds some Earth. The Brown Sugar adds in even more Earth. The Ginger bridges both Earth and Metal and the Cinnamon and Cloves contributes the Metal Element. So, if you make sure to have a Water food to serve this with, you will already have found some balance. 

Thanksgiving Dressing Muffins

My favorite dish at Thanksgiving is actually the Dressing, which last year I made into Muffins and I'm going to do that from now on. This isn't a recipe - it's a way of cooking the Dressing so that you have individual servings. Just be sure to use the Egg in the recipe to hold the Dressing together. We split the Dressing Muffins in half and poured Gluten Free Gravy all over them and we were all very happy, We will be making these again this Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Dressing Muffins

1 recipe of Gluten Free Bread and Sausage Dressing or Southern Cornbread Dressing mixed with Egg

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray cupcake tins with oil. Then scoop dressing into the cupcake tins, rounding the top of each with a spoon.  Place in the oven and cook for 25 - 40 minutes or until the tops are browned.

Other Thanksgiving Recipes on this Blog:

Thanksgiving Spatchcocked Turkey

Delicious Gluten Free Gravy

Gluten Free Thanksgiving Bread and Sausage Dressing

Southern Style Cornbread Dressing - Gluten Free

Stuffed and Baked Acorn Squash

Brussel Sprout Salad with Bacon and Lemon Dressing

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta, Shallots and Parmesan

Umami Brussel Sprouts

Creamed Leeks

Cranberry Relish with Middle Eastern Flavors

Lactose Free Pumpkin Pie

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Steamed Pumpkin Pudding