Nutella is probably one of my favourite things. When I was young, I remember coming home from school and my favourite snack was nutella on crackers. Instead of peanut butter and jelly, I looked forward to nutella sandwiches. I came up with this recipe because I knew that nutella would add a lot of texture and flavour to a gluten-free cookie. It's moist, chewy and very rich!
You will need:
2 cups of rice flour
3/4 cup of tapioca flour
1 Tsp baking soda
1/2 Tsp gluten free baking powder
3/4 cup of Nutella
1/2 cup Brown sugar
1/2 Tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cup of oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
Mix the rice flour and tapioca flour together and then add the baking soda and baking powder.
Then, in a separate bowl, mix together the nutella, brown sugar, oil, beaten eggs and vanilla.
Mix well with an electric mixture.
Then, slowly and gradually add the dry ingredients to the nutella mix and keep beating with an electric mixture until all the flour and nutella are completely combined. Once it is all combined, it will have a crumbly appearence but don't worry, once you form them, it sticks together well.
Grab a teaspoon-sized amount of dough in your hands and gently form it into balls and put on a greased cookie sheet. I don't like to flaten the dough because they slightly flaten while baking.
Put in the oven and bake for approximately 10-13 minutes or until the bottom is lightly browned.
Voila! Enjoy!
Gnocchi is a popular Italian dish. It is made out of potatoes and flour and is similar to a dumpling. It is delicious and easy to prepare. Usually it is cooked by boiling it for a few minutes, but I decided to try something different in this recipe. I am sure glad I did!! The gnocchi I used here are store bought.
(Stay tuned for my upcoming posts where I will show you how to make them from scratch.)
For the sauce you will need:
2 Tomatoes
2 Sweet red peppers
2 Small Onions
4 Cloves of Garlic
3 Tbsp of fresh chopped basil
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a blender, combine the tomatoes, red peppers and onions. Blend this until it's smooth. Then, in a medium pot, heat up the olive oil and add the chopped garlic. Cook until lightly browned and then add the tomato and pepper mixture. Add the basil. Stir and cook on medium heat for approximately 25-30 minutes.
Then:
1 Pkg of gluten-free gnocchi (I found mine at an Italian specialty store, but check your local health food store)
2 Tsp of butter
Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the package of gnocchi. Let it sear for a few minutes on one side until it's nicely browned, then do the same to the other side. Total cooking time of around 7-8 minutes.
Once the gnocchi is complete, pour the sauce on top and sprinkle some freshly grated
parmasan cheese.
Buon Appetito!!!
My mother-in-law and I came up with this recipe one day. We tweeked a recipe that she already had and came up with this really delicious treat. It has the consistency of a macaroon mixed with a merengue. It comes out very light and airy. It is a perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth! The best part is it's gluten free!
You will need:
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 Cup of almond flour
1/2 Cup unsweetened coconut flakes
3 Tbsp bitter cocoa sifted
1/3 Cup egg whites
1/2 Tsp vanilla extract
1/3 Cup sugar
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees farenheit.
Mix icing sugar, almonds, coconut flakes and cocoa in a food processor until smooth or well mixed
In a bowl, beat the egg whites with vanilla extract until fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
Once this is done, slowly and gradually add 1/3 cup of sugar and beat until stiff.
(You should be able to turn the bowl upside down without the mix falling out.)
Then, add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and beat until mixed well.
Let it sit, covered, for 30 minutes. This allows the batter to settle and thicken a bit.
After about 30 minutes, gradually put the batter in a piping bag, and shape into whatever shape you choose on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 16-18 mins.
Yields approx. 2 dozen cookies.
This morrocan-inspired rice tastes amazing! It is perfect for vegetarians because the almonds add a natural protein. In this recipe, I will also show you how to cook rice perfectly. It won't be to hard or too mushy. I have followed this method for many years and it always turns out just right!
2 Cups of Long grain rice
3 Cups of Water
1/4 Cup chopped roasted almonds
2 Red onions chopped
3 Cloves of crushed garlic
1 Carrot cubed
1 Medium-sized tomato
1/4 Cup of chopped fresh parsley
1 Cinnamon Stick
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon of saffron
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
To cook the rice: I use the ratio of 1 cup of rice to 1 and a half cups of water.
In a medium pot, add 2 cups of long grain white rice and 3 cups of water together. Then, mix in 1/4 teaspoon of saffron and cover and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, stir once, cover and cook on low heat until the rice has absorbed the water. This usually takes approximately 10 minutes. Once finished, uncover and gently fluff with a fork.
In the meantime:
In a large wok or frying pan, carmalize onions and garlic with the olive oil. Then, add the almonds, tomato, carrot and whole cinnamon stick and cook together until the carrot is slightly tender. Then, add the cooked rice, cardamom, and salt and pepper. Cook together for about 5 minutes or until the rice is completely saturated in the spices and well mixed.
Finish off with a splash of raw extra virgin olive oil. This dish makes a perfect companion to roasted garlic hummous or even eggplant salad. (See Spice Contessa's previous recipes)
Enjoy!!
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So, I had some left over chicken and rice in the fridge the other day, and I thought I'd try something different instead of having plain old leftovers. It was quick and simple, taking only 15 minutes to prepare.
You will need:
1 Cup of cooked chicken (cooked anyway you like-mine was left over roasted chicken)
2 Cups of cooked rice
1 Onion chopped finely
2 Cloves of chopped garlic
1 Bell pepper chopped in cubes
1 Chopped tomato
4 Eggs beaten
3 Tbsp of grated parmasen cheese
2 Tbsp of fresh chopped parsley
2 Tbsp of cornmeal
1 Tbsp Olive oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste
Add all the vegetables, rice, chicken and spices in a bowl and toss well. Then, add the beaten eggs, cheese, cornmeal and parsley. Mix ingredients together well. Once everything is coated with the eggs, cheese and cornmeal, form balls and gently flaten to make patties. I suggest you form patties no larger than the palm of your hand to prevent them from breaking apart. Then, in an oiled and heated pan, add the patties and cook one side for approximately 5 minutes or until browned and then flip over and brown the other side.
These patties taste great on their own, or with your favourite condiment!!
Buon Appetito! :-)
This is a simple and delicious recipe which can add a ton of flavour to your favourite grilled meat or fish or you can use it as an appetizer with some tortilla chips. The key is to chop all the ingredients finely.
You will need:
2 Medium sized tomatoes
1/2 of small onion
1 ripe avocado
1/2 of red delicious apple
2 Tbsp of fresh chopped cilantro
1 Bell pepper
Juice of a whole lime
1/2 of jalepeno (for heat, optional)
1/4 Tsp of ground cumin
1 Tbsp of olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Chop all the ingredients finely, and add it all in a bowl with the spices, olive oil and lime juice. Mix all together and serve as a side or use as a dip with your favourite tortilla chips. Enjoy!!!
Hummus is one of my favourite dips. I make it often and always try to throw in
different ingredients to make a variety of flavours. This recipe is pretty classic.
I like to roast the garlic rather than throw it in raw. It gives it a nice mild flavour.
Also, I usually use tahini but it is difficult to find here. I discovered if you lightly toast sesame seeds, it has the same effect. Be careful not to use too much though, because it can be overpowering.
You will need:
2 Cans of chick peas
3 cloves of garlic, roasted and crushed
1 Tbsp of fresh chopped parsley
1/2 Tsp of cumin
1 Tsp of paprika
1/4 Tsp of toasted sesame seeds
1 Tbsp of olive oil
Juice of 1 whole lemon
Salt to taste
To roast the garlic, place the whole, unpeeled cloves in a pan and turn on the heat. (No oil is required) Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes on one side and then turn over. Once the peel is browned in colour, remove from the heat. Then, peel and crush the garlic.
If you have a toaster oven, you can just place the unpeeled garlic cloves in and toast for
approximately 5 minutes instead if usuing a pan.
Drain the chick peas and put them in a food processor and add the lemon juice, garlic, parsley and sesame seeds. Blend until smooth.
Then, put the mixture in a bowl and add the cumin, salt, paprika and olive oil.
Serve as a dip with some tortilla chips or use as a condiment. It's a healthy alternative to mayonaise or sour cream.
(Tip: Hummus tastes great on a nice barbequed burger!!)
Makes enough for about 4-6 people.
Buon Appetito!!
