This Week’s Menu – Happy Spring!

Menu 3/17/13 – 3/23/13

Sunday: Tuna Wraps

Monday: Lentil & Rice Stew (yes, another version of this recipe)

Tuesday: leftovers

Wednesday: Beef Stir Fry

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Tex-Mex Corn Chowder (from Sharon Fleming’s blog: Around the Table )

Saturday: leftovers

Misc.: GF Blueberry Muffins for coffee/tea

GF Chunky Monkey Cookies

I think I mentioned before, but I have a cookie problem.

I have plenty of self-control when it comes to cake, brownies or any other baked good, but put a plate of cookies in front of me and poof!  They will disappear.

Like a true addict, I can’t eat just one and instead of confronting my problem, I had the bright idea that if I made healthier cookies I could justify my cookie eating ways.

I’m not delusional enough to believe that it’s okay to eat a dozen cookies in one sitting, even if they are healthy, but I do think that the resulting recipe is a good way to sneak in some extra nutrition.

Fair warning, like a lot of my experimental recipes, this one ended up with a variety of unexpected ingredients in strange quantities.  I haven’t had any complaints and the cookies disappear pretty quickly even when I’m not in the room, but I’ll let you decide.

Ingredients:

Makes about 42 cookies

• 1/3 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1/4 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons softened butter*
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla*
• 1 egg
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 apple, peeled and shredded
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts work best)

*I used butter and vanilla because I started from my basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, but am not really sure that it adds anything to the flavor.  I think the peanut butter adds enough flavor and fat that the cookies would probably work without them.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400⁰
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Combine brown rice flour, tapioca flour, sorghum flour and xanthan gum in a medium bowl and set aside.
4. In another bowl cream peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, butter and vanilla.  Beat in egg.
5. Add GF flour mix, oats and baking soda, mix until combined.
6. Stir in shredded apple and carrot.  Add raisins, chocolate chips and nuts.
7. Using a small cookie scoop, place dough on lined baking sheets and flatten with fork.
8. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes at 400⁰ or until edges are lightly browned.  Cool on a wire rack before serving.

One important thing to note about these cookies is that the dough is pretty dark and it’s hard to judge their doneness based on color.  The cookies in the picture look burned, but are really almost the same color as the raw dough.  If they look like the edges are done but still feel a little too soft just leave them on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes.  Just like a steak, they will continue cooking until the pan cools.

Note: I did try adding ground flax in early versions, but it just made the cookies too dry.

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So what do you think?  Now that you’ve seen the ingredients and tried the recipe, could these cookies count as a vegetable serving?

This Week’s Menu – Easy Classics

Menu 3/10/13 – 3/16/13

Sunday: leftovers

Monday: Omelette with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

Tuesday: Baked Chicken and Quinoa with Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Wednesday: Turkey Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Dinner Out – Corned Beef and Cabbage

Saturday: leftovers

Misc.: GF Blueberry Muffins for coffee/tea, GF Chunky Monkey Cookies

 

About the grapes…

I recently realized that other than the bananas I use for baking, I almost never buy fresh fruit in the winter.  Once I realized the error of my ways I started adding fruit to the shopping list.  We started with honey tangerines.  They were tasty, but oh so messy.  Definitely not the sort of thing you can eat on the go or at your desk.  This week’s fruit is the green grape.

Conveniently packaged in self-contained, bite sized portions, the grape may be the perfect fruit snack.  In the car, at the mall or even in front of the computer they are easy to carry, easy eat and easy to share.  No peel, no sticky juice dribbling down your chin and no smell.  Even better, all the stores had grapes on sale this week.

This Week’s Menu – Leftover Heaven

What would I do without leftovers?

I know people who refuse to eat the same meal twice in a week.  I guess it’s okay if you eat out every night, but between eating GF and that pesky little thing called a budget we don’t eat a lot of dinners out.

It’s okay.  I like to cook and as long as I plan ahead I usually have time to do it.  But not always.

It’s just the two of us and since most recipes make between 4 and 6 servings being able to cook once and eat twice is a huge time saver for me.  (It doesn’t hurt that many things, like soup, benefit from a reheat.)  The alternative is to get Mr. GF to cook, which wouldn’t be much of a help or a time saver.  Don’t get me wrong, he makes a hell of a meatloaf, but that’s about the only recipe he will make if I don’t do the prep.  There is also the small issue that he generally only cooks on Sundays.

Needless to say, we’ll probably want to eat at least a few days this week and since I’ve got a few work deadlines of my own we are maximizing our leftover opportunities.

Menu 3/3/13 – 3/9/13

Sunday: leftovers as Pork Sandwich with Honey Mustard Sauce and Mashed Potatoes

Monday: leftovers – last of the Bean Burritos

Tuesday: BLT with Turkey Bacon

Wednesday: Spaghetti with Sausage and homemade marinara

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Kielbassa

Saturday: leftovers

Misc.: GF Blueberry Muffins for coffee/tea