German Chocolate Cupcakes

German Chocolate Cupcakes

These are the best cupcakes I've made all week (Wednesday was Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting AND Cream Cheese Frosting and Thursday was Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting).

This has a few steps but it's worth it!

King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix.
Follow the directions. It's easy and you end up with 24 cupcakes that the gluten folks won't be able to tell are gluten free.

Halfway (11 minutes) through the baking time (22 minutes total works in my oven) turn the cupcake tins around 180 degrees so they bake evenly. Once the cupcakes come out of the oven, let them cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then take them out and put them on a cooling rack.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Pamela's Dark Chocolate Frosting Mix and make Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 bag of frosting mix (which is just sugar, cocoa, vanilla powder)
2 T butter, room temperature
8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
A few tablespoons of water in a cup nearby

Allow butter and cream cheese to soften. Mix together with a hand or stand mixer on medium speed. Add the frosting mix and a bit of water. Continue to add water until the frosting is smooth and you have the right consistency. I think a little stiffer is better, that way when it's piped onto the cupcake it holds its shape.

Using whatever tip you like create a pretty barrier for the coconut pecan frosting by piping the chocolate cream cheese frosting around the edge of the cupcake.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

1 cup evaporated milk (not skim)
4 egg yolks
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup salted butter (2 sticks)
1 t vanilla
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1.5 cups chopped pecans (I bought chopped but chopped them a little finer)

In a medium pan melt the butter and then add the evaporated milk and brown sugar. Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl and then temper them with a little of the butter mixture.

Tempering: Once the egg yolks are whisked take a tablespoon of the hot butter mixture and whisk quickly into the eggs. Repeat this process with 8 tablespoons of hot butter mixture and then pour the eggs into the butter mix. This keeps you from having to strain this mixture through a fine mesh strainer (at best) or from having scrambled eggs (at worst).

Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened--anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes. Mixture should almost come to a boil and when you swipe a rubber spatula along the bottom of the pan you should see the pan for a second.

Remove from stove and stir in vanilla. Stir in coconut and pecans. Allow frosting to come to room temperature.

Scoop 1-2 tablespoons onto tops of cupcakes.

Sprinkle a little coarsely ground salt on top and you're done!

Or just call me and I'll make you some :-)

What to do with leftover coconut pecan frosting? Ha, as if there's an option!

Grilled Lamb Chops

 Grilled Lamb Chops
Adapted from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

We recently bought a whole lamb from Nancy Penley at http://www.naturallambcoop.com. Grass fed, all natural, and YUMMY! Also much less expensive than buying the same at Whole Foods. Nancy is in Loveland, CO.


Ingredients

    • 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
    • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
    • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
    • 1/8 to 1/4 t. cayenne pepper (depending on your tastes)
    • 1 t. coarse sea salt
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 6 lamb chops, about 3/4-inch thick

Directions

In a small, cup sized food processor fitted with a metal blade add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, cayenne, and salt. Pulse until combined. Pour in olive oil and pulse into a paste. Rub the paste on both sides of the lamb chops and let them marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Remove from refrigerator and allow the chops to come to room temperature; it will take about 20 minutes.

Heat 2 T canola oil in a pan over high heat until almost smoking, add the chops and sear for about 2 minutes. Flip the chops over and cook for another 3 minutes for medium-rare and 3 1/2 minutes for medium.

Plate and cover with aluminum foil if you want the chops to continue cooking a little longer so they are just pink on the inside and not bloody (I'm not a big fan of bloody, gives me the willies!)

I made a box of gluten free parmesan risotto and swiss chard from our garden to go along with the chops.

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken Stew Ingredients:
    • 1 (5-pound) roasting chicken
    • 1 large yellow onion, unpeeled and quartered
    • 2 carrots, unpeeled and halved
    • 2 stalks celery with leaves, cut into thirds
    • 1 large parsnip, unpeeled and cut in half, optional
    • 8 sprigs fresh parsley
    • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
    • 5 sprigs fresh dill
    • 1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in 1/2 crosswise
    • 1 tablespoons kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
Plus:
3 carrots
3 celery
5 potatoes

Directions:
• Place the chicken, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, and seasonings in a 16-quart stockpot. Add 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 1-1.5 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a wire mesh colander, save the chicken and discard the rest of the solids.
• Take all the meat off the chicken, cut up into bite sized pieces and put all or most of the chicken back into stock. Simmer on med-low.
• Into the stew:
    -Peel and slice 3 carrots
    -Slice 3 stalks of celery
    -5 potatoes, peel and cut into cubes
• Simmer 10 minutes, then start dumplings.

Dumpling Ingredients:
4 cups Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 1/2 T fresh)
1 tsp dried parsley (or 1 T fresh)
dash of ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups milk

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients then slowly add milk and mix lightly. Drop by heaping spoonfuls into boiling stew. Cover and cook until dough is cooked through. About 10-15 minutes.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

4 lbs sweet potatoes (garnet yams actually) cut in half lengthwise and half again--slice 1/4 in thick
2 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground pepper
8 T goat butter
1/4 c whole goat milk (this is exact, don't eyeball it because it will be way too much--I just made this mistake!)

Stir, cover, low heat, 35 minutes, stirring occasionally

2 T whole goat milk (or cream if you can find it) and mash

Great with Pan Fried Pork Chops

Pan Fried Pork Chops with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

4 boneless pork chops (about 3/4" thick)
3 slices nitrate free bacon
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground pepper
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 c gluten free flour

Dredge pork chops

Let sit on plate for 10 minutes

Cook 3 slices of bacon--eat the bacon! :-)

Add 1/2 cup vegetable oil to bacon fat, heat over medium high

Dredge pork chops and pack on the flour

Look for wisps of smoke from oil

Cook 3-4 minutes per side.

Serve with Mashed Sweet Potatoes and a veggie.

Pasta with Chicken, Goat Cheese, and Roasted Asparagus

• 2 bunches asparagus (2 pounds total), tough ends removed
• OR roasted zucchini is good too!
• 4 tablespoons goat butter, cut into small pieces
• 12 ounces gluten free cavatappi or other short pasta
• 1 small log soft goat cheese (5 ounces), crumbled
• 2 to 3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, for garnish
• 2 grilled organic chicken breasts, sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Place asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet; dot with 1 tablespoon goat butter, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes; cut into 2-inch lengths.
   
   Grill chicken or use left overs.
   
   
2. While asparagus is roasting, generously salt boiling water. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Set aside 1 1/2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.
   
3. In a medium bowl, combine goat cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 cup pasta water. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth. Add goat-cheese mixture and asparagus to pasta; toss to combine, adding more pasta water if necessary for sauce to coat pasta. Serve pasta garnished with chives.
   

Pork Bolognese

• Adapted from Everydayfood.com  --- I'm always happy when a recipe starts with bacon ;-)
• 
  
• 3 slices nitrate free bacon, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground bison
• 1/4 cup organic tomato paste
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/4 cups whole goat milk
• 1 can (28 ounces) tomato sauce
• 2 cups organic chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped
• 2.5 t coarse salt
• 1/2 t ground pepper
• Cooked gluten free penne rigate, for serving
• Grated hard sheep cheese, for serving

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook bacon over medium heat until fat is released, 5 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and celery; cook until soft, 6 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high; add pork and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 7 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook until pork is coated, 4 minutes.
   
2. Add wine; cook until reduced by three-fourths. Add 1 cup milk; cook until reduced by half. Add tomato sauce, broth, bay leaf, thyme, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Stir in 1/4 cup milk. Serve sauce over pasta, topped with cheese.