Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Kacy made these cookies for Justin's mom and passed on the recipe. They were delicious! Justin ate a ton of them, which is saying something since he isn't a big treat person. 

Ingredients:

4 cups gluten-free old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup almond flour, or additional 1/2 cup oats
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins

1. In a blender, process 1 cup oats (or 1 1/2 cups oats if omitting almond flour) into a fine powder. Whisk together ground oats, cornstarch, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add oat mixture, beating until combined. Fold in coconut, raisins, cranberries, and remaining 3 cups oats. Refrigerate dough for 20 minutes.

3. In batches, drop balls of dough onto greased aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to rack to cool completely.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies


My notes:

I substituted chocolate chips for dried fruit, which was great since I've never been huge on oatmeal raisin cookies. Make sure to refrigerate the dough; Kacy said they were pretty crumbly when she didn't. Also, we tried baking them on the aluminum foil, on a ungreased cookie sheet, and a non-stick cookie sheet. They seemed to do best on the non-stick cookie sheet. We found they stay together the best if you let them cool down (almost completely) on the baking sheet.

Tomato Basil Chicken

Original recipe found here.

Ingredients: (4 servings)
2 chicken breasts
kosher salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp extra olive oil
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
4 Tbsp cold butter
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
parmesan cheese for garnish

cooked pasta

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to skillet. When the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts. Cook 4-5 minutes per side.

Add tomatoes, basil, butter, and garlic. Stir. When your chicken is done, turn down to low.

Remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for a couple of minutes. Cut the chicken into slices on the bias. Serve chicken over pasta, topped with tomato basil sauce and parmesan cheese.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

Original recipe found here. 3/4 of my family liked this :)

Ingredients:
1 T vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
a few cups fresh spinach (or swiss chard), chopped
6 eggs, beaten
1 to 2 cups cheese
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
a few strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until wilted.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture, bacon, and stir to blend. Pour into prepared pie pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
3/4 t salt 2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
1 c peanut butter
2 c gf oats
1 c chocolate chips 

Mix well. Drop on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Makes 3 dozen good sized cookies. The peanut flavor is pretty subtle, and the texture is chewy and not crumbly.